B.R. stores and other railway tales

[Mickey]

Cleaning smells at B.R. stations & s/boxes during the 1960s & 1970s.

At onetime B.R. used a fairly distinctive smelling cleaning disinfectant at some or all of there stations back in the 1960s & 1970s and usually to be found in station waiting rooms & toilets especially around the London area although i'm not sure about other parts of the country?.

Also another 'lost' railway smell from the recent past was the smell of a highly polished lino floor at many s/boxes (although not at all s/boxes) combined with the smell of Brasso metal polish used for cleaning the lever handles and other brass surfaces created a distinctive smell all of it's own which was very noticeable on visits to s/boxes.

A personal recollection was a visit to Woolmer Green s/box (between Welwyn north & Knebworth stations) on a warm/hot summers afternoon back in 1970 was when on entering the box the heady combination of the hot sunny afternoon, yellow wax floor polish and Brasso metal polish on the lever handles and other brass surfaces on the block instruments was quite 'mind blowing' when it hit my nose to use a term from that era.

* * *Topic heading amended* * *

[PinzaC55]

Cleaning smells at B.R. stations & s/boxes during the 1960s & 1970s.

At onetime B.R. used a fairly distinctive smelling cleaning disinfectant at some or all of there stations back in the 1960s & 1970s and usually to be found in station waiting rooms & toilets especially around the London area although i'm not sure about other parts of the country?.

Also another 'lost' railway smell from the recent past was the smell of a highly polished lino floor at many s/boxes (although not at all s/boxes) combined with the smell of Brasso metal polish used for cleaning the lever handles and other brass surfaces created a distinctive smell all of it's own which was very noticeable on visits to s/boxes.

A personal recollection was a visit to Woolmer Green s/box (between Welwyn north & Knebworth stations) on a warm/hot summers afternoon back in 1970 was when on entering the box the heady combination of the hot sunny afternoon, yellow wax floor polish and Brasso metal polish on the lever handles and other brass surfaces on the block instruments was quite 'mind blowing' when it hit my nose to use a term from that era.

Jeye's Fluid?

[Mickey]

Jeye's Fluid?

Really?.

We use to still be provided with the old 'harder sandpaper type' of toilet paper until about the early 1990s when the newer people coming on the job around that time started to complain about having to use it still which i believe was still printed with the words BRITISH RAILWAYS on each individual piece of toilet paper so from about the mid 1990s onwards it was replaced by the 'softer' type of toilet paper to the relief of some no doubt?.

Rumour had it back in the early 1990s that there was a whole warehouse full of the 'harder sandpaper type' of toilet paper that had to be used up by B.R. empolyee's before British Rail would supply the softer toilet paper to s/boxes and other railway locations?.

[Trestrol]

Do you mean Pine Disinfectant BR cat Number 7/149505, Sponge cloths(knitted string dishcloths) 36/107270 and check dusters (like a tea towel) 36/107209.
Ex S&T Storeman Newcastle.

[Mickey]

Do you mean Pine Disinfectant BR cat Number 7/149505, Sponge cloths(knitted string dishcloths) 36/107270 and check dusters (like a tea towel) 36/107209.
Ex S&T Storeman Newcastle.

Yes i probably do mean the Pine Disinfectant TRESTROL and the 'lever cloths' or dusters as they were also called that were issued to signalmen during the 1960s, 1970s & 1980s they had a red check pattern on them on a white/grey background with the letters B.R. woven into them infact iv'e still got 2 old signalman's lever cloths indoors although slightly thread bare these days.

[52H]

Hi all
I remember the hard toilet paper, we used to call it John Wayne paper because it took no s---t from nobody.
52H

[Mickey]

Hi all I remember the hard toilet paper, we used to call it John Wayne paper because it took no s---t from nobody.

Those were the days 52H when railwaymen were proper RAILWAYMEN.

Another thing that we still seem to get lately from the 'old days' is the old style no-nonsense off white bars of B.R. soap which smells really good.

