INTRODUCTION BY GEOFF BURCH



(Above) Map of Guilford Loco 70C courtesy of Guilford Museum. The pointers on the map (clockwise) show 'A' Siding for the Breakdown Crane and Coaches - quite often called out for any 'off the road' mishaps. The breakdown crew was made up of shed staff and fitters, and the Shedmaster would nearly always accompany the breakdown crew to the incident - 'B' is the location of the Weaver Shed (between Number 1 & 2 Road of the New Shed) as described in Pat Kinsella's witty account of the Weaver Operator - 'C' is where the sand furnace was situated - the sand had to be thoroughly dried before being emptied into the locomotives sandboxes otherwise it wouldn't be able to trickle out onto the rails when operated by the fireman - 'D' The staff canteen was situated here - many a railway yarn was exchanged here over a cup of tea! - 'E' Locker Room - 'F' The Running Foreman's office where I spent many an hour as an office boy before I became a fireman.  It was here that Running Foremen such as Fred Price, Harry Harvey and Jack Clements and acting Running Foreman Frank Chudley. Roy Brewer and Cyril Tillman were to follow along with other Acting Running Foremen - Derek Hayter, Ted Maynard, Berni Gray, Reg Beer, Ray Beeson, John Carter, Vic Pratt, John Berriman, Arthur Streatfield and Peter Bunce to name just a few! - 'G' Ambulance Room - minor incidents such as burns and scalds etc were dealt with here; anything of a more serious nature was dealt with by the Royal Surrey County Hospital in the Farnham Road, only a couple of hundred yards away - 'H' The Driver's Cabin; it was tiny considering the amount of men at the depot. The room contained one belfast sink and an old coke fired boiler that heated the water for washing purposes and for the Running Foreman's office radiators. The hot water cylinder above the boiler had asbestos insulation that had worn away to expose the white asbestos. Playful larking about would often occur and the object of the exercise was to place your opponent against the white area of asbestos which would adhere to their black serge jacket - hence the term being boilered! There were two small tables and two bench seats either side which wasn't exactly what you'd call luxury!  Plus there would always be a card school playing either 'Beenies', Solo or at worst Three Card Brag.  I've seen men bid £5 blind and that was a lot of money to win (or lose) in the 1960s! - 'I' shows the viewing point of the Stores hatch (as seen in David Salmon's photo gallery below) where you could obtain anything from cleaning cloths and oil to gentlemen's toiletries if you know what I mean - 'Anything for the weekend, Sir?' - 'J' The Shedmaster's office (above the stores on the first floor). Mr George Stovold was the Shedmaster when I joined in 1961 and when he retired in 1962, the position was filled by Mr John Butt.  He was superseded by Mr Arthur Coe who moved to Woking to become the Depot Master there when Guildford depot closed in July 1967 - and finally 'K' is the Cleaner's Cabin where I first started work in April 1961. The adjoining building was occupied by the Turning Gang and the Steamraisers.



Since writing about my experiences on the footplate at Guildford shed (70C) the question I am constantly being asked is...when am I'm going write some more? This got me thinking. Although I retired from the railway a couple of years ago I have always remained good friends with dozens of ex-work colleagues, all of whom have their own story to tell. So when I started on this first webpage of 'BR Southern Region Railwaymens' Memories' I'm delighted to say that several volunteers stepped forward to contribute their own experiences on the footplate. Each and every one is a repository of stories, and I'm not talking here about the shallow celebrity-status culture that seems to pervade today's society; even the most humble, retiring railwaymen have a unique tale to tell.
The problem is who do they tell their story to? If no one is prepared to record their lifetime memories it is more than likely that their railway stories will  be lost forever to future generations. But then can you imagine what it must be like to reveal treasured memories to someone they can trust to tell it as it was? Railwaymen love to talk about the old days, particulary amongst themselves, exchanging idle chat about a moment in their careers, such as Pat Kinsella's story of the Snodland cement train (the first story below).
Within every railway community across the length and breadth of Britain there must be many memories similar to Pat's - as well as so many more left unspoken, often because they're so preposterous that you couldn't make it up! Pat Kinsella's fox hunting story further down the page is a classic example.

(Above-Below) Yours truly on the footplate of West Country class 34018 Axminster and my old 'mucker' Pat Kinsella on the footplate of BR Standard Pacific 70000 Britannia.

As I remember it, the generation of railwaymen I encountered in steam days didn't moan, or complain that they were owed anything, they simply got on with the job, yet the reminiscences of working class people are seldom considered to be part of important history. What rubbish! Having set about the task of recording  several railwaymen's experiences for posterity, it turns out that their everyday lives were far from ordinary - and let me be perfectly honest about this, when the time comes to leave us, as they must; as we all must at the end of the day - the memories they leave behind are beyond price. The result is 'More Memories of Guildford Shed'...I hope this page gives you as much enjoyment as we have had compiling it.

So, having got the introduction out of the way, we start and finish this page with some wonderful stories of steam days at Guildford Loco by ex-driver, Pat Kinsella. I first met Pat in 1961 when I started work as a 15 year-old engine cleaner at 70C. It was the start of a great friendship that lasted throughout our railway careers and still continues today - here is the first of Pat's memories of his days at Guildford MPD....

