Kings Cross

[JeffB]

Cleethorpes
Hi Guys, another newbie, found this site while searching for something else. Its brought back a lot of memories. I started on the railway at Immingham (40B) as a cleaner in 1956, and moved to Kings Cross Topshed for promotion in March 1959.
After about a year doing anything and everything, was made regular fireman/second man at Finsbury Park S.O.P. where we covered the Met links using N2s, L1s and diesels, Sulzer D5300s and North British D6100s.
After about a year was then moved to Kings Cross Pass S.O.P, on platform 10, for the outer suburban links. By this time Topshed was closing so remained at the S.O.P till 1967, when I left the railway.
I would imagine a lot of who I worked with have gone now. Ron Kennedy, 'Blondie' Aldrich, Len Spinks, just seen a photo of Jim Allen (angry silence) on one of these pages, to name just a few. John Hill in the Met Link, Laurrie Goddard in the Cambridge Link, then again in York and Leeds lodge link, also Len Lacey. Henry Foster, Bert 'Bronco' Laine in the Newcastle lodge link.
I lived in the hostel at Ilford till I got married, living there also from KX, Norman Paige, Brian Pulford, amongst others. Reading through these pages has certainly brought back some memories.

JB

[hq1hitchin]

Cleethorpes
Hi Guys, another newbie, found this site while searching for something else. Its brought back a lot of memories. I started on the railway at Immingham (40B) as a cleaner in 1956, and moved to Kings Cross Topshed for promotion in March 1959.
After about a year doing anything and everything, was made regular fireman/second man at Finsbury Park S.O.P. where we covered the Met links using N2s, L1s and diesels, Sulzer D5300s and North British D6100s.
After about a year was then moved to Kings Cross Pass S.O.P, on platform 10, for the outer suburban links. By this time Topshed was closing so remained at the S.O.P till 1967, when I left the railway.
I would imagine a lot of who I worked with have gone now. Ron Kennedy, 'Blondie' Aldrich, Len Spinks, just seen a photo of Jim Allen (angry silence) on one of these pages, to name just a few. John Hill in the Met Link, Laurrie Goddard in the Cambridge Link, then again in York and Leeds lodge link, also Len Lacey. Henry Foster, Bert 'Bronco' Laine in the Newcastle lodge link.
I lived in the hostel at Ilford till I got married, living there also from KX, Norman Paige, Brian Pulford, amongst others. Reading through these pages has certainly brought back some memories.

JB

Welcome, friend - some of those names bring back memories for me, too - a mere traffic man...

[manna]

G'day Gents

Ron Kennedy, now thats a name I have,nt heard in a long while, worked with him a few times, I think he used to be our union rep or something like that, nice fella'

manna

[hq1hitchin]

G'day Gents

Ron Kennedy, now thats a name I have,nt heard in a long while, worked with him a few times, I think he used to be our union rep or something like that, nice fella'

manna

Was at the KX reunion today (126 of us - same speed as Mallard?) and travelled down on the 11:36 to Hatfield with Ken De'Ath - sure a lot of people remember him? 1943 seniority - passed for driving at Plaistow - and used to have Joe Brown of the bruvvers fame fire to him on occasion. Not quite the same league as Giner playing with Bob Hope but pretty impressive, nevertheless.

[ROY@34F]

Hi JeffB. I remember Ron Kennedy well.a really nice chap.(I was on loan to top shed from Grantham,dec.'58 to dec'60,a passed cleaner).Ron was a "well rounded" guy.I well remember his infectious laugh;very jovial,and a good mate to work with.I remember Jim Allen also;very slim in those days;a passed fireman,always immaculately dressed with white collar and tie.He was rather quiet,but I'm not sure it's the same one you refer to on the photo.As for Laurie Goddard,I remember him well also.I have made a couple of posts of my enjoyable times with him on this forum,if you care to look them up.Do you remember Jock Cairns,a driver who lodged in the hostel ,although I'm not it was Ilford,which you mention.Was there one at KX? I have fired for Jock.I think he was the ASLEF rep at the time.
Happy days,as you say,but we were young and carefree then.
Regards,
Roy.

[StevieG]

Was at the KX reunion today (126 of us - same speed as Mallard?) and travelled down on the 11:36 to Hatfield with Ken De'Ath - sure a lot of people remember him? 1943 seniority - passed for driving at Plaistow - and used to have Joe Brown of the bruvvers fame fire to him on occasion. Not quite the same league as Giner playing with Bob Hope but pretty impressive, nevertheless.