Infact iv'e been thinking of taking a bar or two home lately?.

[PinzaC55]

When I had a large railwayana collection I used to have a bar of LNER soap and an LNER hand towel. The LNER towels were white with red bands and LNER in white letters.

[Boris]

I once read that Peter Parkers's wife when she was travelling by train would clean any toilet she used if it was below standard
Anyone else hear this story

[Mickey]

I once read that Peter Parkers's wife when she was travelling by train would clean any toilet she used if it was below standard
Anyone else hear this story

Yeah it rings a vague bell Boris back in the 1970s.

The travelling public use to moan about the state of B.R. toilets on there trains being unclean but who s*** up in the first place?.

Yeah right the travelling public!!.

[Trestrol]

Do you mean Pine Disinfectant BR cat Number 7/149505, Sponge cloths(knitted string dishcloths) 36/107270 and check dusters (like a tea towel) 36/107209.
Ex S&T Storeman Newcastle.

Yes i probably do mean the Pine Disinfectant TRESTROL and the 'lever cloths' or dusters as they were also called that were issued to signalmen during the 1960s, 1970s & 1980s they had a red check pattern on them on a white/grey background with the letters B.R. woven into them infact iv'e still got 2 old signalman's lever cloths indoors although slightly thread bare these days.

I still use the check dusters as well but mine are the blue/red check on a white background type. the soap was buttermilk 7/65073. when i started we had progressed to soft toilet paper (late 80's) 34/101797 as Kimberly Clark had the national contract. The second most important item was small blue rolls 36/137733 pack of 36. The modern version used on the railway today is a poor substitute. It was said that the S&T could always keep the job running even without critical spares not being available but woe betide if you ran out of Toilet rolls and blue rolls. the job would stop.

[Mickey]

I still use the check dusters as well but mine are the blue/red check on a white background type. the soap was buttermilk 7/65073. when i started we had progressed to soft toilet paper (late 80's) 34/101797 as Kimberly Clark had the national contract. The second most important item was small blue rolls 36/137733 pack of 36. The modern version used on the railway today is a poor substitute. It was said that the S&T could always keep the job running even without critical spares not being available but woe betide if you ran out of Toilet rolls and blue rolls. the job would stop.

It has been known for some relief-signalmen to nick stores from other s/boxes (shock horror!!) they usually took the hand towels and toilet rolls they were the usual items to go walkies.

We once were waiting for a stores delivery to arrive at our box for several weeks and was down to the very last toilet roll when the stores finally arrived but unfortunately the box was being worked by a relief-signalman that day who promptly filled his holdall bag 'with our stores' and when he departed so did half our stores also depart with him that had just been delivered that day!!.

[Mickey]

I still got my self a B.R. issued tea-pot out of the now closed Camden Road s/box on the North London line (when i was there regular in the 1990s) in the back of my locker at my present box i'll take that with me when i finally take the long walk into retirement in a few years.

[Trestrol]

I for got about General Interior cleaner 7/149505 as well. never really could tell the difference between it and Disinfectant cleaner although the later did vaguely spell of pine. All these came from Superfine products in Scotland who still list there railway products on there website. Talking of walking off with stores or consumables as we called all cleaning gear. One of our jobs at the stores was to make up both the gang and personel monthly issue of "consumables". this included toilet rolls, blue rolls, swafega(good at making your hands smell but useless at cleaning them), barrier cream (like a tube of Toothpase), cloths etc. Gang issues got disinfectant cleaner, mop heads and the like for cleaning the vans and messbuses. Depot issues were also made up as well. All contained in black bags, which were part of their monthly allocation although some one would ofton complained we had short changed them of a black bag. You didn't get "owt for nowt". I wandered home one day with my black bag full of gear, as the stores staff all got a personel issue as well even though our toilets were attached to the offices so were cleaned and stocked by them. And anything else we needed was usually tagged on to somebodyelses order so we didn't pay for it. Happy days!!

[Mickey]

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