End of the line

[Paul Chappell]

I found you could wander round many places if you carried a drawing or, later, a computer printout in your hand.

[Mickey]

The good times and the in-between between times 1972-2022.

The in-between times-

1. Stratford loco during 1979. Not being a GE man myself and not being from east London either Stratford MPD never really felt like home to me while I was at the shed between April and December 1979 as a second man. Most of Stratford's train crew diagrams in the lower to middle links were pretty much freight diagrams unless you were in the mainline link on the Liverpool street-Norwich diagrams which I wasn't. Some drivers at Stratford in the lower and middle links drove 'the tramcars' on the Liverpool street-Shenfield EMU services as well as working the freight diagrams. Some of the freight diagrams were interesting though such as the Temple Mills-Bricklayers Arms parcel vans or Ilford depot milk tanks to and from Clapham Junction or the 'Poplar goods' a daily weekday return working Mon-Fri from Temple Mills-Poplar docks via Victoria Park but overall I never really associated myself with that place.

2. Victoria Park s/box was my first box as a signalman from early 1980 until October 1981 and it was ok but the area (Hackney Wick in East London) wasn't much to write home about with the box being overlooked by a housing estate which had several tall tower blocks looking down at the box but having said that the box was alright with it being a B.R.(LMR) flat roof construction with a 'Midland' lever frame of about 40 levers with all the lever handles wrapped in hard white plastic. The box was also a good 'starter box' for someone just out of Ilford school because it was located on a double-track line and worked TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Stratford 'C' panel via an 'Acceptance switch' on the block shelf and Absolute Block with Western Junction at Dalston on a standard B.R. 3-position block instrument on the block shelf and also One Train Working with a metal train staff that doubled also up as a 'key' to unlock & lock the Old Ford ground frame on the Poplar single line branch at Poplar Docks. The box also had a IBS (Intermediate Block Section) on the Down line towards Homerton with its own semaphore stop signal and a semaphore distant signal which was just outside the box beneath the Down line starting signal. When I was at the box a friendly old Indian bloke called Trevor who had been at the box for some time since the earlier 1970s was on the opposite shift to me and it was common practice between the both of us to work 12hrs weeks in and weeks out on the 8hrs roster (it saved the roster clerk putting a relief signalman at the box) so Trevor would work 2 weeks of 'nights' 18:00-06:00hrs and I would work 2 weeks of 'days' 06:00-18:00hrs then we would both work a week of days and nights each before going back to Trevor working 2 weeks of 'nights' and myself working 2 weeks of 'days' we both worked that way through most of 1980 and into 1981. In October 1981 I did an 'Interregional transfer' which under B.R. meant having to resign my position at Victoria Park and then re-applying for a new signalman's position on another region in this case I was transferring from the Eastern region to the London Midland region and that was the way it was under B.R. on the old regional set up.

After Victoria Park box closed in 1984 it was used for a number of years by the Victoria Park P.W. gang as a 'lobby' for them but at some point either during the late 1980s or early 1990s the box which had a wooden upper part from the operating floor to the roof was burnt down by local vandals which just left the brick lower part standing for several years before being completely demolished.

To be continued...

[Mickey]

From Victoria Park s/box which I have some fond memories of I did an 'Inter regional transfer' in October 1981 from the Eastern region to the London Midland region to the s/box at Junction Road Junction originally located on the line between Kentish Town and Barking but about the time I arrived at Junction Road, the passenger service had just been switched to run between Gospel Oak and-Barking (which it still does to the current day). Junction Road box was a Midland Railway s/box built circa 1885 and had about a 30 lever frame from memory and was built very low down to track level I presume due to the restricted view it afforded the signalman looking eastwards through the 'bridge hole' towards Tufnell Park station (the disused Down platform could just be seen from the box with the station closing during WW2 and never re-opening again) due to the box standing a few yards away from a brick built overbridge that carried Junction road between Tufnell Park-Archway.

I liked the box but about the spring of 1982 a signalman named Fred Wells showed up at Junction Road coming from the Bletchley-Bedford line although he first went to the old Upper Holloway s/box about a quarter of a mile away from Junction Road before transferring to Junction Road as a resident signalman alongside me and another resident signalman named Johnny Merchant. Fred god bless him was a bit of a 'character' and was well known around the North London line back in the 1980s and down the WCML around the Watford and Bletchley areas going back to the earlier 1970s becoming a good friend of mine so I have named him because Fred changed the way I looked at things from then on for the better of others and not just myself. Sadly Fred passed away back in 2007 so RIP old friend. I look back at my time at Junction Road Junction between late 1981 to when the box finally closed in November 1985 with fond memories.