                                                                           The Snodland Cement
                                                                                 by Pat Kinsella

There was a time when Guildford men worked a heavy overnight freight from Redhill to Reading; this train originated at Snodland near Maidstone in Kent. The diagrams involved one pair of Guildford men finishing their duty by working the train as far as Guildford, where the men were relieved by another Guildford crew who worked the train forward to Reading. It then continued up country with another locomotive.
The Reading to Redhill section was usually worked by an 'N' Class locomotive, the maximum load for the road being equal to sixty wagons. The cement train consisted largely of box wagons that were loaded with one hundred-weight bags of cement. The mantra was - 'If you can get them up Reigate bank then you can get them up Pinks Hill Guildford...'
But not always so!
Guildford crews often complained that the train was seriously overloaded but their protests fell on deaf ears. After stopping at Guildford to change crews and take water it was a dead start from the platform. In the normal way the departure from Guildford was accompanied by the roar of the locomotive's exhaust beat which could be heard clearly for a radius of several miles in the early hours. Alas, there were times when the load was too much for the 'N' Class and she would come to a stand on the gradient, usually at a point just past the Guildford bypass bridge (the A3 road as it is today).The procedure then was for the train to set back into Guildford Up Yard and uncouple some wagons. 
As the maximum load permitted for an 'N' Class from Guildford Yard was equal to forty eight wagons, some of the wagons had to be left behind. It was therefore decided to alter the crew diagrams from changing crews at Guildford to the changeover taking place at Shalford, some two miles east of Guildford - the idea being to run through Guildford without stopping and take a run at Pinks Hill bank. An experimental run was arranged on which a Footplate Inspector accompanied the crew to Reading, but on the first morning's run the Inspector failed to show up because he had overslept; and the train still got stuck up the bank!
The second morning at about 3am, everyone in Guildford loco gathered to witness another attempt. With water having been taken at Shalford, a 'positive' Driver on the 'regulator, a good fireman on the shovel and an Inspector in jubilant mood, the locomotive moved forward; slowly at first as she passed under the war-damaged Shalford bridge, then the 'N' Class was soon into her stride with first regulator and the lever in the 'corner'.
Meanwhile a group of Guildford loco staff, myself included, had assembled by the turntable with great expectations to witness the 'Dover' passing through. Soon we could hear the distinct sound of the two cylinder beat echoing through the tunnel as the 'N' Class crossed over Shalford Junction, then having cleared the 20mph crossovers we could sense the regulator being put into the second valve, the cut off being about 65%. Through clear early morning air, it was exciting to hear the beautiful beat of this two cylinder engine as she entered the south portal of St. Catherine's tunnel, then again the roar of the exhaust in between tunnels before plunging into the longer Chalk tunnel.
What would this driver do? A permanent speed restriction of 20 miles per hour from the London end of Chalk tunnel was in force, but needs must and the Driver was a game bird, and since there was no speedometer fitted on this class of locomotive, a little 'drivers licence' could be indulged. Sure enough, the 'N' Class made a grand sight bursting forth from the North Portal like a demon, with steam and smoke issuing from the chimney. Signalled through number eight platform via a short curve, the men at Guildford loco were agog at the sight and sound of the mogul taking the bend with all wheel flanges squealing as she led her charge of box wagons through the station. Not to be left out of this drama, the guard van's coal fired stove was shaking in response to the rough ride emitting a stream of sparks from the chimney as though in response to the locomotive's 'rockets'. The very sound of the exhaust coupled with the noise of the short wheel based wagons clattering over the points as the train gathered speed, the partly open fire hole door allowing the glare of the fire to reflect from the exhaust steam was a memorable sight.
Onwards they went, still gathering speed as they passed 'Blanchard's Block' and swept under 'Yorkies' bridge then around the sharp left hand bend before starting the climb for the summit of Pinks Hill. Although our hero had a full head of steam, the combination of a heavy load, a stiff 1-in-80 gradient and the sharp left hand bend was beginning to take its toll, and we could hear the speed reducing as she approached Dennis's factory.
Our willing horse was starting to struggle, the exhaust beats gradually becoming slower and slower. Down to a walking pace now, the regulator in second valve and the lever in 75% cut off, she strained every muscle to keep going. The audience at the loco shed listened to the distant muffled beat from the chimney as it passed under the bypass bridge, then shortly after there was an audible sigh of despair as the train came to a standstill without a single hint of wheel spin. The safety valves could be heard to lift almost immediately.
What a disappointment for all concerned...there was nothing for it but to get permission to set back into Guildford Up Yard and reduce the load by a considerable amount. It was no good; something had to be done and so after the second attempt failed, it was decided to take some of the discarded wagons over to the weigh table in the Down Yard to be checked for loading.
As stated earlier, the cement was loaded into the wagons in one hundred-weight bags, and therefore you can imagine our shocked surprise to discover the cement company had actually loaded far more bags into the wagons than were permitted. The upshot was that each wagon had been overloaded by several tons, making the train heavier by as much as two hundred tons! At least Guildford crews had been vindicated, until then their suspicions of overloading had been ignored.



(Above-Below) N Class 31866 - with 'feather' flying - descends towards Gomshall after turning the top of Dorking Bank with a full load on the 9.34am freight from Hoo Junction to Reading on 5th May 1962.  (Below) N Class 31843 runs down Pinks Hill bank with an evening freight from Reading to Guildford Yard in June 1962.



