The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi folks. Know it is a shot in the dark. I am looking for info on my late Grandfather George Alexander Skinner. He was a driver with LNER from the 1920s until his death (On the footplate)in 1960. He Drove from Haymarket and The Waverly in Edinburgh. The engine he drove most was 4488(LNER) 60009(BR) Union of South Africa. At least the Photos we had of him were mostly UoSA. When LNER were amalgamated into BR he was one of the drivers that experimented with deisel. At his funeral there were hundreds of people attended. I am hoping that somewhere somebody will be able to point me in the right direction to find out more about my grandfather who died when I was 18 months old. He was a big 6ft door highlander from outside Thurso in Scotland. As I said it is a long shot but thanks anyway. Would love some Photo`s of UoSA if poss. Ours were lost in a house fire many years ago. Fingers crossed. Thanks Doug.

Sorry, but I'm too young to possess actual photos, but have these recent digital ones, which you are free to down load, unfortunally, the sun was behind.
To give an idea to when they were taken, the file name is the date, then time, and if I took more than one at that time, it has the number after it, some even have the station and platform, although they were all York 10

http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 1317-1.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 1317-2.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 1317-3.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 1317-4.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... ork-10.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... k-10-2.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... k-10-3.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... ork-10.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 0-back.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... ork-10.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... -front.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 10-top.jpg
http://www.4472.me.uk/others/60009-Unio ... 10-top.jpg

open them up, and right click on them, and click save as

Quite an iconic Loco this one, as it was the last Steam loco to be overhauled at Doncaster works, and the last A4 to work out of Kings Cross, before moving up to Scotland, and ruthlessly having it's tender hijacked for Flying Scotsman's second tender, so had to have another one from 17/07/66 - 10/09/66, which she still hauls round today.

Hope all this is of some use to you

all links tested and comfirmed as working, they are my photos, and you are free to use them as you wish

Mark T

Hi Mark, thanks for the photos. My Grandfather didnt only drive No 9. He was one of LNER`s top drivers. He drove a number of engines on the main line from Edinburgh to London and did the runs to Aberdeen too. I have been told that he drove Royal Trains also. Being a driver of his stature within LNER is there a record office or anything I can rummage through, where I may come across some record of him. Cheers mate. Doug.

Hi Doug,

If you want to see Union of South Africa today, you're in luck because she's currently the only Gresley Pacific in mainline steam condition. (come to think of it, the only big Gresley engine in such condition? The N2 and V2 aren't working, and I think the K4 might have problems?)

It won't last long in a year or so, there'll be TWO more A4s running and Flying Scotsman!

The Archives at the National Railway Museum are probably a good place to start. They might be able to point you in the right direction for other sources. They may also have internal railway magazines, memos, etc that might be of use - especially as he was a Top Link driver. Also it strikes me that "dieing on the footplate" is a news-worthy story. As well as the railway magazines of the day (BR and private), you might want to try some of the local newspapers (ie. where he lived/worked, and where it happened).

The next place to try would be the National Archives in Kew. I understand that a lot of the surviving railway company personnel records ended up there. (many don't survive).


Richard

Hi Richard, thankyou for your response to my post. I only left the post on the off chance that someone could come up with a nugget of gold, considering my Grandfather has been dead for over 45 years. Someone aged 15 then and just left school would be 60 now. However the records that are available are just the places I need to rummage through. Would I have to visit these places and physicaly go through them or is there an electronic record that I can access through the internet. I live in the borders of Scotland and Kew in London is 400 miles away. Hardly a short hop to scim through some old records. I am delighted that my Grandfathers train is famous. I was on the footplate as a 12 yo not long after it had been restored to working order. It was on a branchline in Fife running down the line and back again for enthusiasts and tourists. A really memorable moment for me. My kid brother and I were invited onto the footplate as the driver knew my Grandfather and remembered my Mother. So at 12 and 9 1/2 yo we turned the cranks released the brakes and spun the wheels. The driver giggled as we tooted the whistle and shovelled coal from the tender to the engine. No 9 is as special to me as the Spitfire. I am not as much of a train nut as I am a airplane nut but I do love the Union of Souith Africa. Thankyou for your help. You train people are wonderfull, thanks again. Doug.

I think you might have to visit the NRM in person. I haven't tried using their archives, but they have a big new archives initiative ("The Search Engine" ho-ho-ho!) that is meant to make the archives more publically accessible.

I know Kew do have some stuff online, but for something like personnel records, you might have to visit or order them? It is possible you might be able to order photocopies? (I was able to with the British Library when I needed something from them).


Richard

I am not sure of the situation at the NRM, but during the reconstruction I understand the archives will be closed to everybody.

The archives in Kew can be a daunting prospect. Look at their website. You can search a lot from there, but ultimately you would need to go, if they have personell information from the period. I haven't been there for some time now, but the staff were excellent, as long as you were patient. However searching through things takes time.

John