Great Western Railway General Appendix to the Rule Book of 1936 (known in future as GWRGARB). Station instructions regarding conveyance of Hop-pickers. "Only Third Class coaches of the oldest type must be used for the conveyance of Hop-pickers. In no circumstances are lavatory carriages or carriages with first class compartments to be provided"
With an apology for failing to find a prayer about steam, Brian Dunlop reminded us of the debt we owe Paul for all the hard work he does on our behalf and his need for our prayerful support. Paul's interest in trains started in 1962 when a bike ride with friends led to a railway line where trains rushed to London and other exotic places such as Carlisle, Crewe and Doncaster. He became a train spotter and watched the last steam train on its way over the Pennines near Settle. He joined a local preservation society and worked his way through the system (as almost every railwayman was obliged to do) and discovered a particular interest in signalling and telegraphy. As it happens his grandfather was an engine driver in S Bradford and his Great Grandfather was a railway policeman. That is he policed the lines and the distances between trains - even today signalmen are known as "Bobbies". And did you know that it was the need to run timetables that led to the standardisation of time in the UK? Until then, local time varied from place to place. It became the Station Master's personal responsibility to wind clocks and set GMT daily on signal from the appropriate main line London Station.
GWRGARB. Accidents to Children. "Company's servants are warned that young children must not be allowed to walk on or cross the permanent way for the purpose of bringing meals to their father or any other persons."
In the end though it was people that became Paul's main interest. It was a tough life, and a very structured social pecking order ruled the men's lives with very slow progress up the ladder in many companies. You might be 50 before you became a driver and with no pension scheme had to work all your life to survive. The Church had a presence too in the form of the Railway Mission which was financed by the railway companies - there are still 15 of them, part time and paid by BR.
A lively discussion and exchange of train stories followed in which we
learned that:
· Over the 25 year life of a steam train it would carry 500,000 passengers;
· In 1 year a HST will carry 500,000 passengers;
· More people travel by train now than 60 years ago;
· Sue Marlow can remember travelling by train from Leckhampton Station;
· There are one or two other railway enthusiasts in the congregation who gently
stuck their heads out of the closet (names will be supplied on request).
I have written too much: an enjoyable evening and a reminder that as
Christians we all have something to learn from industry. And finally:
GWRGARB. "Trucks used for the conveyance of Fish must not be used for the
conveyance of Milk Traffic."
Iain Hime
Clare Holden adds:
Listening to Paul's interesting and entertaining talk, 'Steamy Times', at Christians at Work, I was reminded of some letters written to a newspaper several months ago and printed under the title 'Men of the cloth lured by the railway'.
Bishop Eric Treacy, Bishop of Wakefield 1968 - 1976, and mentioned to us by Paul, was the subject of one letter. He was widely known as the 'Railway Bishop' and a Black Five locomotive was named after him. He had a collection of 12,000 photographs which are now in the National Railway Museum. The letter ends: "Sadly, he died in 1978 at Appleby Station on the Settle and Carlisle line while waiting for British Rail's last steam locomotive, 'Evening Star'".
Another letter quoted Canon Roger Lloyd who wrote: "It is common
knowledge that many hundreds of clergymen are enthralled by everything to do
with railways".
Canon Tony Chesterman concluded recently that the 'ultimate answer' is found in
scripture: "I saw the Lord … His train filled the temple … and the
temple was filled with smoke."
Fourteen of us ended up round a table at the Butcher’s Arms Sheepscombe on a surprisingly fine and pleasant summers evening. Most of us went on the walk first.
This was a reprise of the first Parish Walk we did – a steepish climb up past the Rock Roses and wild Orchids on Sheepscombe Common; into the Beech wood of Lord’s and Lady’s Wood , along the edge of Saltridge Common Wood. Then across the fields to the Ebworth centre and along a forestry track of a public footpath through the upper levels of Workman’s Wood, and down to Sheepscombe and the pub.
Many thanks to all present who made the evening such a success . Details of the route available from me (01242 527673) on request.
David Long