                                                       Confessions of a Weaver Plant Operator
                                                                          by Pat Kinsella

Due to the nature of their work, steam locomotives were susceptible to an accumulation of coal, ash dust and other foreign matter adhering to the wheels and motions, all of which was created by sprayed oil from various component parts and oiling points of the engine. Cleaning below the locomotive and tender framings was a difficult and dirty job, especially after the loco had been in service for several weeks. To assist cleaners in this task, a machine called 'The Weaver' was employed. It consisted of a small petrol engine, water and paraffin reservoirs, a large heating coil, a burner, blower, pump, chimney and double reinforced hosepipes each about twenty feet in length.  At the business end was a large lance about five feet long in length with timber handles of about thirty inches in length. Large quantities of caustic soda were tipped into the water reservoir that was then heated via the coil and burners before being pumped to the hosepipes where it emitted as caustic steam under pressure. These components were mounted on a three-wheeled chassis with a steering arm, which was housed in a small, 16-gauge sheet metal, free-standing shed just big enough for it to squeeze into via a short ramp. However, because of the hazardous nature of the job the minimum age for operating the lances was fifteen by which time it was considered that boys of such 'maturity' had reached the 'age of reason'...wrong!
Imagine the scene...St. Josephs Church, Chertsey Street, Guildford - a scruffy youngster sits gingerly  in the confessional box fidgeting nervously with his collar...
'I've come to confess, Father.'
'Tell me about it, my son.'
'It's a bit embarrassing, Father.'
'It can't be that bad, I'm sure. Have you had carnal thoughts, perhaps?'
'No Father...that was last week!'
'Yes I forgot. Perhaps you stole something then, cursed or used bad language?'
'No Father.'
'Then tell me what you have done, my son. Your confession is safe with me.'
'Well Father, starting on Monday I was detailed to assist with operating the weaver cleaning machine at work all this week with another cleaner boy under the supervision of an adult who we played up something rotten.'
'What exactly did you do?'
'Well, on Monday our machine was parked between one and two roads and we had to steam clean the motions on Charlie 9 in number three road. In order to reach it we pushed our lances between the wheels of 31639 which stood beside us in number two road. While we were blasting the wheels of Charley 9, our supervisor was rolling a cigarette with his back to us and another cleaner said he was going to play a trick on him, to which I agreed...'
'Do go on, my son.'
'Well, since the U Class was in steam it meant that she could be moved very quietly by using just the steam brake. So this cleaner secretly climbed up onto the footplate and released the hand brake, and with the engine in reverse, moved the engine back a couple of feet, stopping her with the steam brake.'
'Perhaps he shouldn't have done that, my son, but I don't see how much damage could be done.'
'Oh, it did Father! When the wheels turned, they ran over our hosepipes and chopped two lengths precisely 4ft 8½ inches inches out of the middle!'
'And you were party to this?'
'Yes, Father, a terrible sin!'
'Say three Hail Mary's and one Our Father.'
'I haven't finished yet, Father...on Tuesday, after the hoses had been replaced, we hauled the Weaver over to the old shed to work on a couple of locos, one of which was Schools Class 30903 'Charterhouse'. The day went well without any silly interruptions - that is until we started to haul the Weaver back to its shed for the night. My colleague was on the steering handle and as we approached the turntable, my pal indicated for me to push harder, which I did. Our supervisor was pushing on my right-hand side and didn't realise how close we were getting to the turntable pit. All of a sudden, the left hand wheel slipped into the pit and the Weaver lurched to one side at an alarming thirty degrees over the edge! Our supervisor jumped into the pit and tried to push the one ton machine back out. But while he was trying to lever the machine up, my colleague and I were trying to push it back in on top of him. Eventually some fitters came to his rescue and helped him to get the apparatus back up...a terrible sin, Father.'
'Say another three Hail Mary's and one Our Father.'
'I haven't finished yet, Father!'
'There is more?'
'Yes father...you see on Wednesday, when we got the Weaver out for another day's cleaning, our supervisor went to the stores to collect some caustic soda and while he was away, another colleague, with my blessing, removed the spark-plug from the engine and dropped a small nut into the cylinder, then replaced the plug. On his return from the stores, our supervisor added the caustic soda to the water, and then gave a great pull on the starting cord. Unfortunately, and rather unusually, the engine fired first time, followed by a muffled sound then a clanging noise before the engine stopped stone dead. Our intrepid supervisor scratched his head then wiped his nose before looking for, and finding, the problem. After doing a lap of honour from two road round to the sand hole and back, he calmed down enough to proceed with replacing the engine...we did a terrible sin, Father.'
'Say three Hail Mary's and one Our Father.'
'I haven't finished yet, Father!'
'There's more, my son?'
'Yes Father...on Thursday, after steam cleaning all day, there was the ritual putting away the Weaver for the night. Some of my cleaner colleagues used to play up during this process, so it was deemed necessary for Mr Stovold, the Depot Master, to oversee the revelries. The spectacle was usually enjoyed by some dozen or more cleaners who congregated in the cabs and on the tenders of locomotives to get a grandstand view.'
'Go on, my son.'
'Well, when the metal doors of the Weaver shed were opened, some little exertion was required to push our charge up the short ramp. This was applied by my colleague and the supervisor whilst I was on the steering arm. After several attempts, we stalled on the ramp, so we drew back a couple of yards to have a run at it. However my colleague's enthusiasm got the better of him and, head down - clearly showing off in front of all his cheering peers - he continued to push so hard that we knocked the building clean off its base! Under Mr Stovold's direction, the shed had to be rocked back into place before another attempt could be made. By this time our audience was getting more excited awaiting a grand finale! I heard Mr Stovold calling out - 'A little less energy now boys....a shorter run this time!' And for just a second, it looked as if the Weaver would go in. The cheering immediately diminished to a murmur of disappointment until I quickly jerked the steering arm just a touch to the left, and with a crash, the machine hit a corner post and shoved the shed sideways at an angle of twenty degrees to the base. As I basked in grateful applause from the audience Mr Stovold threw me a pained look and ordered us to get the shed back in place. Eventually the Weaver was locked up for the night...a terrible sin Father.'
'Say three Hail Mary's and one Our Father.'
'I haven't finished yet, Father. There is still one day left...'
'Good grief, then you must go on...'
'Well, on Friday, we pulled and pushed the Weaver over to the Old Shed and parked it between two locos. On our right was a Black Motor, a 700 Class. Unfortunately we parked it very close to the tender, so the chimney on the Weaver was almost level with the top of the tender, and unbeknown to me, whilst I softly hummed the tune of 'April Love' by Pat Boone, I was blasting the grease from the engine wheels, and turned just in time to see a couple of young reprobate cleaners dropping paraffin-soaked cleaning cloths down the Weaver chimney. A bit of a laugh, I thought. The cloths were followed by three or four Satsuma-sized lumps of good Welsh household coal, and with the Weaver thumping merrily away and our supervisor rolling his cigarette, everything appeared just fine. Unfortunately, deep inside the machine the forced draught had assisted the immediate combustion of the foreign matter. This should be a bit of fun, I thought, and so more oily cloths were dropped into the funnel, followed by another selection of hand-picked coal. I suppose one has to give credit to the perpetrators - 'little and often' they had been taught up the firing school, and 'little and often' it was...'
'You seem to think that this is something of a joking matter, my son?'
'Sorry Father...you're quite right, of course it isn't. You see, when complete combustion was observed, (it only took minutes) more fuel was added. Our supervisor, comforted by the rhythm of his machine, had drifted away to the lavatory. By now, flames issued from the funnel to a height of several feet and my colleague and I enjoyed the spectacle immensely. Those responsible were standing by the table hole admiring their handiwork. Returning from the lavatory, our supervisor was confronted by his two assistants standing with their lances, spewing caustic soda-laced steam in all directions. He saw his beloved machine vibrating alarmingly, its chimney glowing cherry-red while throwing flames into the air; it put me in mind of a mini-volcano...'
'I see...and what did the supervisor do?'
'He did no more than run to the Foreman's office and reported it to Mr Price who then arrived on the scene and instructed our supervisor to shut the Weaver down. The supervisor steadfastly refused; the paraffin reservoir supplying fuel to the burners attached to the machine was about to blow up at any second!'
'Oh my goodness!'
'Yes Father...it was extremely dangerous, and so a fitter was called; he approached cautiously and short-circuited the sparking plug and calmed everything down...a terrible sin, Father.'
'Is that the end of your confession, my son?'
'Yes, Father.'
'Well, thank the Lord for that! I make that fifteen Hail Mary's and five Our Father's altogether...and don't forget to put something in the box on your way out.'
'Thank you, Father. See you next week.'
Postscript: At the end of steam on the 9th July 1967, our Weaver supervisor transferred to platform duties at Guildford for a short while, but he didn't like dealing with the public and ended his career happily engaged in carriage-cleaning in the Up Yard electric siding.

