Drivers may come in all shape and sizes but the majority come with strong personalities, superb communication and often involve themselves in pranks and humour. Losing my Driver on my steam debut was just the start. I was young and vulnerable. Was I caught out again? Yes, of course I was. Time after time.
One of the Drivers was a quiet, well spoken, likeable chap. I never heard a swear word pass his lips, which was totally opposite to the rest. He was known to all at the Depot as “The Vicar”. Early one evening I started my shift as Secondman to him. We had to stroll the 20 minute walk from the Depot to the West Yard where we were scheduled to relieve a crew on a Crompton Diesel and run a freight train to Maidstone. When we arrived at the yard we found that the train had been cancelled and we were not required. This was only half of our schedule. We had another scheduled run later that evening. So, it was a walk back to the Depot. On our way back we walked through Tonbridge Station and along the public road leading to the Depot. Before we got there though the Vicar stopped.
“I’ve got a meeting I can now attend” he said. “You go back to the Depot. I’ll see you later”. Off he went down a side road and I made my way back to the Depot. I walked into the mess room and there was the Foreman waiting for me. “
Where’s your Driver?” he asked. “Find him. I’ve got another job for you”. Back up the road and down the side road where the Vicar had gone. Up and down the road I went. No Church, no Chapel, no School, no Meeting Rooms, nothing. There were 2 Public Houses. “Oh no”, I thought. “You bloody idiot”. He wasn’t in the first one but when I went into the Public Bar of the second one, there he was, sitting by the fire enjoying his pint of ale. Young and vulnerable? Yes, I was.
Let’s have a look at “Quick Wit”. In this experience you’ve got to visualise the Driver. Very slim and quick witted. He wore a very long bushy beard, and if you’re old enough you’ll familiarise him with the picture on the “Players Navy” cigarette box. In fact he was ex-Royal Navy. I was with him one evening and had arrived at Tonbridge Station on a BR Standard Tank engine. We were on Platform 3 which meant that the Driver was on the platform side and was watching passengers alight from the train. We had been uncoupled and were waiting for the signal to run round the carriages. An elderly couple came up to the Driver and started talking to him. This was not unusual. Many people used to talk with us, especially nearing the end of the steam era. I was on the other side of the cab listening. After a couple of minutes chat the elderly gent asked,
“Do you get much overtime?”
“Overtime! You’ve never seen anything like it. When I booked on for this duty I weighed 28 stone and was clean shaven”. How about that for a reply.
Just one quickly before I go This was a different Driver. We were at Redhill on a Crompton Diesel. Platform 3, South end, the signal had just been pulled allowing us to pass on the route to Reigate, which crossed over the main line to the right. There was a passenger standing next to us on the platform. The driver pulled his window down and said to the passenger.
“Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to Reigate please”?
“Yes”, he replied. “You need to bear right”, pointing in the direction of Reigate.
“Thank you” said the Diver, pulled up the window and off we went. I was gobsmacked.
I can’t leave this alone yet. A few more of these on my next blog.
0
People reached
0
Engagements
–
Distribution score
Like
Comment
Share
Comments ()