The actual box was situated beside the Up T&H line a few yards from a bridge that restricted the view looking east with the junction points with the Tottenham lines leading to & from Mortimer street Junction and Carlton Road Junction a bit further on with the Midland mainline. As previously mentioned the box itself contained a 30 lever Midland Railway frame that faced the rear of the box (away from the outside running lines) and when I first went to the box to start leaning it in late 1981 Absolute block working was in force between Upper Holloway & Gospel Oak s/boxes and for a few short weeks with Engine Shed Junction box beside the Midland mainline just prior to that box closing with the commissioning of the West Hampstead PSB (Power Signal Box). When I finally passed out to work the box it was January 1982 and TCB (Track Circuit Block) was in force between Junction Road & West Hampstead over the Up & Down Tottenham lines via a TD (Train Describer) as it still is to this day. The two-block instruments mounted on the block shelf for working Absolute block with both Upper Holloway & Gospel Oak boxes were of the standard B.R. 3-position type (bottom half black and the upper part creamy white colour).

I was at the box when two major incidents occurred firstly part of the Hampstead Heath tunnel collapsed during 1984 (from memory) which basically closed the North London line for around 6 months (I can't remember the exact amount of time the NLL was closed for?) so during the meantime, trains would terminate at Gospel Oak from Camden Road and then be crossed over for the return journey from Gospel Oak heading back towards Camden Road. At Junction Road box the Gospel Oak-Barking passenger service was largely unaffected during this time although a 'conductor train crew' of a driver & guard would show up at the box around 22:00hrs and stayed for around 8 hours each weekday night to conduct (pilot) freight trains across the Tottenham lines usually heading for Cricklewood Junction and then along the Dudding Hill branch to Acton Wells Junction this way of working with a train crew turning up at Junction road box got to be a pain in the a**e quite frankly. The second major incident was when Gospel Oak box (a old LNWR box) burnt down late one Sunday night. I wasn't at the Junction road box that particular Sunday night (I was on the early turn on the next morning) but Fred Wells was the signalman on duty and sometime around midnight Fred told me afterward that he noticed the 'block needle' from Gospel Oak kept flicking over to 'Train on Line' so he telephoned Gospel Oak box but couldn't get any reply so after speaking with Control they asked him to leave the box and walk along the railway to Gospel Oak box to find out what was going on?. Fred told me afterward that as he rounded the curve into Gospel Oak the box roof burst into flames with the rest of the box already well and truly alight!. A resident signalman was unfortunately killed in that fire.

Due to the fire at Gospel Oak box (I believe from memory it happened in March 1985?) Temporary single line working was implemented between Junction Road box and the bay platform at Gospel Oak worked over the Up T&H line with trains coming from Gospel Oak being crossed over through the main to main crossover at Junction Road to continue their journey on the Down T&H line towards Upper Holloway and eventually Barking. The single line between Junction Road box and the bay platform at Gospel Oak was worked by handing the driver who was entering the single line a wooden green painted staff likewise the driver would surrender the staff when his train was leaving the single line at Junction Road box to the signalman. On the Camden Road & Gospel Oak section, a similar form of single line working was in force between Camden Road box & Gospel Oak station although this time the wooden staff was painted red to distinguish it from the Gospel Oak-Junction Road staff.

From sometime during 1983 the old Midland Railway s/box at Upper Holloway began to be 'switched out' during the weekday nights so the block was switched through to Harringay Park Junction box which lengthened the block section between both boxes by an extra couple of minutes over the Up & Down lines. The box at Upper Holloway had one resident signalman during this time which meant that the box was usually only open on the weekday early turns between 06:00-14:00hrs when he was working after which it was switched out. Usually any Ripple Lane to Upper Holloway oil trains which only ran about once a week ran during the late mornings a couple of hours before Upper Holloway box switched out because they required running round between Junction Road & Upper Holloway boxes and then they had to be propelled back into the Upper Holloway oil sidings on the Down side of the line. During 1984 the only resident signalman at Upper Holloway retired and a small presentation ceremony was held in Junction Road Junction box with Fred and myself along with several Ops managers in attendance. The old Upper Holloway box was by now usually only open 'when required' if a Upper Holloway oil train was going to run during about the last 12-15 months of its life before complete closure came in late 1985.