(Right) This is our Shed Master, Mr G.A.V. Stovold. I have often wondered why he was so tolerant of us cleaner boys over the years. After all, he had ample opportunity to dismiss several, if not most of us during the years 1957-1958. We knew that 'theft' was not tolerated and an employee was subject to instant dismissal for so indulging, but other than that, we were given a lot of rope. In later years, I learnt that his only son was killed on the 27th June 1944, whilst serving in the Royal Tank Regiment - aged just 20. Perhaps Mr Stovold looked on us as siblings? Whatever the reason, after his retirement, I can remember seeing him striding into Guildford from his home in Onslow Village, head held high and with a military bearing, trilby hat in place, his long coat flapping in the breeze. Bless him...he was a gentleman of the old school, who started me in a life-long career in the most interesting and enjoyable employment that I could have wished for.


                                                                Dave (Sam) Salmon's Photo Gallery

I recently reacquainted myself with Dave (Sam) Salmon, who was a fireman at Guildford Loco (70C) before I joined the railway. Sam has been kind enough to give me permission to publish some of his excellent colour photographs taken during steam days. Sam joined the railway as an engine cleaner in 19**, quite often using the Weaver Plant under Jack (Cock) Robin's supervision (see Pat's anecdote above). Once Sam reached 16 years of age, he attended the Firing School at Guildford and Feltham MPDs with other cleaners of his age; his Instructor being Mr George Bolland. After passing out for firing duties, Dave's first firing turn was on the shunting loco at Woking Yard.  At a later date, a link will be provided to Dave (Sam) Salmon's 'Rail Cameraman' page of steam and diesels around the BR Regions (still under construction). Meanwhile here is a selection of his photos taken at Guildford Loco 70C...

(Below) It seems appropriate to start Dave (Sam) Salmon's photo gallery with his wintry shot of USA Class 30072 moving towards the Back Road at Guildford MPD on the morning of 21st January 1966. This interesting locomotive was one of fourteen locos designed and built by the United States Army Transportation Corps in 1942 and purchased by the Southern Railway in 1946 for use at Southampton Docks. Before entering traffic the class was fitted with modified cab, bunker and other detail alterations such as steam heating, vacuum ejectors, sliding cab windows, additional lamp irons and new cylinder drain cocks plus other modifications became necessary, including three rectangular cab-front lookout windows, and the coal bunkers were extended to increase capacity from 26cwt to 30cwt. On closure of Guildford shed on Sunday 9th July 1967, No 30072 had the dubious distinction of being the final loco to be coaled there (see last photo in this gallery). The loco was among four members of the class that found their way into preservation, the others being: 30064, 30065, and 30070. In the right background can be see alterations taking place to platform 6 as 2BIL EMU awaits departure with an Ascot train on platform 8.





