Kings Cross

[hq1hitchin]

Len Moore a.k.a. The Judge - anyone else remember him? He is normally present at the Hatfield re-unions, having retired (I think) from the Regional Control in York. Before that he was an engine controller in the Divisional Control at Kings X. His nickname, Judge Moore, dated back from his firing days at Top Shed. It seems a cabin full of men were discussing some topic and had put forward various views. Silent until now, Len intervened with "You're all wrong. The answer is...", wherupon some wag said "Hark at the old judge!". The nickname stuck and he still answers to it.
Another regular attendee is Jack Stannard, ex footplate (KX?), who migrated from Kings X Contol to Salisbury and then to Stratford as loco foreman.

[John C]

Yeah thats right Manna,

I recall Dennis Cadywould always wore a flat cap.

I guess a lot of the active and retired locomen on this forum get The Locomotive Journal as a matter of course. As I left the servce long ago I tend to rely on forums such as this and also reading The Journal on-line (it amazes me that discipline - a lot of it seemingly administered by people who don't know too much about railways - and management trying to squeeze the last drop of blood out of the working man, is still such an issue in these so called enlightened times).

Anyway, thats me off of the soapbox for now. What I was really wanting to say was that I read in the December issue of The Journal that former KX driver Bob Yarham had passed away. I only had a couple of turns with him, ECS and Engine Movements, probably, but I was always fascinated by his lovely old Norfolk/Suffolk drawl. It seems that late in life he moved to Beccles, which is only about ten miles from where I hold out now - pity I didn't find out until after he'd gone.

Another character I remember who moved east (to Lowestoft) was Joe Goodman ("Pleasure to do business with you"). He was the guy who lugged a dirty great suitcase around and could always sell you a bar of soap, a jar of coffee or a thousand and one other things.

I don't know if he stayed Lowestoft way, but I certainly have never seen any reference to him in the local phone book or seen any ads in the paper that might suggest he made it big. Wonder what happened to him?

Regards to all,

John C.

[Andy W]

One of my jobs in West Side was to go with one or more of the drivers LDC to empty the fruit machine in the drivers messroom. This had to be done about 2/3 times a week. We used a big sheet to carry the money back to the LDC room where it was counted up.

Needless to say Dennis had his cap on when he did this, prompting a remark (in full office) from Grace Goddard - "is there anything you don't do with your cap on, Dennis?" He went a bit red. Someone told me a long time ago that he had passed on - I always felt he got the short end when the BRB, via a well known (and not so well loved) KX AM, got stuck into the KX drivers reps in the mid to late 1980's.

Another LDC man from my era (mid to late 1970's) was, if my memory is correct, Wally Blazey. I think it was him, when he came off the LDC and went driving for the first time in ages, went by with a Brush 2, much to everyones embarrassment.

There were quite a few drivers who used to come into the offices offering cheap goods out of a suitcase. It was the era of shortages and I did very well for my mum - she was well pleased with what I brought back. I got a bit hacked off with the constantly disappearing bronco loo rolls in the drivers gents though - having to use the weekly notice was no fun.

[Hermit 109]

Hi Manna, I can remember Charlie Kirton from my early days at Top Shed. Sad to hear that Bob Yarham is no longer with us, he used to be the Provident Mutual rep and sold policies to anyone he could get hold of, including me. Story was that with the profits he bought a whole street of houses in Beccles, incidently was the A.M mentioned, John Denham by any chance? I was his deputy on SWT at one time before he was eventually moved on. Here's a few more names to chew on : Len Lacy, Fred Hart, Jack Robinson, Charlie Howard, Arthur Shank, Reg Burnett, Reg Cuff (who would go through 200 cigarettes on a single lodge turn, then gave up smoking and shortly afterwards suffered a heart attack at York I believe), Bob Land, my first mate Ted Piercy, another old mate Jack Beslee, Bob Faux, Arthur Shead, Frank Younger, Terry Poundford, Henry Foster, Towney Keys, Mick Leslie, Ernie Groome, (Long) Harry Smith, never knew the short one, Harold Emery, George Waterman, Charlie Tarry, Charlie Harrowven, Alfie Wright etc etc all unsung good enginemen, apologies to those who's names I can't recall