We were told that a new NX panel s/box was going to open later in 1985 probably sited at Upper Holloway station that would see the closure of both Junction Road Junction & Upper Holloway boxes.


To be continued...

[Mickey]

The current Upper Holloway s/box came about from a local B.R.(LMR) re-signaling project to abolish both the old Upper Holloway & Junction Road Junction s/boxes together during 1985. The current box is in a two-story 'port a cabin' type building sitting alongside the Up T&H line off the end of Upper Holloway station and was brought from Wales in two separate portions on two separate low-loader road vehicles during the early summer of 1985. The box was commissioned over a weekend during November 1985 (the 10th 0f November) with Fred Wells, Johnny Merchant, and myself the first three resident signalmen at the new box. Johnny Merchant had the honor of working the first Sunday day turn at the box on the day it officially opened and I relieved him at 18:00hrs on that first day and worked the second shift on the first day that the box opened.

The move to Western Junction box at Dalston.

I stayed at the new Upper Holloway s/box from the day that it opened in November 1985 until February/March 1987 before moving to Western Junction box at Dalston on the North London line and another lever frame box again. Western Junction box itself was ok but the box was situated in a miserable location.

When I arrived at Western Junction box the route to Broad Street had already closed during the previous summer of 1986 so the NLL trains that use to run in and out of Broad Street had been diverted to run via Stratford Low Level to North Woolwich instead. The Up & Down No.1 lines from Canonbury Junction through to Camden Road box were temporarily out-of-use so the only trains that used the No.1 lines between Western Junction and Canonbury Junction were trains heading to and from the GN at Finsbury Park. All EMUs used the Up & Down No.2 DC lines between Western Junction and Camden Road with the No.2 lines converging into the Junction just west of Western Junction box at Dalston.

The box contained a North London Railway stirrup lever frame of about 60 levers but I can't honestly remember the exact number of levers?. Two standard B.R. 3-position block instruments were provided for working Absolute block on both the Up & Down No.1 and Up & Down No.2 lines except as previously mentioned the No.1 lines were temporarily out-of-use when I was at the box so the No.1 line block instrument wasn't used. The double-track line to and from Stratford was worked under TCB (Track Circuit Block) via a TD (Train Describer) mounted on the block shelf in the box likewise the single line on the Graham road curve was worked under TCB Bi-directional single line working although mainly controlled by Hackney Downs panel box Western Junction box controlled the motor points leading on & off the single line on the Graham Road curve at Navarino Road Junction.

To be continued...

[StevieG]

"Retirment is approaching in the coming months so after 50 years of railway work starting in 1972 as a 15 year old 'telegraph lad' at Welwyn Garden City signal box on the East Coast main line and then subsequent stints as secondmen at both Kings Cross loco between 1974-75 and at Stratford MPD during 1979 before transferring back into the signalling grade and becoming a signalman in 1980 until the present day overall it' has been a good 50 years on the railways. .... "

Well done indeed for your length of service Mickey !

For a very long time I had in mind that the aim was to get 50 years in, as that would be a very respectable target to reach, and arose from the long standing norm that so many kept going until age 65.
With the later sporadic instances over the last approx. 30 years, of schemes allowing earlier retirement sometimes with financial incentives (no doubt thought to be one way of economising on staff costs by reducing their numbers I suppose, but creating waves of experience leaving the railway), it seemed to slowly become less of an expectation that 'proper' railwaymen should do their 50 years.
As time went by, while some couldn't wait to leave the increasingly 'education to degree level or equivalent desirable' privatised railway as soon as was sensibly possible, I seemed to be able to cope with, what by then for me, was the continual re-orgs. and changes to the office culture and attitudes. Some found, or at least felt, that they really didn't 'fit in' any more, but fortunately for me, some specialist knowledges and expertises were still accommodated as having a necessary place ( mine was maintaining some understanding of operating practicality amongst a sea of rail projects engineers and managers, from having been in various signalling and ops. from the 1960s onwards; so knowing how the railway worked as a single entity ) :
Long enough at least until, at 43 years, I thought 'I could still carry on in the new ever-changing work climate towards 50 years, but with the maximum allowed pension accrued, why do I need to?', so that was that; probably as much the railway's loss as my gain !, Ha ha.
(But even after ten years, still have some degree of feeling that I miss being no longer involved and using varied experience to good effect though ! You may need to be ready to experience that feeling Mickey.)

