Brookmans Park - Down side siding.

[Mickey]

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[Andy W]

I remember the diesel "London John" quite well as we used to have to examine it each year for its licence to go on BR. It was a late Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DH and replaced a Hudswell Clarke OC 0-6-0ST in 1964. The yearly exam was normally carried out by Frank Pye, who was one of the DME loco inspectors and was supervisor in charge at Hitchin Loco from about 1969 to February 1978, when the depot closed.

When he returned to GN House, he continued to go out and inspect it. I think the Kelloggs traffic ceased around 1984 and London John then went to Wards at Silvertown for scrap.

The local C&W examiner from Welwyn GC used to go out there every day to look at the VDA wagons and used a little old hut, known as "Marshmoor Checkers Hut" as a bothy. One day in 1982/3 an artic backed into it and I got the call at Hornsey ODM that the electrics were sparking. On arrival the electrician saw that the hut had been completely demolished and the EEB mains was just sticking up from the ground. He arrived back with a very battered EEB meter, saying "you might need this"! The EEB were less than amused when I told them that at least I had a final reading - I got a bill for the damage to their equipment.

[Mickey]

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[Eightpot]

Thnking about it, the Shunter at Marshmoor sidings in the mornings also doubled as Porter at BP station. He must have been close to retirement then, this was mid/late 1950s. Does that jog any memories? His 'office' at the sidings sounds like the same 'bothy' that met an untimely end.

[Mickey]

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[hq1hitchin]

I remember the diesel "London John" quite well as we used to have to examine it each year for its licence to go on BR. It was a late Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DH and replaced a Hudswell Clarke OC 0-6-0ST in 1964. The yearly exam was normally carried out by Frank Pye, who was one of the DME loco inspectors and was supervisor in charge at Hitchin Loco from about 1969 to February 1978, when the depot closed.

London John came to our aid on the GN Suburban Electrification Scheme one day about 1974. We had the usual weekday 1000hrs - 1600hrs engineers absolute possession, as was the way for most of the work, and on this occasion the Down Slow line was blocked between Potters Bar and Hatfield whilst holes were dug for the foundation bases and concrete poured in. The concrete was mixed in mixers mounted on old Conflat wagons and part was raised up to drop cement into the mixer. On this occasion at about 1400hrs one of the hoppers stuck up in the air, completely out of gauge, and refused to come down. A suggested solution was to sever the pipes and pull the hopper down but, alas, we had nothing on which to pull. As luck would have it, we were at Marshmoor so I walked up to Mowlems stores and explained the predicament. Not only did they produce a magnificent hawser like bit of rope but then conveyed both me and the rope down the yard on the engine where they waited until BICCs finest managed to get the hopper down. London John then retreated back to Mowlems and the possession was able to be given up on time. Hooray!

[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'Day Gents

I remember those trains so well,sitting out on the slow lines day after day, stop, move 20mtrs stop, move 20mtrs. One good thing about those jobs you had time to really get a good look at things, bridges, tunnel mouths etc, etc

Kellogg's 4M44 always semed to me to leave Marshmoor at about 2000hrs or maybe a bit later. Use to see London John a fair bit, but mostly in the mornings 7-9 am or 3-5pm

manna

[third-rail]

The old electrification train hq1hitchin a symbol of the 'new railway to come' which i wasn't interested in.

if i remember right was not this part of the electrifacation done on spec just to keep the erection crews together.

[Mickey]

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[hq1hitchin]

The old electrification train hq1hitchin a symbol of the 'new railway to come' which i wasn't interested in.

if i remember right was not this part of the electrifacation done on spec just to keep the erection crews together.

Not sure, certainly there was a lot of expertise on tap and Cumbrian accents abounded as most of the lads seemed to have migrated south after electrifying the WCML north of Weaver Jcn. Could well be...

[hq1hitchin]

The old electrification train hq1hitchin a symbol of the 'new railway to come' which i wasn't interested in.

Know what you mean, Michael - and I hang my head in shame whenever I go through Stevenage 'New' station - we thought it was the bees knees when we were building it but it looks awful now

[Mickey]

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[hyperion]

Sorry to but in, gents, but I must have a few words on 'Loppy Lud' - sorry, that was Alec Temple's nickname, something to do with a racehorse, I forget exactly what, but you only referred to Alec as Loppy Lud when he wasn't there ! He was a Special grade signalman and I saw him regularlyat Brookmans Park amongst the regular assembly of railway characters who waited their train in the booking office. Alec was of course among this gathering when he was working up the line and he worked just about every box in the Kings Cross/Finsbury Park area. But quite a character, StevieG's description of 'extrovert fuss pot' about sums him up and the story of the broken window at Marshmoor may well fit in with one clear memory I have of him. One evening, I think, and this had to be 1957/8, Alec came in on his way up and another signalman waiting knew just how to wind Alec up, and while I've never been able to recall the topic I remember that in no time at all Alec was raving about how he had every right to give the train 6-bells, and how he was in the right and, as ever, everybody else was wrong. Perhaps this was, indeed, the broken box window occasion. He must have been very close to retirement when you knew him at Marshmoor - in the seventies ? - and I would not have thought him the type to invite people into his box.

Mr. Daniel's cap was always a glory of 'scrambled egg' I seem to recall, 8pot, but whether it was LNER or BR issue I never really wondered - intriguing. In 1957 there were two porters and they didn't shunt at Marshmoor although they might have done earlier - old George Game retired soon after I went there so he fits the description you give. Don Girdlestone, was 'my' porter, always same shift as me, an irascible, grumbling, character who I got on so well with -probably becasuse I was an irascible grumbling teenager, he also retired before I moved back to Potters Bar.

[hyperion]

I got so fed up with the 'new railway', Micky, I left altogether sometime around 1971. Again, this is now a regret. I wish now I'd stuck with it - I feel now that I lost so much ! However after six years' study and a stint as a chartered librarian (pity there's no icon for a big yawn) - I returned to railway employ in the 80s - much to the disgust of 'erindoors - but it had to be done, couldn't be denied

Now I must continue this schizophrenia and roll from my first railway life to the diesel days - see yah on the Kings Cross page.