[Marx]

There's a name from the past 'Peter Green'........ Peter was the first driver I was secondman to on a Wood Green Cadburys shunting job? May have been Rowntrees?? sorry......... And many jobs after.
Peter was gay, and yes, he did ask me if I wanted to go on holiday with him.........but; he was never threatening....... he was very entertaining and surprisingly, knew a lot of show biz folks......He would always let me have a turn driving............I seem to recall he lived in one of the tower blocks near Finsbury Park depot?
Does anyone remember driver Ken Crawley? I was in the Cambridge link with him......?
Thanks for the wonderful memories...............
Another memory of that time was being harangued by a very officious clerk who demanded I move my motor bike(Triumph Tiger) from where I used to park it by the stairs leading to the rostering on point!! A passing secondman(Paul Baker) told him to ****** 'go away' and fill in forms..........He later filed an official complaint about us both!
I forget this clerks name, but I recall, no one liked him!

[Mickey]

Deleted

[Marx]

Thanks Micky,
Yes, he would be over 70.I do remember him on the Cravens.........
Regards

Marx

[Mickey]

Deleted

[92120]

Good evening to you all, another newbie!! just finished reading all of the 13 pages of this thread and WOW! its just about given me brain failure!! i'm 65 after all!!
Goodness me all those names from the past.
I started at Hornsey as a cleaner in 1961 aged 15,passed out as a "passed cleaner" on my birthday in Feb 14th 62 along with Georgy Parsons who's birthday was the same as mine , by inspector Bill Mee? at Top Shed.
I managed quite a few steam turns on 9f's ,I was very keen on getting as many steam trips as possible and did a fair bit of swopping,also being in the relief gang helped.
Hornsey as i remember still had several New England - Ferme Pk turns and i beleive one night time Ferme Pk - New England turn,only did that once, on a WD , and that was through the single bore slow rd tunnel at Wood Green,after having been held in the Kyber Pass hoping to be turned out on the main, as a 16yr old it was an experiance i shall not forget!!
Now names!lets start with the last one,Peter Green,what a nice guy!always smart, and a great sense of humour?!
I first met him when Hornsey closed and it was amalmagated into KX IN 1966/67?
Anybody new was targeted straight away,i can remember him at the no10 messroom sidling up to new blokes,sitting down and introducing himself in the nicest possible way of course,and as everyone who new him watched to see the reaction of his "victim",some people have no sense of humour!!!!
I second manned to him quite a few times,nice bloke indeed.And yes, i am sure he was gay,didn't he have a partner in Tom Fee?
At Hornsey my first regular driver was Ken Crawley,nickname "grandad".A realy nice mate,i had been with him for about two weeks, and returning light engine one night from KX goods, i was driving and he was teaching me the road and as we dropped down the goods line from Finsbury Pk under the viaduct i managed to let the speedo needle on the 350 go one mile an hour over the 25mph? i got a big smack around my right ear and told "never to do that again", i didn't!!!
Happy days!!

[StevieG]

92120; welcome, welcome.

Hope you don't mind a tiny bit of enlightment about ....

" .... Hornsey .... New England - Ferme Pk turns and i beleive one night time Ferme Pk - New England turn,only did that once, on a WD , and that was through the single bore slow rd tunnel at Wood Green,after having been held in the Kyber Pass hoping to be turned out on the main, .... "

Once you were on the Down Goods (DG) from Wood Green No.3 box (on the station's down platform) into 'the Khyber Pass', the only way forward was through that Down Slow (DS) single-bore of Wood Green Tunnel.
There was a DS-Down Fast (DF) crossover at Wood Green Tunnel box but it was 'in parallel' with the DG-DS points, so couldn't be reached from the Khyber. To use that DS-DF at Tunnel box you had to leave WG No.3 on the DS.

After leaving 'the Khyber' the first place where you could reach the DF was at New Southgate; or Cemetery, or New Barnet North (or Greenwood of course).

[92120]

Hi StevieG,thanks,but it was 49yrs ago!!!!!!!!
You are right,

[StevieG]

Hi StevieG,thanks,but it was 49yrs ago!!!!!!!!
You are right,

Absolutely understandable! And you were only 16 ??!! (and I presume not yet required to 'know the road'(?))
Plus, I wasn't even 'around' the railway at that time (not for about another five years), but have the unfair advantage of liking to study track and signalling plans.

