S&T staff at Welwyn Garden City circa 1970-74

[Mickey]

Hi laurie, I was a late arrival on the area when I first started as a 15 year old telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City box in July 1972 although by then I had been a regular 'observer of the Kings Cross suburban area and the signalling' from about 1968 from riding up and down on the local train services which I suppose were by then the 'twilight years' of mechanical signalling on the GN main line before the re-signalling of the of the main line between Kings Cross & Sandy including the Hertford branch swept everything away by 1976/77. A long lost friend of mine named Alan Dollimore who I first met in 1968 had also been a telegraph lad also at WGC box during 1962/63 a name you mite have a vague recollection of hearing of way back when anyway when I was at WGC box the three regular signalmen at the box at that time where Cecil White, Harry Fitzgerald & Alan 'pedlar' Palmer so named as he always rode a push bike to and from the box and the Welwyn North area where he lived. I know Alan had been a regular signalman at the 1955 Potters Bar box and also at Hatfield No.1 maybe during the early 1960s before going to WGC and Harry had been a regular signalman at a number of boxes including Holloway South Up, East Goods, Finsbury Park No.4, Wood Green No.1, Wood Green Tunnel and also Cuffley on the Hertford branch before going to WGC sometimes during the early 1960s.

On about three separate Sundays spread over about 6 or 8 weeks during the summer of 1973 I did some paid overtime cleaning the 1955 Potters Bar box but I can't recall the three regular signalmen's names but they all appeared to be all right with me 'hanging around the box' on those Sundays 'train spotting' after mopping the box floor and empting the rubbish ha ha ha...

Your mention of Tony Cato the S&T linesman and his small gang of men were regular blokes seen at Welwyn Garden City box usually trying to get the slow line block bell to ring with a more distinct tone to and from Hatfield No.2 that was occasionally faulted by Harry and in fact during 1972-74 the time that I was at the box the S&T were stationed at WGC in there own lobby on the Up side of the running lines at the north end of the station. As for Tony himself yes I believe he was Italian and someone wrote on here 3 or 4 years ago that Tony migrated northwards from WGC first to Hitchin then to Peterborough and was still on the railways as a S&T tech (as they are referred to these days) into the 1990s.

[StevieG]

Laurie,
Re the later Potters Bar signalmen, along with Arthur Fowler, you might remember the name Bob Baker; unfortunately the name of the third regular man escapes me at the moment.
The 'light-dutied' telegraph lad, 'Stan', was Stan Bailey.

[Mickey]

There was a ex signalman who came on here back in 2014 called Barry Jones who I remember vaguely when he was a relief signalman around Hatfield & Welwyn Garden City circa 1972-73 and I recall that he was a Yorkshire fella and he trained WGC box on a handful of occasions and then worked a few shifts at the box as well before the NX panel was installed in September 1973 anyway he posted that he had been a signalman in the London district between 1962-1973 first at Cemetery and then at New Southgate before going on the relief in the early 1970s anyway he doesn't appeared to have come back on here since then in 2014 after he originally came on here looking to see if anyone had a old Cemetery train register book that he could buy?. Strangely enough I went into Cemetery box about a week or two after it had closed in February 1973 and I do remember there was a number of old train register books scattered over the box floor amongst old special train notices and other rubbish.

Getting back to the WGC S&T linesmen another bloke who was a member of the gang along with Tony Cato in the early 1970s was a tall'ish white ginger headed bloke who didn't say much I recall but I can still see his face in my minds eye anyway I would have said he was around 40 years old back in the early 1970s and he always wore blue overalls and a short blue overalls jacket and carried the S&T meter over his shoulder although I don't recall or remember hearing his name?.

[Mickey]

There is a bloke who has now retired who one or two former S&T men who come on here mite know of called Peter Girdlestone (I think that's how his surname is spelt?) anyway he retired about 2 years ago but he told me several years ago that he had originally started as a S&T linesmen at Hitchin in 1975 and he remembers both Hitchin Yard & Cambridge Junction boxes before they were closed under the Kings Cross to Sandy re-signalling scheme during the mid 1970s anyway I first came across Peter maybe 20 years ago when he was as a S&T tech at Camden Road on the North London line which he was still located at when he retired.

