Demise of the LMS Forum

[Mickey]

Hiya John. I know you was a signalman on the Midland during the 1970s and at different times worked both Napsbury & Harpenden Junction s/boxes.

Back in late 1970 when I was a '15 year old railway & signalling nut' I managed to 'bunk in to' St Albans South box on three separate Saturday mornings spread over October/November of that year by invitation of the signalman that was just before St Albans North box closed at Christmas 1970.

Another Midland box that I managed to 'bunk in to' again by invitation of the signalman was Harlington box situated on the Luton-Bedford section that was around May/June of 1971.

I also have a track diagram book of all the s/box track layouts between St Pancras & Trent South Junction box that also includes the box closure dates that I bought from the Ian Alan shop at Waterloo about 5 or 6 years ago.

Mickey

[thesignalman]

Hiya John. I know you was a signalman on the Midland during the 1970s and at different times worked both Napsbury & Harpenden Junction s/boxes.

Indeed I did, but not long enough ago to remember a thing about Chiltern Green! I was a Relief Signalman at St Albans and covered Harpenden Junction to Finchley Road plus (as you know!) Junction Road and Upper Holloway, and also the Dudding Hill branch boxes.

Ah, the good old days.

John

[Mickey]

Thinking about it these days I reckon I should have put in for a 'Inter regional transfer' (remember them back in BR days?) and transferred from the Eastern region to the London Midland region around 1975 and gone through the Signalling school and maybe had about four or five years in as a signalman on route out of St Pancras before the lot went in to West Hampstead PSB around 1980/81 and then went to Junction Road Junction box in 1981 as I eventually ended up doing anyway. I may have got three or four years in working at somewhere like Harpenden Junction or Luton North box on the Midland main line which would have been great.

Mickey

[thesignalman]

Yes, that's how I escaped.

Come to think of it I don't think I trained Upper Holloway and Junction Road when I was based at St Albans, I think that must have been later when I was based at Broad Street and worked along the North London.

Lest the LNER majority here think I have let their railway down, I was Relief at Marylebone between those two jobs - I hope that exonerates me!

John