Shunting horses - auxiliary revenue

[Autocar Publicity]

A question was asked today, mostly in jest, but it got me wondering. With all of the shunting horses used by the railways, did any [enterprising] company sell off the inevitable waste product, was it a privilege of the 'driver' to claim it for his garden or did it get used for company gardens on stations (might the passengers have objected to the pong in hot weather?). At the risk of provoking a string of earthy comments, does anyone know?

[Mickey]

Deleted

[third-rail]

A question was asked today, mostly in jest, but it got me wondering. With all of the shunting horses used by the railways, did any [enterprising] company sell off the inevitable waste product, was it a privilege of the 'driver' to claim it for his garden or did it get used for company gardens on stations (might the passengers have objected to the pong in hot weather?). At the risk of provoking a string of earthy comments, does anyone know?

At a rough guess i would say that either the shunter or any other railwayman around the yard or station that either had a garden or allotment would have just shovelled the stuff up and took it away with them for there own use.

When i was regular at a certain s/box on the T&H line (Tottenham & Hampstead) 30+ years ago there was a vegtable allotment very close to the box (infact right outside the s/box door) that was worked by a local P.Way man. Occasionally this P.Way man would give me and the other signalmen at the box a surplus bag of spuds, carrots or cabbages he had grown to take home with us but he never asked for any money for them and i suspect he wouldn't have taken any money for them even if we had offered him some although he may have been offered a few quid to get himself a pint Guinness for his kindness?.

Is there still any railway allotments left or have the safety elves put a stop to them

[Mickey]

Deleted

[Autocar Publicity]

I don't know about allotments but a few boxes in recent years had gardens. Settle Junction had and also at least one of the bobbies used to hang out nuts and suchlike for the birds.

I guess the major problem with allotments is that now so many railwaymen (of all job types) don't have the free time to do non-railway work. With the rise of regional signalling centres that control thousands of route miles with the push of buttons and clicks of a mouse, signalmen probably go to work in a white coat! Perhaps a few of the traditional boxes that are left still have allotments or gardens, though I suspect the people involved keep a low profile in case their management or the media start suggesting they are neglecting their railway duties.