[laurie1951]

Hi Steveg many thanks for info on the name of the medical guy at Potters bar box . I used to work on same shift as Stan bailey . Always very nice chap to talk to . Arthur fowler also a signalman was also a very nice guy , laid back chap with good sense of humour . I remember of a few occasions i covered telegraph lad at Potters bar box if Stan bailey or i think Allen dollimore were off on hols . But i only covered if Arthur fowler was signalman as
he was a nice bloke and treated us lads nicely .

[Mickey]

Hi Steveg many thanks for info on the name of the medical guy at Potters bar box . I used to work on same shift as Stan bailey . Always very nice chap to talk to . Arthur fowler also a signalman was also a very nice guy , laid back chap with good sense of humour . I remember of a few occasions i covered telegraph lad at Potters bar box if Stan bailey or i think Allen dollimore were off on hols . But i only covered if Arthur fowler was signalman as he was a nice bloke and treated us lads nicely .

I first met Alan Dollimore at Welwyn North in the summer of 1968 when I was doing a bit of train spotting near the s/box one evening when Alan got off one of the Down evening 'parlies' from Kings Cross and walked up to me and we started talking about railways straight away. Alan had been a telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City box during the 1962-63 era like I was also to became a decade after Alan during 1972-74 also at Welwyn Garden City box and yes I do remember Alan telling me of him being a telegraph lad at the 1955 Potters Bar box as well. At that time and during the very early 1970s Alan lived with his brother and elderly parents in a bungalow along the Codecote road just passed Old Welwyn and had about 2 lengths of standard gauge track laid in at the top end of his long back garden. After 1972 I lost contact with Alan for several years during the rest of the 1970s but came across him again by accident in 1980 when I became a resident signalman at Victoria Park (near to the present day Hackney Wick station in East London) and he was a 'booking lad' at Western Junction box at Dalston on the North London line but towards the end of 1980 I lost contact with him again and never heard anymore about him?.

[Bil Smith]

Hi
I've just come across this site. Very interesting to hear these names from the past. I started in the S&T department in 1964 at finsbury park as a trainee, although at that time we were called probationers. With regards to the linemen at WGC Potters Bar etc. When I started there was a depot at Hitchin, Stevenage old station, WGC and Potters Bar. The ginger hailred man at WGC was probably Jim Honey. Les Armitage was the signalling supervisor for all these depots so although the linemen were based at specific depots Les would have occasionally moved these around to help cover shortages. I would be interested in knowing anything about Fred Joslin and Ray Oollock, if anyone knows, although they may no longer be with us

[Mickey]

The ginger hailred man at WGC was probably Jim Honey. Les Armitage was the signalling supervisor for all these depots so although the linemen were based at specific depots Les would have occasionally moved these around to help cover shortages. I would be interested in knowing anything about Fred Joslin and Ray Oollock, if anyone knows, although they may no longer be with us

Hello Bill, I was a 15-16 year old telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City box between July 1972-March 1974 anyway the ginger haired bloke you named as Jim Honey yes that was his name he use to be at WGC in my time along with Tony Cato or Kato?. I can still see Jim now in my minds eye 50 years later wearing faded blue overalls with the S&T linesman's amp meter slung over his shoulder. I must admit I never really spoke to him being a young teenager at the time but I remember him and Tony Cato coming up the box at Welwyn on a number of occasions when I was at the box and as for Les Armitage his name rings a bell as well.

Blimey Jim Honey that's a name from the past if Jim is still alive I would assume he would be in his late 80s by now?.

[StevieG]

Laurie,
Re the later Potters Bar signalmen, along with Arthur Fowler, you might remember the name Bob Baker; unfortunately the name of the third regular man escapes me at the moment.
The 'light-dutied' telegraph lad, 'Stan', was Stan Bailey.

Re this 02nd May 2019 post of mine laurie1951, I have now remembered that the third Potters Bar box signalman who I couldn't then recall, was Dick Hoare.