Above-Below) Maunsell Design N Class 31411 is being positioned to be coaled at Guildford MPD on the 22nd January 1966. The valve that allows steam to the steam heating connections seems to be at fault hence the steam being emitted. A Type 3 1550hp Crompton is berthed in the Back Road next to the ash wagon that's waiting to be loaded by Frank Mitchell the resident Shedman. (Below) Rebuilt Battle of Britain Class 34056 'Croydon' stands on the Coal Road waiting her next turn of duty which will probably be the 14.02 Stone Train Empties from Woking to Salisbury.  Before this could happen though, the locomotive would have to be turned via the triangle at Addlestone Junction and Weybridge as the turntable at Guildford MPD wasn't big enough to accommodate this class of locomotive.





(Above-Below) BR Standard Class 5MT 73093 waits her turn to be coaled at Guildford MPD on 21st May 1965. There is plenty of evidence of disposal duties in the area looking at the amount of ash and clinker in the foreground. Certainly plenty of work for Frank Mitchell to contend with! (Below) BR  Standard Class 4MT 76031 simmers in the Back Road in July 1966.  Other BR Standards are in evidence, 77014 and 73093.  A train made up of 2BIL EMU stock is berthed in the Up Yard Carriage Road.





(Above) The Store's Clock says 12:35 and all the locomotives have departed from Guildford MPD on Sunday 9th July 1967. The Stores hatch remains open but nothing will be served through this hatch again.  A racing bike is propped against The Factories Act Notice Cases but sadly this is the end of the road for what was once a bustling workplace.  I'd certainly like a £1 for every time that I'd been served by the Storemen at this hatch - anything from Engine Oil, Paraffin and Locomotive tools  to an exchange of cloths - a white one, a brown 'un! - 'Where's your dirty one?'  the Storeman would ask!



(Above-Below) Driver Peter (Jack) Ward moves BR Standard 5MT 73118 (once named King Leodegrance) onto the table from the Old Shed on 17th June 1967, whilst Shedman Claude Johns looks on to perform the turning task. In the background, a train made up of 4COR EMU (Nelson) Stock waits to leave from platform 3 for Waterloo. (Below) A truly evocative shot of USA Class 30072 shown being coaled at Guildford Coal stage for the very last time for her journey to Salisbury via Havant on the Sunday 9th July 1967. She was the last steam locomotive to leave the depot that day and was crewed by Fratton men. Previous locomotives that left that day were Rebuilt West Country Class 34018 'Axminster' and two BR Standard Class 5MTs 73118 and 73155.



                                                                        Special Workings
                                                                           by Pat Kinsella

Part of the enjoyment of talking to older drivers is listening to their tales and experiences. I recall one driver regaling me with his reminiscences of steam days at Guilford shed, who said - 'You know Pat, if there's one thing for sure, these things are never going to happen again...'
He was absolutely right. I remember chatting with Brian Davey, who was Bill Hedgecock's regular fireman for a considerable period of time during the early 1950s. Brian was telling me about the occasion when the turntable at Reading was out of action; it meant that tender engines could not be turned. Consequently, this type of loco was deemed unsuitable to work passenger trains between Reading and Redhill due to the amount of mileage running tender first, and until repairs on the table were implemented M7 class 0-4-4 tank locomotives (pictured left) were diagrammed instead.
Brian remembered the day they were returning from Redhill with an M7 loco which wasn't steaming well at all due to a number of stays leaking down the front of the firebox - 'The escaping steam and water was doing its level best to put the fire out!' he mused.
Being as there was a long stretch downhill for the first part of the trip they were doing quite well, but when they came to depart Deepdene the engine began to struggle. Up the gradient to Dorking things were getting serious, yet Bill (featured right) decided to press on and see if the loco could be coaxed up the long drag of Dorking bank.
Alas, they came to a stand short of steam about half way up, and as Brian tried to get some steam back Bill suddenly called out to him - 'Take a look out on the down side!'
Brian looked, and there passing close to the railway fence was the local hunt in full cry, a riot of colour and noise sprinting across the field in the same direction as their train. As the cries of 'tally-ho' disappeared into the distance, it took a while longer before enough steam was raised to enable them to reach Guildford where the locomotive was taken to the depot for examination.
The following day when our intrepid crew booked on for duty they were told to report to the shed master's office. Expecting the need to explain why time was lost the previous day, they entered Mr Stovold's office only to be told by him that the Master of the Hunt had called in and presented Mr Stovold with a one pound note, adding that he wanted it to be shared between the engine crew of the train who had so thoughtfully stopped up Dorking bank the previous day to protect his hounds from being run over!
For the benefit of younger readers, a half of £1 is ten shillings (50p), which may not sound a lot in today's money, but it was a considerable tip when you consider that a fireman's pay at that time was only about seven pounds a week. Indeed if you equate their tip to buying a round of beer, a pound would have bought you in the region of 15 pints of ale at that time! Convert that to today's prices and it would cost you at least £50... Crikey! I'll drink to that!