I have to add though, that it is quite heart-warming when the occasional modern day story makes the railway press &/or local media news that somewhere's longest-serving member of staff is retiring, aged into their 70s : Good that these days, those people who are willing, fully able, and whose value is recognised and appreciated by their employer, are allowed to keep working while they want to.

Anyway Mickey, again very well done for being so long-served, and all the best for your upcoming different life. I appreciate discovering that tit-bits of knowledge that you, I, and many others, can bring together in these forums, and thus end up with a more comprehensive account of days gone by.

[Mickey]

Anyway Mickey, again very well done for being so long-served, and all the best for your upcoming different life. I appreciate discovering that tit-bits of knowledge that you, I, and many others, can bring together in these forums, and thus end up with a more comprehensive account of days gone by.

Thank you Stevie for your kind words. To be honest I feel as though I have done enough work on the railways over the last 50 years although since the abolition of the retirement age about a decade ago I always thought that I wouldn't want to work beyond 65 years of age, to be honest. There is a signaller (I still prefer the old title signalman haha) who is still working in my area who most people believe is aged somewhere up in his mid/late-70s and I remember he once mentioned to me that he had started on the railways 'in the box' on the Eastern region of B.R. back in 1967.

With regards to myself posting my recollections on here I hope they will be of 'historical interest' for others (and that goes for all my other postings on the forum over the last 12 years) because a lot of observations and recollections like mine and others from other contributors would otherwise be 'lost' forever and future railway enthusiasts that come on this forum in the coming years and decades who read my own and others contributors recollections will hopefully find them interesting especially of the B.R. era of the 1960s, 1970s & 1980s.

[Mickey]

Back on the railway...

Between July 1987 and the atumn of 1990-

In July 1987 I got the vacant Rest Day relief signalmans position at Camden Road that covered the then existing s/boxes around the North London line (a lot of these recollections have been previously posted on the 'North London line recollections' topic thread) and for the next three years I covered the following s/boxes after learning them and being passed out by the local Operations manager.

1.Camden Road
2.Upper Holloway I previously worked the box as a resident signalman from when it opened in November 1985 until February 1987.
3.Gospel Oak
4.Willesden High Level
5.Acton Wells
6.Kew East
7.Acton Canal Wharf
8.Neasden Midland Junction
9.Willesden Low Level on the Euston-Watford DC & Bakerloo underground line.

The following s/boxes weren't covered by myself-

1.Western Junction. Several months after I went on the relief my area lost Western Junction by then simply known as 'Dalston' to the Anglia region after they took it over towards the end of 1987.
2.Harringay Park Junction & South Tottenham. Both of those two boxes wasn't on my area although those two boxes plus Woodgrange Park were taken over by my area around 1994.
3.Dudding Hill. The box wasn't one of our boxes when I was on the relief it was still covered by West Hampstead although my area did take it over around 1994.
4.Bollo Lane. I did a couple of training sessions at the box but I was never interested in working a level crossing box so never passed out the box.
5.Richmond. Richmond wasn't one of our boxes and was still covered by the southern region when I was on the relief although we did take it over as one of our boxes in 1994.
6.Harrow No.2. I never visited the box and wasn't that interested to be honest in learning it.

Out of interest even though I was a 'Rest Day' relief signalman supposedly covering other signalmens 'Rest Days' and there Aannual leave days or nights off during the three years that I was a Rest Day relief signalman around the North London line and I WASN'T rostered any Sundays on my own roster I believe I only had about six Sundays off during that three years period.

To be continued...

[Mickey]

Back to Upper Holloway for a second time between the autumn of 1990 until the spring of 1992...

In the autumn of 1990 I requested to 'come off the relief' and go back to Upper Holloway panel box as a resident signalman which meant a drop in grade from a grade 6 relief signalman to a grade B resident signalman and it's corrisponding rediuction in wages. Times they were a changing as we entered the later British Rail era and impending privatisation of the mid 1990s although we never knew it at the time?.

[Mickey]

The move to Camden Road box...