[Brush53Falcon]

Talking of the 'Cross' does anyone remember around about 1970/71 an old Stratford (East London) driver who must have been about 60-65 years old at that time who use to visit the end of platform no.10 on a Saturday afternoon for several hours between about 1:pm-5:pm who usually use to have a group of spotter's around him cos he was selling black & white photos of steam locos out of a briefcase he use to carry and generally talking railways to one and everyone who was gathered around him (on a very full) end of no.10 platform?.

Sorry Micky, only just caught up with this thread.
Yes I do remember the Stratford driver selling the photo's, I actually brought one ot two from him and I also well remember he had some prints of DP2 for sale a couple of days after its fatal accident at Thirsk. He actually offered me a cab ride to Cambridge and back if I was to turn up on a Sunday at Liverpool St. I did go to visit him and he showed me around the innards of D5835, the 2000hp machine which he was about to take out. Alas I had to get back to Oxford as my father was taken ill. I hope all his negatives survived with somebody. I wonder whether this was connected with the KX12 group which used to hand around platform 10 on summer evenings and at weekends?

[AndyRush]

Len Moore a.k.a. The Judge - anyone else remember him? He is normally present at the Hatfield re-unions, having retired (I think) from the Regional Control in York. Before that he was an engine controller in the Divisional Control at Kings X. His nickname, Judge Moore, dated back from his firing days at Top Shed. It seems a cabin full of men were discussing some topic and had put forward various views. Silent until now, Len intervened with "You're all wrong. The answer is...", wherupon some wag said "Hark at the old judge!". The nickname stuck and he still answers to it.
Another regular attendee is Jack Stannard, ex footplate (KX?), who migrated from Kings X Contol to Salisbury and then to Stratford as loco foreman.

Just caught up with this thread. I spent several years at York RC on the same shift as The Judge on the loco control desks - he was on the Kings Cross job whilst I looked after the Liverpool Street desk. Very dry character, brilliant to work with.

Then when the Anglia region was formed in 1984, I moved to Liverpool Street and worked with Jack Stannard whilst he was a running foreman at Stratford, a gent who could be described as sometimes having a short fuse! I remember being shouted at by him in a previous life - when he was the Hitchin section controller at Kings Cross control and I was but a lad in Cambridge Control.

It's good to hear that they are both still about, give them my regards if you think about it when you see them again.

Andy Rush

[hq1hitchin]

Talking of the 'Cross' does anyone remember around about 1970/71 an old Stratford (East London) driver who must have been about 60-65 years old at that time who use to visit the end of platform no.10 on a Saturday afternoon for several hours between about 1:pm-5:pm who usually use to have a group of spotter's around him cos he was selling black & white photos of steam locos out of a briefcase he use to carry and generally talking railways to one and everyone who was gathered around him (on a very full) end of no.10 platform?.

Sorry Micky, only just caught up with this thread.
Yes I do remember the Stratford driver selling the photo's, I actually brought one ot two from him and I also well remember he had some prints of DP2 for sale a couple of days after its fatal accident at Thirsk. He actually offered me a cab ride to Cambridge and back if I was to turn up on a Sunday at Liverpool St. I did go to visit him and he showed me around the innards of D5835, the 2000hp machine which he was about to take out. Alas I had to get back to Oxford as my father was taken ill. I hope all his negatives survived with somebody. I wonder whether this was connected with the KX12 group which used to hand around platform 10 on summer evenings and at weekends?

I remember him! He sold me a print of a photo of one of the green A4s (Sea Eagle?) he had taken when she was brand new in Doncaster Plant. Slickest salesman of them all must be Cyril Stannard, a Cambridge driver and local REPTA (Rly Employees Privilege Travel Association) agent who sold me one of their life assurance policies one afternoon while I was the pilotman conducting Cyril's train down Baldock way during some Single Line Working. Obviously he summed me up as being a good risk - quite forgotten about that until now. Cyril was Bryan Wilson's (AM Merseyside and THE great memory man) cousin. Bryan has gone, sadly, it would be nice to think Cyril is still about.