Amazing hq1... !
Last night I finally got around to watching a TV recording of a few months ago (actually 26th July), from the "Yesterday"(formerly UK History), (Freeview) channel : - One of a short series called "Their Finest Hour", apparently about different services/people during wartime and such - this episode seemed to be largely about the trials, toils, efforts and accomplishments of railwaymen in WWII : And one of the interviewees?? - one K. De'Ath !

[Mickey]

Deleted

[JeffB]

Hi fellows, Ron Kennedy was the shop steward at the cross when I left. Ron was the driver on my first firing turn on a main line train in 1959, 60062 Minoru, on the 02:00 paper train to Grantham. It seemed a big step up from being on a J94 at Grimsby Docks a fortnight before.
I can remember Ken De'ath, also I once got mistaken for Joe Brown. I also remember Jock Cairns, he lived in some 1850,s type tenement buildings, Battle Bridge something or other at the side of the milk yard. I think the name Battle Bridge came from the name of the street. There was a hostel at Kings Cross, but when I went down there was told it was full. Whether they used this building as the hostel, I dont know. Sometimes if we were stuck in the milk yard with a N2 or L1, the residents used to moan about filling the places with smoke.
A few more names come back to me, Arthur Side, a little guy about 5 foot tall, Stan Rothenburg, Stan Hunt, I believe his dad was a diesel instructor when Ilford school first opened. Len Spinks, somebody called Tarry, Charlie Drabble, there was 600 guys down there trying to remember them all would be virtually impossible now. Rather foolishly I did,nt keep records or diary from the days.
JB

[StevieG]

The tenements alongside the Milk Yard were in Battle Bridge Road [which once, until about the 1920s/'30s I think, continued eastwards, bearing right, to cross the whole station yard on bridge, across to join York Road (Way), I think directly opposite, or at least very near to, the extant junction with Wharfdale Road], and I think were always 'Culross Buildings'.

I imagine Arthur Side to be a part of a tale of past occurrences told in KX Control when I worked there from '74.
As I remember it being told, part of a windscreen of a main line diesel became cracked or broken while heading north towards Peterborough, initial report/s being that it was on the secondman's side. The loco controller arranged for the driver to come on the 'phone at P'boro' loco, where there was some temporary confusion, escalating briefly to an argument, as to which side the damaged pane was on, until it was realised by Control that the problem window was secondman's side, but it was Driver Side they were speaking to!

[Mickey]

Deleted

[Andy W]

There used to be quite a few railwaymen and women living in Culross buildings in the 1970's. One endearing memory I have is when I was doing nights at KX and from 11 o'clock onwards some of they used to come down to the station to "collect their morning paper", some of the "voucher" allocation of course!

The Mission also used to operate from there and if you look at pictures taken from the station the wooden staircase led up to the station C&W supervisors office (1st floor right) and then there was a door (1st floor straight ahead) that took you out onto Battlebridge Road itself, a neat short cut to the Road Motors depot.

I think the flats eventually got flogged off to a housing association but the name Culross comes from a former Chairman of the GNR, who was in charge when they were built. Funnily enough his grandson, Lord Culross, headed the commitee that saw the recent Crossrail Bill through the Lords.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Another, blast from the past Ken De'ath, another is Driver Quigley, he was a union rep, I remember walking past him one day (under the clock on platform 10) and he was talking to someone else, saying " Well I think we should strike" and a few days later, we did!!

steam loco's in the milk dock, smoke and soot everywhere, but quietly! sitting there, but can you imagine the noise from all six engines of three Deltics all coupled together, in the milk dock area waiting to go into the pass. loco at 3 am, now there's a reason to complain!

Back in 1971, there was a secondman at the 'Cross' who liked to collect! railway objects, but BR were still using them! One night the Police had a phone call about a prowler on the roof of Culcross buildings, so they send a constable around to have a look, and there was the said secondman , still there looking at his treasures, there were, station nameboards, station clocks even 'dolly signals' that was the end of his railway career
manna

[Mickey]

Deleted

[JeffB]

Hi Manna,

I can remember a Pat Quigley while I was there, but when I knew him he was,nt a shop steward, can also remember a Roy Head and an Ernie Groom, also an Ernie Wall, but when he passed for driving,1965 time, I believe he moved to Slade Green as it was nearer home for him.
We also had a fireman in my time who used to like meeting goods trains into the goods yard in the middle of the night. His house was full of stuff when the Old Bill caught him, ended up in the Scrubs.