Signalling.

[Mickey]

[StevieG]

" .... i think Ernie the old signalman at Upper Holloway who was usually referred to as 'Tick tock' (because he mended watches) had the black one eventually taking him home with him when he retired in 1984 .... "

Sounds like that Ernie & his clocks would be the same one who was at Maiden Lane Junction* in about 1969/70.

* - ... next box east of Camden Road Jn. then, when the list of the next few boxes continuing east, read :

York Road Jn.
Barnsbury
Highbury
Canonbury Junction
Canonbury Station
Western Junction (Dalston) ;

although St. Pancras Junction (between Maiden Lane and York Road) had already gone a few years earlier.

(Interesting as all this is, to me and obviously some others, I feel compelled, in all fairness, to make the small mention that very little of it lately, is 'LNER'.)

[Mickey]

[StevieG]

" .... Maiden Lane Junction* in about 1969/70.

* - ... next box east of Camden Road Jn. then, .... "

.... At that time Maiden Lane's signalling still included control of access/egress of the yard which stretched towards York Road [on the north side of the No.1 ('Steam') lines], and which by then had become the temporary York Way FreightLiner Terminal [for which the 'overheads' were extend/installed from Camden Jn. (LNW main line) past Hampstead Road Jn., Camden Road Jn. and station (No.1s only), Maiden Lane box, and into the terminal - I think this short-lived terminal was only created pending the creation of Willesden FLT].

[Mickey]

[Mickey]

[Anthony Tubbs]

There was usually a REST DAY on either a 06:00-14:00 turn and a 14:00-22:00

Marylebone GPR and REST DAY were very rarely used in the same sentance during my time there, I had an extended period at Northolt Junction East for about 4 months doing 06:00-18:00 & 18:00-06:00 we got one rest day a fortnight, no one else wanted to work there. For awhile I even kipped in the box at Sudbury Hill at night as it wasn't worth spending 90 mins each way on the tube back to my bedsit near Manor House tube. I still booked the travelling time from Marylebone though

I knew Pat Davitt quite well, a top chap, who always seem to score some obscure box in Willesden where he did as little work as possible. (High Level sidings?)

[thesignalman]

I got on with Bill just fine, even bought a fridge off him when I got married. I was also perfectly happy to be rostered at Northolt East and worked there quite often but of course the twelve-hour shifts rightly went to the local men first.

There was a long period during which, by LDC agreement, all Rest Day Relief signalmen on the London Division of the LMR were temporarily classified as GP Relief and enjoyed the same priviledges. All regular men were expected to work their Rest Days unless they expressly asked for them off. This was a way of coping with fast turnover of staff resulting in a high level of vacancies at any one time.

There is a lot of name-dropping on here of people I know and still keep in touch with four of those mentioned so far and some of the things being said here (not specifically by you, Tony) seem a bit inappropriate for a public forum? They have internet access, too, and I certainly wouldn't be too pleased to find my name being discussed in this way if it were me. Just my opinion. I'm not going to spill the beans.

John

[Mickey]

[strang steel]

This is a true story of a 'supernatural happening' (well i still think it was 23 years later) that happened at KEW EAST JUNCTION s/box one night at around midnight back in 1988. For those that don't know Kew East s/box the box is a fairly large structure that has a 'stirrup lever' type frame but is mainly made up of spare levers since the 1980s and is situated in a very isolated spot near to the Chiswick flyover and roundabout in west London, even though the motorway is nearby and there is a constant flow of traffic and noise from the motorway it isn't that far away that the s/box is situated in a cutting in a realatively quiet and an almost semi-rural setting screened by trees right beside Kew cemetery, infact some gravestones are only a matter of yards away from the s/box door behind a low stone wall!.

Access to the box can be gained either by walking along the railway from South Acton station or the more normal way is to come through an access gate that is next to the Kew cemetery gates on the main road that leads up towards Acton Town and then walk down a very long gravel path all the way down to the box which must be at a guess about 400 yards long so anyone that comes to the box along this path you will hear them on the gravel outside as they approach the box first. During the day time there is sometimes an 'uncomfortable atmosphere' about being at Kew East but at night the uncomfortable atmosphere is quite noticeable on some nights, if you are someone of a nervous disposition perhaps being a regular signalman at Kew East probably isn't the best box to be in?.

Anyway back to the supernatural happening, i was booked at Kew East one night for a 22:00-06:00 hrs shift back in 1988 so on my way to the box i notice that the night is misty when i arrive at Acton Town tube station. As i begin my walk to the box from the tube station the mist was starting to turn thicker so i continue to walk along the road to Kew cemetery gates and to the access gate beside them and go through it and then walk down the long 400 yard gravel path to the box which has the cemetery just the other side of the wall, eventually the faint lights of Kew East box appear through the gloomy mist and i finally arrive at the box door and walk into the box, after a quick hand over with my mate he's off and out the door and away home along the gravel path leaving me alone to settle in for a quiet night.

At about midnight all was quiet outside the box and even the usual nearby motorway traffic had quietened down to nothing although the mist had by now become a fog which tended to dampen any sound, just then as i was leaning over the desk which was set against the box wall amid the quiet and silents of the box i heard a women's voice in 'soft tones' saying very clearly to me several words like she was standing right next to me but the words didn't make any sense?. I hadn't heard anyone walk along the gravel path to the box?. As i stood there listening hard i again heard her voice speak to me in the same soft tone very close but the words were not making any sense but the words she spoke were spoken clearly?. I must admit i felt scared and the rest of the shift was spent in an uncomfortable manor and i must admit i was glad to see my relief in the morning and get out of that place.

I guess you wouldn't think that was much of a 'supernatural happening' was it and it was something that i must have passed off and had virtually forgotten about but about 12 months after that incident when i was at Willesden High level s/box one night listening in on the auto phone circuit to a conversation between two other signalmen one of them said to the other that on the previous week when he was on nights at Kew East he swore that at about midnight he heard a woman's voice speaking softly to him just outside against the wall of the box saying several words to him that didn't make sense and also he never heard anyone walk down the gravel path to the box outside?. The words that he heard this woman speak were the same words that i had heard a year earlier...

Crikey, that is really creepy.

I have read similar ghostly stories, even someone witnessing a train crash into level crossing gates except that the line had been closed 20 years and the accident had occurred many years before that.

[Mickey]

[Anthony Tubbs]

G'day there.

Point taken John, previous post edited.
Marylebone box was also a nice job, but seemed to attract too many "visitors" They didn't venture out to Northolt too often and the only time I saw an inspector at Sudbury Hill was when I was passed on the "frame", He got off a down train and got on an up train 10 mins later.

Cheers
Anthony

[thesignalman]

Yes, Sudbury Hill was one of my favourite little hidey-holes too. Had levers in my time . . .

John

[hq1hitchin]

George Wakefield was a very experienced signalman on the GN section but was in poor health when I first met him in 1973 and finally employed as a temporary crossing keeper on site of Stevenage New Station. His last job as a signalman had been at Cambridge Junction, the poor man didn't have many years left to live but was troubled by what he had seen at Westborough in 1941, when the 12.45 out of Kings Cross caught fire near his box and some schoolboys returning to Ampleforth College lost their lives. He still had nightmares about it thirty years later and was bitter about being given a Form 1 for not having sent 7 bells (Stop and examine train) to the forward box as the train came to a stand some way past his starting signal.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... gh1941.pdf

The inspecting officer from the HMRI considered George acted quite properly throughout.

I hope you are sleeping soundly now, mate, after all these years I still value your advice and friendship

[Mickey]