In the spring of 1992, a resident post at Camden Road box came on the British Rail internal vacancy list which I applied for and got as a promotional move from a grade B to a grade C resident signalman at the box. The box was a North London Railway box and I had previously worked the box as a relief signalman between 1987-1990 so re-training the box didn't take too long. The box had a panel and it was all TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Dalston heading towards the Stratford direction and Euston PSB heading towards the Primrose Hill direction and to Gospel Oak heading towards the Willesden direction.

The 'King's Cross Incline' with the GN was a bi-directional line (obviously) and was TCB single line although when I first worked the box back in 1987-88 the King's Cross Incline was classed as a 'goods line' with a sub-signal to allow a train entering upon the King's Cross Incline at the Camden Road end and I also presume a sub-signal at the King's Cross end at the bottom of the Incline as well. At the top of the King's Cross Incline at the Camden Road end a 'ground position light' was provided for trains leaving the Incline with a corresponding set of 'trap points' being also provided just beyond the ground position light. Around 1988 the King's Cross Incline was 'up graded' to 'passenger status' with a 'main aspect & route indicator' for trains entering upon the King's Cross Incline at the Camden Road end and for trains leaving the Kings Cross Incline at the Camden Road end (at the top of the Incline) a 3-position colour light signal replaced the previous ground position light and the 'trap points' were also removed and the track was plain lined leading into the points in the NLL. The signalling on the King's Cross Incline was originally controlled by Camden Road box which had the 'acceptance switch' on the Camden Road panel and could run a train onto the King's Cross Incline at the Camden Road end whenever a train was approaching Camden Road for the King's Cross Incline although when a train was approaching the Incline from the GN end King's Cross PSB would send the train description through on the TD (Train Describer) and wait for the Camden Road signalman to operate the 'acceptance switch' (which I don't think they liked?) so around 2004 around the time I left Camden Road box a major re-signalling and track renewal work was taking place on the King's Cross Incline and the control of the King's Cross Incline was handed over to King's Cross PSB who I believe demanded control of it?.

When I was at Camden Road box the 1994 'Signalman's strike' under Jimmy Knap the leader of the RMT union took place over a period of several months. When the strike was over a number of changes occurred and even though signalmen's wages increased (overnight) also new rostering patterns were introduced eliminating the unpopular 'Monday late turn double back' after working a 12hrs Sunday night (18:00-06:00hrs) then having a quick turnaround in 8 hours to work a Monday late turn (14:00-22:00hrs) plus a number of old 'allowances' were abolished such as 'travelling time' to and from a s/box for relief signalman from his 'home station' after he either booked on duty or booked off duty and at boxes with AC & DC electrical sections those allowances were abolished as well in favour of a higher rate of pay.

Around 1997 the North London line passed from the old London Midland Region of British Rail to the Anglia region with the corresponding Control office staff becoming our new controllers at Liverpool Street along with former Eastern region managers taking over the management of the NLL from our own London Midland region managers. Also around this same time, the name 'signalman or signalmen' was officially changed to 'signaller or signallers' in recognition of the growing number of female signallers entering the signalling grade also British Rail finally cease to exist and was superseded by Railtrack (remember them?) before going into 'administration' for a short while during the early 2000s before emerging into a new company named 'Network Rail' for the following 20 years into the 2020s.

[Mickey]

The third and final return to Upper Holloway box...

During the early summer of 2004, I requested and was granted a move back to Upper Holloway box which would be the third time I was a resident signaller at the box although it meant that I would have to drop a grade and wages as well from a grade 6 to a grade 3 signaller although that didn't bother me too much. By the way, the re-grading of signal boxes from 'letters' to 'numbers' occurred at some stage after the 'signalman's strike' of 1994 although I can't remember exactly when it occurred?.

Oh well, the current Upper Holloway box has been 'home' to me for the last 18 continuous years since 2004 and on two previous occasions as well before that between 1985-87 & 1990-92 as well as working the box quite often when I was a relief signalman between 1987-1990 and I shall no doubt miss the place but as the final shifts at the box approach in the coming last few weeks I shall be glad to finally have a rest from the job and relax a bit more and not have to think about the next shift although overall I have enjoyed my 50 years on the railways it will be nice to finally have a rest from it all...

