Railway Padre

[Mickey]

It's probably not that well known that at onetime railway padre's use to visit railway premises such as signal boxes and other premises around the railway. I personally recall a railway padre occasionally visiting signal boxes around the north London line in the early 1980s although i havan't seen one now for over 25 years.

The few signal boxes on the north London line that remain even today have bibles in the back of the signal box desks also i believe that if someone wanted a sermon performed in there work place at onetime it could be arranged if you contacted the Padre, the railway was there parish.

[BHornsey]

There's still a railway chaplain, though they are few and far between now.
The last one came to Doncaster about five years ago and he was based at Derby. I haven't seen him again since.

Brian

[60041]

On the West Highland Line, in the early days, a locomotive and brake operated along the line on sundays carrying the padre to the various outlying settlements along the line and services would be held in signalboxes and waiting rooms for railway staff.
Sunday working was not allowed by the Free Presbyterian Church and therefore there were not normally any sunday trains but this working was tolerated.

[hq1hitchin]

Miles Mitson was the padre at Euston in my Railtrack days with his little office downstairs towards the taxi rank. Top bloke and he didn't have an easy time, either. He was there at Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Selby.

I'm not overly religious but have a lot of time for this good man.

I met another one in Canterbury West signalbox in 2005, cannot remember his name, though. Like BHornsey says, few and far between nowadays.

[Mickey]

Keeping on the religious theme i do recall reading something years ago about on the North London Railway back in the early 1900s that there was a 2-hours gap in the Sunday morning train service between 9-11:am to allow railway employee's time to attended a local church service.

[52D]

I cant remember if Riccarton had a Sunday Church special or wether services were held in the waiting room.

[Blink Bonny]

Sunday services were once held under the water tower at Garsdale Junctiom.

[Andy W]

The Railway Chaplins are still about. The London City Mission still operates and covers railway workers around London.

Not at all religious, I used to act as the depot collector when I was at Hornsey ODM. Every depot used to collect for the Mission activities and for some of our own staff who were on long term sick or former staff who had fallen on hard times. The envelope would go on the nail in the workshop under a clipboard with a note saying what or who we were collecting for and the Mission magazine would also go there. That magazine used to give details of what was going on (widows and orphans events etc) plus a little bit about people who had recently retired or passed away.

In the KX area the Mission used to operate from Culross Hall (where the GNR set it up) and it is now in East Side Offices. They did a lot of good work - welfare visits to some very lonely or sick people, tucked away all over North London and the staff didn't need reminding to give a few quid to the Mission at Xmas for the widows and orphans.

In my time at KX the Culross Hall Mission was first run by a guy called Holland and then from about 1978 by an ex-Fleet Street printer called Cook. He was a very nice guy who didn't push the religious aspect but was ace at the pastoral stuff. A real gent.

[52A]

I cant remember if Riccarton had a Sunday Church special or wether services were held in the waiting room.

Initially the engine shed was used then the station waiting room. Later there was a train every Sunday alternating between Hawick and Newcastleton.