                                              Alex (Mac) McClymont's Southern Region Gallery

I have been fortunate in obtaining a large number of photographs taken by SR railwayman Alex (Mac) McClymont for inclusion on this page. I first met Mac when I was a young 16 year-old fireman and he made a big impression on me, as did a lot of other senior firemen at that time. Once Mac passed for driving duties, it was a pleasure to be booked as his fireman. Mac is very knowledgeable about railways - and, surprisingly (for a SR engineman) his favourite loco class is the Gresley A4s. I didn't know until recently that Mac had taken some wonderful photographs at Kings Cross station and at Top Shed during the early 1960s. These can be found on a coveted 'Rail Cameraman' page (still under construction) featuring Mac's photos during the transition from steam to diesels around the BR Regions - a link will be provided here when the page is up and running. Meanwhile, here's a taste of Mac's photos taken on the Southern Region...

(Below) Class LN 'Lord Nelson' 30862 'Lord Collingwood' prepares to take coal at Basingstoke MPD.  When showing this photograph to ex-Guildford Fireman/Passed Fireman, Charlie Hampshire, he remembered being in the adjacent shed one winter's night with his Driver Charlie Boskett waiting for their locomotive to come into the depot.  Charlie Boskett always carried a transistor radio with him (quite a novelty in those days) and they were both drifting off to sleep when all of a sudden, the door opened and someone threw a couple of detonators into the stove and ran off! Charlie managed to rouse his Driver from his slumber and, grabbing his prized radio just managed to exit the hut before a huge explosion nearly lifted the tin roof off!





(Above-Below) A truly excellent photo line up of locomotives at Nine Elms MPD featuring Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 35003 ' Royal Mail' (with smokebox door open and one of its Superheaters extracted for maintenance purposes).  Superheater elements allowed (saturated) steam to be heated again which increased its thermal energy and therefore increased its efficiency. In the background is BR Standard Class 5MT 73119 with smokebox door open and other locomotives of the same class. (Below) Rebuilt West Country Class 34097 'Holsworthy' passes Woking on the down through line with an express passenger service for Exeter and a Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit (DMMU) awaits departure from platform 5 with a stopping service for Sailsbury. The DMMU units were introduced on this service in 1966 during the Bournemouth electrification scheme and the Top Link Drivers at Guildford had to learn these units as several turns were booked to Guildford depot.





(Above) U Class 31638 is about to haul the 3.13pm stopping service from Basingstoke to Woking. She was a Guildford based locomotive (the 70C shedplate is clearly seen on the smokebox door). The locomotive is now preserved in fine working order and forms part of the Maunsell Locomotive Society fleet based on the Bluebell Line.



(Above-Below) U Class 31627 climbs Pinks Hill bank towards Reading with a passenger service from Redhill.  The U and N Class locomotives were utilised most of the time on these hourly services in the early 1960s and sometimes a 'Schools' class would be used. During the mid-1960s, BR Standard Class locomotives became more commonplace and this eased the burden of disposal work as they had rocker grates and self-cleaning smokeboxes.  The last steam hauled services over this route ran on 2nd January 1965, a bitterly cold day when 31627 worked the 09:45 from Reading to Redhill. (Below) 'Castle' Class 7002 'Devizes Castle' waits at Worcester station with a passenger train bound for Paddington. The Black  'D' in a Red disc on the cabside denoted the Power Class e.g. 25,001 lbf (111.2 kN) - 33,000lbf (146.8 kN). 7002 was built in 1946 with a double chimney and her first shed allocation was Swansea Landore and her last shed allocation was at Worcester and was withdrawn in March 1964. Hanging out over the fireman's side is a reinforced rubber hose commonly called the 'PET' pipe.  Once the injector had been turned on, hot water could be emmited via this pipe in a jet form and this could be used to clean the footplate floor or douse the coal (especially useful when running tender first).  Some Drivers hated their side of the footplate floor becoming wet as they thought it might exacerbate their rheumatism!





(Above-Below) Redhill based locomotive (75B) N Class 31851 stands in the Back Road at Guildford awaiting her next turn of duty while a Class 700 (black motor) stands on the next road waiting to be coaled.  Several other locomotives are in evidence and the pit looks as though it's had several locomotive ashpans raked out into it....a hazardous job where you always needed to know which way the wind was blowing before commencement!  A 2HAL EMU (No 2662) is berthed waiting for its next trip (to Ascot probably) in the Up Yard Carriage Road. (Below) BR Standard 4MT 80095 gets ready to depart from Waterloo with a set of empty coaching stock (ECS) bound for Walton station (via Twickenham, Addlestone Junction and Weybridge) where the ECS would be shunted back into Oatlands Sidings - ECS was quite often berthed there during the busy Summer period. The Shell Building is in the background and other EMU stock in the photograph are of the 1957 EPB (Electro-Pneumatic Brake) variety and the 1936 2BIL EMU (with Westinghouse Brake) which worked the Reading services.





(Above) BR Standard Class 5MT 73155 has to edge onto the turntable so that she can take water for the last time before departing for Salisbury double headed with sister locomotive 73118 on the 9th July 1967. The crew on 73155 were Bill Brain and Geoff Burch and the crew on 73118 was Dave Elson and Pat Kinsella.  A type 3 1550hp Crompton remains berthed just beyond Farnham Road Bridge and was booked to run light to Eastleigh Diesel Depot later that afternoon with Driver Peter Nixon and fireman Alan Johns.  