PS 37 years on in 2022 they certainly got their monies worth out of the current box at Upper Holloway considering I was originally told by an S&T installer when it opened back in 1985 that it only had a lifespan of around 5-7 years (from 1985) and was at one time earmarked for closure along with the other North London line boxes back in 1990 when the NLL signalling was going to be transferred and centralized into the Willesden Suburban PSB beside the Euston-Watford DC lines although that project was eventually canceled in late 1989. The box even outlived my time on the railways... ha ha ha...

Mickey

[PinzaC55]

I have sometimes wondered what it must be like to work in a signalbox for years only to see it closed and demolished. My local box was Pallion on the Sunderland to Penshaw line and after it closed in 1971 it lingered on as an empty shell for 3 years before being felled by a demolition contractor.

[Mickey]

I have sometimes wondered what it must be like to work in a signalbox for years only to see it closed and demolished.

It is was not unknown for the 'odd tear to be shed' by a signalman at the end of his last shift when the box was to finally close for good. I use to find it a 'poignant moment' back in the early 1970s during the last few days and hours before a box was to close for good such as Marshmoor November 1972, Hatfield No.1 late May 1973 and Welwyn North September 1973 to name but three. it was a strange feeling to experience all that history coming to a end on the night that the box was to finally close.

On the GN on the southern end between Hitchin & Kings Cross when many of those mechanical boxes were being closed back in the late 1960s and early 1970s in readiness for the re-signalling of the route between Kings Cross & Sandy from a new power box at Kings Cross which has it's self subsquently closed (1971-2021) many of those boxes were at the time of closure between 80, 90 & 100 years old and that was a lot of history attached to a individual box not just of the box/structure it's self but of all the signalmen who had worked in those boxes and had passed through them down the years and decades before which was ultimately swept away leaving no trace.

[Dave Cockle]

Micky,

Many thanks for your frequent postings on this forum over the past years. They have been an interesting read and will provide students of railway history a good insight of what the working life of a railwayman was like at the coal face.

I can identify with many of the situations you have described. Like you I started as a box lad and was influenced, in my early years, by the older signalmen who passed on much experience. This put me in good stead to gain promotion. I can't compete with your fifty years. I did thirty eight years and took early retirement aged fifty five but enjoyed the various jobs. We have both seen so many changes over our working lives. I still retain a contact with the railway industry by adopting my local station, Enfield Chase.

Wishing you a long and healthy retirement.

[Mickey]

Micky,

Many thanks for your frequent postings on this forum over the past years. They have been an interesting read and will provide students of railway history a good insight of what the working life of a railwayman was like at the coal face.

I can identify with many of the situations you have described. Like you I started as a box lad and was influenced, in my early years, by the older signalmen who passed on much experience. This put me in good stead to gain promotion. I can't compete with your fifty years. I did thirty eight years and took early retirement aged fifty five but enjoyed the various jobs. We have both seen so many changes over our working lives. I still retain a contact with the railway industry by adopting my local station, Enfield Chase.

Wishing you a long and healthy retirement.

Thanks Dave I appreciate your kind words.

Believe it or not when I am not posting on here about railway matters I actually take very little interest in railways of any sort when I am not on the forum. My interest in railways are all of the 'historical interest' and I don't have any interest in the current day railway scene or of railways in the coming years and decades, I never bought or read 'Modern Railways' magazine back in the 1970s I was more of a 'Railway Magazine' and 'Railway World' teenager haha...

Initially, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was only interested in the King's Cross area and its signalling (Kings Cross-Hitchin and a few trips down to Peterborough) but of course, you couldn't help but notice the diesel motive power especially the 22 initially two-tone green and then blue livered Deltics flying up and down the mainline every day hauling rakes of B.R.Mk2 coaches along with blue livered Brush type 2s on inner-suburban and outer suburban passenger trains of non-corridor suburban stock (block enders) and B.R.Mk1 stock and blue livered Brush type 4s hauling rakes of B.R.Mk1 & MK2 stock on express passenger trains along with the Deltics as well but in the last 20 years, I have broadened my railway interest to include the 1960s era of the 'run down' of B.R. steam along with the London Underground all of which I have on numerous DVDs. With regards to the Kings Cross area and its signalling that will always hold a special interest with me until the very end...

[Mickey]

LAST DAY TODAY.

STARTED ON BRITISH RAIL ON MONDAY 17th JULY 1972 AND FINISHED ON NETWORK RAIL ON FRIDAY 1st APRIL 2022

A few recent photographs were taken of me in the box during mid-March which hopefully I shall be obtaining shortly and will try and post them.