[StevieG]

Hi
I've just come across this site. Very interesting to hear these names from the past. I started in the S&T department in 1964 at finsbury park as a trainee, although at that time we were called probationers. With regards to the linemen at WGC Potters Bar etc. When I started there was a depot at Hitchin, Stevenage old station, WGC and Potters Bar. The ginger hailred man at WGC was probably Jim Honey. Les Armitage was the signalling supervisor for all these depots so although the linemen were based at specific depots Les would have occasionally moved these around to help cover shortages. I would be interested in knowing anything about Fred Joslin and Ray Oollock, if anyone knows, although they may no longer be with us

Hi Bill (the Bill Smith who was later Telecomms. man at KX, with Peter Graham in the PSB amongst your chaps ? - If yes, then you'll know me as well).
I recall some signalmen referring to Les A. as 'Tizzy Armitage'.
Was it Ray Pollock who had a good head of hair and did cable jointing ?

[Mickey]

Back in those days the S&T (or Sugar and Tea as Alan 'peddler' Palmer at Welwyn Garden City box occasionally called them) had but three pieces of equipment 1: a amp meter 2: a screwdriver 3: a hammer.

S&T linesmen attending a fault first off they would put the amp meter on it to get a reading?. Secondly make any adjustments with the screwdriver and thirdly if it still didn't work HIT WITH THE HAMMER!!.

Some of those old S&T linesmen were the unsung heroes of the railway and got the S&T faults and failures rectified to keep the job running.

[Bil Smith]

Hi Steve
Yes, the very same Bill Smith

I knew several Steve's back them, what is your surname if you dont mind me asking

I worked with Jim Honey as trainee in the late 1960s, probably around 67, 68 I believe, so not sure what he was upto between 70-74. When I was with him he had a sidekick, Vic Cruiise. Vic also had dark hair and a dark complexion, could have been southern european origin. I knew Tony as well, but when I knew him he was at Potters Bar although they moved around to some extent.

Who is the Laurie in the post. I knew a Laurie Beaten, I doubt its him he must be getting on quite a bit.

[Mickey]

The name Vic sounds familiar in regards to WGC Bil?.

Yes It has come to me now Vic (Curiies) I believe I remember him now that you mentioned him Bil and as you say he had bit of a dark complexion with dark hair and a bit of an Italian look about him being possibly around 40-45 years old at that time?. Vic & Jim Honey were always coming up WGC box when I was at the box between 1972-1974 and probably several years before those dates as well, yeah I can see Vic's face right now in my minds eye amazing I had totally forgotten about those two blokes for the last 50 years!.

Vic & Jim they were both ok blokes.

[S&T]

Hello Bill Smith.....
I remember you well from KX PSB. I started as a Trainee Technician at Finsbury Park and after that was initially a technician at WGC on the signalling side before then joining telecoms. I was a senior tech at KX and later a TO at Hitchin.

Below are some names you might recall:
Fred Joslin (KX)
Reg Freer (KX)
Peter Graham (KX)
Steve Taylor (KX)
Tony Garner (KX)
Norman Gayle (KX)
Randolp Flatts (KX) [RIP}
Mark Whittacker (KX)
Gary Blackburn (Hitchin)
Clive Brown (Hitchin)
Mark Lee (Hitchin)

Other names I recall:
O'Connell (Father and Son)
Ray Pollock

S&T

[Mickey]

Bill, if you was around the WGC area not based but maybe just visiting occasionally in your own S&T gang around 1972-1973 maybe 1974 do you remember or come across a young S&T linesman (or tech as they subsequently became known) who was maybe around 20-21-22 at that time who was part of the WGC S&T gang and who was a bit tall and gangly (slim) looking and who had long hair with a centre parting and it was always 'tucked behind both of his ears' but when I say he had long hair it only went as far down as the bottom of his neck also it maybe my imagination but he often appeared to wear a white t-shirt and jeans although maybe he didn't wear a white t-shirt all the time but if I think of him he is wearing a white t-shirt in my minds eye. Also regarding his name I am not totally sure but his first name may have been 'Dougal' but I am not totally sure about that almost 50 years later?. Usually if a relief signalman was working the box at WGC during 1972-1973 before the NX panel was commissioned in September or 1973 he use to like coming up the box and pulling a few levers although he never did when the three resident signalmen were working the box.