                                             Dave (Sam) Salmon's Southern Region Rail Tours

(Above) This photo shows 'Battle of Britain' Class 34052 ' Lord Dowding at Guildford heading an interesting SCTS 'Four Counties Special' Rail Tour to Salisbury via Guildford and Havant on 9th October 1966. Starting at London Bridge, BR Standard Class 4 No 80154 hauled the train via South Bermondsey, Peckam Rye, North Dulwich, Tulse Hill, Streatham. Tooting and Haydons Road to Wimbledon. The 2-6-4T then took the train via Merton Abbey to Tooting Goods, where USA 0-6-0T No 30072 hauled the train back to Wimbledon. 'Battle of Britain' class 34052 continued the journey via Raynes Park, Motspur Park, Epsom, Leatherhead, Effingham Junction and Horsley to Guildford, then on to Haslemere, Petersfield, Havant, Cosham, Fareham, Botley, Eastleigh, Chandlers Ford and Romsey to Salisbury. 'Merchant Navy' class 35023 was attached for the remainder of the tour from Salisbury via Andover Junction, Ludgershall, then back to Andover Junction for the return leg via Worting Jnct, Basingstoke, Mortimer, Southcote Jnct, Reading General Earley, Wokingham, Blackwater, Ash, Guildford, Deepdene Dorking, Redhill, East Croydon, Selhurst, Streatham Common, Balham, Clapham Junction and Battersea Park to London Victoria (Eastern). This information was gleaned from the excellent 'Six Bells Junction' website which contains by far the best record of Rail Tour activity anywhere on the web. The same is said for the caption details Right and Below...

(Right) As a tribute to the final days of steam over the LSWR main line, the RCTS organised the 'Farewell to Southern Steam' Rail Tour on 18th June 1967. Dave Salmon's photo shows the first leg of the tour at London Road near Guildford. The twelve coach train was headed by 73029 and 34023 Blackmore Vale (the BR5 was crewed by Guildford Driver Lew Wooldridge and fireman Ray Bartlett and a pair of Nine Elms men worked on 34023). Starting from London Waterloo the special was routed (via Windsor through lines) to Clapham Junction - East Putney - Surbiton - Effingham Junction - Guldford - Haslemere - to Fareham. At Fareham 'Battle of Britain' class 34089 602 Squadron continued the journey via Netley to Southampton Central, where 34089 was joined by West Country class 34108 Wincanton for the journey from Southampton via Brockenhurst and Bournemouth to Wareham. At Wareham 34089 (with 80143 at the rear) headed to Swanage returning at the rear of 80146 to Wareham. 34089 then continued alone to Weymouth, where Class WCs Nos 34023 and 34108 headed the Rail Tour via Bournemouth Central, Eastleigh and Romsey to Salisbury. At Salisbury Merchant Navy class 35013 Blue Funnel headed the return leg via Basingstoke to London Waterloo. The info regarding this tour came from the excellent 'Six Bells Junction' website - click here - which also adds the note that apart from the Salisbury-Waterloo section the train running was hindered by poor timetabling, resulting in a number of stopping services being sent out in front of the special.

(Left) 'West Country' Class 34002 Salisbury is seen passing Woking Station at the head of the Southern Counties Touring Society (SCTS) 'Devonshire Rambler Railtour' on 26th June 1966. The 'WC' class departed London Waterloo at 9.55am and travelled via Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, Surbiton, Woking, Basingstoke and Andover Junction to Salisbury, where 'Merchant Navy' class No 35023 Holland-Afrika Line continued the journey via Gillingham, Yeovil Junction, Axminster, Exeter Central, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Junction, Taunton, Castle Cary and Frome, arriving at Westbury at 15.18. Another 'West Country' class, No 34100 Appledore then hauled the return leg from Westbury to Waterloo via Warminster, Salisbury, Dean, Romsey, Redbridge, Southampton Central, Eastleigh, Winchester City to Basingstoke, where a reversal of the outward route was taken back to London Waterloo, arriving at 18.40. Dave Salmon marked this slide - 'the last Exeter'...the tour itineraries in these captions were gleaned from the excellent 'Six Bells Junction' website.

(Below) The first of the BR Standard locomotives, Britannia Class 7MT Pacific No 70000 is seen departing from Guildford under Yorkies Bridge at the start of the climb up Pinks Hill on the Cuildford-Reading line. No 70000 was taking part in the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) Vectis Rail Tour on the 4th October 1964. The train had started from Waterloo behind Bulleid's Class Q1 No 33026 for the outward journey via Clapham Junction, Twickenham, Staines Central, Ascot, Camberley, Ash Vale, Aldershot and Ash to Guildford, where 70000 took over for the run via Ash, North Camp, Wokingham, Reading General, Basingstoke, Winchester City, Eastleigh, Botley, Fareham and Cosham to Portsmouth Harbour. Scheduled boat sailings were used to ferry tour participants to and from the Isle of Wight for a tour of the Isle of Wight lines behind Stroudley's celebrated Class E1 0-6-0Ts Nos 14 'Fishbourne' and 28 'Ashey'. 70000 headed the return leg from Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo.

