Wilston Samuel Jackson

[Kestrel]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... river.html

[richard]

When posting a link, please include a quick precis so we know what it is about. A title is rarely sufficient.

Thanks

[NZRedBaron]

I saw this on the BBC's website actually; Wilston Jackson was Britain's first black engine driver, getting his certification in 1962; the article on the Beeb had a photo that showed him standing at the controls of 60082 Shotover, as he was a 'Top Shed' man.

He got a commemorative plaque the other day, as Britain's first black engine driver; apparently he never missed a day of work, or even was late 'clocking in'.

[Mickey]

'Bill' looks vaguely familiar to me even though he retired in 1967?. Maybe after retirement he would have a social drink in the BRSA club opposite the Great Northern Hotel back around 1974-75(?) that railway social club was frequented by many 'off duty' Kings Cross drivers & secondmen in that era.

With regards to the blue plaque granted 95% of the British public these days wouldn't know the difference or even care but the blue plaque reads a bit funny saying he was a driver out of Kings Cross & St Pancras?. Kings Cross alone would have been better and made more sense to railway enthusiasts.

Nice picture of Bill on the footplate of no.60082

[giner]

Mickey, just to add to your observations on the blue plaque, I see that some bright spark refers to the locomotive named 'The Flying Scotsman'. I wonder how many more times will we witness this wilful display of ignorance when it just takes a minimum of research to realise the difference between 60103’s name and that of the named train.

[Mickey]

Yeah totally giner it's all very sad these days...

When I saw the later picture of Bill above I thought he looked slightly familiar from way back about 1974-75 not that I actually knew him personally.