                                                                  My First Firing Turn 1958
                                                                            by Pat Kinsella

When I attended the Firing School at Guildford, the classroom work was very comprehensive on the rules and regulations but it provided very little in the way of instruction on a locomotive. After a fortnight at the school, apart from a couple of hours spent on engine disposal, I still had no tangible footplate experience on the running line, therefore practical skills had to be gained on the hoof so to speak.
After passing the exam to act as firemen when required, my colleagues and I returned to our cleaning duties at 70C and regularly speculated on who would be our first Driver and what the duty might be. Rumours abounded about the various Drivers - some good, some bad and others reputed to be terrifying! Of course there was always the chance we might be booked 'on loan' to another depot and God only knew the temperament of a 'foreign' Driver. So it was in this atmosphere of uncertainty that we daily scanned the 'alteration sheet' to see who amongst us had been booked a 'running turn' which were allocated on a seniority basis.
Come the day, it happened to me on a Friday when the Sunday sheet was posted and I was alarmed to find I had been booked a 'special'...
Crikey! A'special!What would that entail?
My mate was to be Driver Davey (featured Right) whom I had seen several times in passing whilst working at the shed but never had the novelty of speaking to him; we were booked to travel passenger to Waterloo to relieve on a BR Standard Class 5 locomotive with empties to Clapham Junction then take her to Nine Elms and dispose of her before returning to Guildford on the Monday morning 3.40am paper train.
Reporting at the Guildford office at the appointed time, I met Brian Davey (then in his mid-twenties) whose first question was - 'Have you a tea can?'
Oh yes, I was well prepared in that line! I had a billycan, tea, milk and sugar, and plenty of it!
Brian turned out to be very pleasant and as we travelled to the Capital he put me in the picture as to our duty. At Waterloo, we waited for the arrival of our charge from Southampton docks, and on seeing her elegant entry into that great station amid other locomotives on adjacent platforms was a great thrill. Here was I just sixteen years-old and already part of a great organisation. All went well on our trip to the 'Elms', and after disposing of our loco, we were requested to take an 'N' class light to Guildford. This was much better than travelling home passenger I thought and so whilst Brian went to the stores to get some engine oil, I undertook my duties preparing the loco (it was in a dreadful state) and on his return I enquired what time we were booked to leave. 'Just as soon as you're ready,' he replied.
As soon as I was ready?
Crikey, up to that point I'd always thought everything ran to a timetable, but it was all down to me!
My head started to swell with the importance of it all...and having not the faintest idea of how much coal to put in the firebox I shovelled like hell, while softly humming Tony Bennett's - 'Stranger in Paradise' - which, in my mind's eye, is exactly where I was... 'I'm a stranger in paradise; all lost in a wonderland....' Meanwhile Brian finished his oiling, and on regaining the footplate, realised the situation and stopped me from emptying the tender!



Departing Nine Elms at 2am we were signalled down the main slow line for the entire journey, but even before we reached Clapham Junction I was starting to get alarmed; our charge was riding like a jackass with a nettle under its tail! Leaving that great junction behind, Brian increased speed to an alarming level, which, in reality, was probably no more than fifty, but to me it seemed like a ton! All I could do was grab hold of the handrail and watch our bucking bronco - I'm reluctant to call it a locomotive - oscillating from side to side while the tender made a snapping motion at the cab floor, disgorging coal around our ankles. The wheels on this thing were not wheels; they were shaped like three-penny bits...it was the sort of ride that a thrill-seeker would have paid dearly for in a fairground. Bouncing up and down off the cab floor I could just about reach the injector steam valve with my right hand whereas the white knuckles of my left hand exposed my terror as I gripped on for dear life to the handrail. I was scared out of my wits, yet as I glanced towards Driver Davey desperately seeking reassurance all he gave me was an occasional smile!
Why's he bloody smiling in a crisis like this? He's insane! I'm booked with a madman on my first running turn...bloody office staff must have done this on purpose! Surbiton was passed in a flash, then Walton on Thames semaphores came and went - still clear signals - Weybridge, West Weybridge* then West Byfleet...semaphores all clear, oh my goodness, will this never end? Staring goggle eyed into the distance I could distinguish yellows at Woking...speed was reduced to 20mph through the junction - thank God for that, I thought! But no sooner had we emerged from the 'Twin Bridges' by Woking Junction, steam was again applied to the cylinders with a will that would've put a Virgin Soldier to shame on his first date.
Brian shot me another pathological smile! For God's sake what is the matter with this man? Can't he see I'm bloody terrified? Descending Stoughton bank into Guildford I could just make out the distant blur of the Cathedral and recognised where I was (no tower or Angel in those days mind you). Then reducing speed appropriately we passed under 'Yorkies' bridge and our charge settled down to a dignified canter through the platform and into the tunnel, where the unique tunnel signal displayed clear, ready for the shunt back into the loco.
We had made it! But the relief I felt was mixed with the nagging uncertainty that the career I had chosen might not be the right one for me after all; I had serious doubts that I was equipped to make it as a fully fledged engineman and promised myself that after I had 'squared up' I would go home and write out my resignation then hand it in later in the day. But after sleeping on it, I decided to give it another try and how glad I am that I did.
Brian, I later realised, was only doing what was an everyday occurrence to him but it was my first experience on a loco at speed.
He is still fit and healthy and I occasionally see him, but he doesn't remember the episode; it was just another job to a professional engineman but a wealth of experience for me. (* West Weybridge was renamed Byfleet and New Haw in 1961)

(Above Left & Below) The last two N class locos to be withdrawn from traffic were 31405/08 in June 1966. No 31408 is seen at Worplesdon working light engine to Guildford on 25th April 1965. (Below) Caught by the late afternoon sun at Guildford shed in June 1966, you could easily mistake this for a Dave Shepherd original oil painting on canvas....a grimy-looking 31405 is caught by the camera just days before withdrawal.