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The LNER Encyclopedia • any more L.N.E.R.men left alive
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any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 7:59 pm
by Boris
I started 3/3/47 so actually was an L.N.E.R.man when I started,I;m 85 tomorrow so is there anyone older than me that started as an L.N.E.R.cleaner

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:12 pm
by jwealleans
You might find there are a few, Boris. I recall seeing in the Railway Magazine that the (reputedly) last Midland man had died and that wasn't all that long ago.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:44 pm
by 65447
R.H.N. 'Dick' Hardy, former Doncaster premium apprentice in 1940, engineman, noted shedmaster, divisional and BRHQ manager and now respected writer on railway operations... :D

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:25 am
by Mickey
If he's still alive Alan 'pedler' Palmer a former signalman at Welwyn Garden City during the mid/late 1960s & early/mid 1970s.

Alan was from the Peterborough area (and a life long 'Posh' Peterborough football supporter as well) and started on the L.N.E.R. sometime during the mid 1930s i presume as a box telegraph lad around the Peterborough area although i recall him telling me his first box was at Lolham (north of Peterborough) sometime during the late 1930s. After wartime service in RAF bomber command in Lancaster bombers Alan re-joined the L.N.E.R. and the next box i recall he told me he worked regular at was at the 1955 Potters Bar panel box possibly during the late 1950s afterwhich i recall he said he was regular at Hatfield no.1 for sometime during the early 1960s before moving again to Welwyn Garden City during the mid 1960s and staying at that box until it closed in 1976. After WGC box closed Alan then moved to Kings Cross (the 1971 box) and he remained there until his retirement in 1987.

When Alan was at Welwyn Garden City box during the 1960s & 1970s he lived somewhere around the Welwyn north area and if he's still alive i would guess he would be in his mid/late 90s by now although i havn't personally seen him since about 1976 or heard anything of him since he retired in 1987.

Mickey a onetime telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City box 1972-74

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:30 pm
by 52D
Ken Hedley finished as a BR Traction inspector was ex LNER I mentioned him in a post below about his recent illness is still alive and Kicking, I have a pic of him in a Typical Railway/Clergy pose with the Bishop of Wakefield in a black 5 on the NYMR.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 6:25 pm
by 69856
There are still a few around. My father is now 86 years and started at West Auckland as a Cleaner in January 1947, retiring from Thornaby in 1992. I know of one former Darlington Driver who is aged 102 (I think) and was with the LNER in the 1930's.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:18 pm
by STAFFORDA4
Along with Mr Hardy mentioned earlier, Peter Townend, former Top Shed shed-master, deserves a mention. He too is a former Doncaster apprentice from LNER days

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:46 pm
by 52H
Hi all
Thereare 2 LNER men who attend Gateshead pensioners.Tom Storey started Consett.The other is George Halbert I think he was Gateshead. Still regular attenders.

52H

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:43 am
by AndyB12/3
My uncle Jack who is now in his late 80's started with the LNER during WW2. My grandfather, a driver working at Neville Hill, got him a "clean" job in the office at around 14 years old. Jack made such a fuss about becoming a driver that as soon as he was old enough he headed for the footplate and never looked back, retiring from Neville Hill some time in the early 90's? He still travels around the country using his free BR travel, though at a less frantic pace.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:00 pm
by edcayton
My uncle, Les Cayton started at York shed in the war, finished driving HST's. His father (my Granddad) was a plate-layer on the stretch that included the swing bridge at Naburn. They lived in a railway cottage next to the line and near the bridge.

Ed

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:31 pm
by bristolflf
I seem to remember a Les Cayton as a member of York MPD LDC in the 1960s. His grade was that of driver, but he hadn't driven for some time as he was on the LDC full time. As I recall him he was a quiet, thoughtful, mild mannered man. The mirror opposite to a member of Thornaby's LDC, who shall remain nameless who was basically loud, obnoxious and a bit of a bully. Didn't work with me though, they still worked back to Tees Yard, rather than back LD, which had been their preferred intention.
In the 1960's and 70's we seemed plagued with weak management and strong LDCs, Management seemed scared of Thornaby's LDC and would bend over backwards to placate them, or so it seemed.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:14 pm
by Nige
My father who died a couple of years ago was a premium apprentice at LNER Darlington works. He started in 1943. He went on to be Shedmaster at Northallerton, Hull Botanic Gardens, Darlington Bank Top, and York.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:11 pm
by JASd17
Nige wrote: Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:14 pm My father who died a couple of years ago was a premium apprentice at LNER Darlington works. He started in 1943. He went on to be Shedmaster at Northallerton, Hull Botanic Gardens, Darlington Bank Top, and York.
Nige,

Your father's jobs would have been very demanding, do you have any further insights?

John

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 1:59 pm
by vcltel
Colin Guttridge, who was a member of Mickleover Model Railway Group, started in the forties as a boy porter/cleaner at Derby Friar Gate Station. I had many a good chat about the LNER with him; he became an express passenger driver having driven both Steam and Diesel. He was pretty scathing about the decision to close Nottingham Victoria Station in favour of Nottingham Midland (LMS), which was, he said, an inferior station to drive into.

He sadly had a stroke three or more years ago and cannot speak and is paralysed down his right side. He still comes to the Club in his wheelchair, propelled by his daughter Tish, once a month or so and loves to see some of his LNER and US models circulating round the club layout. He still enjoys a joke with his old pals I'm glad to say.

Re: any more L.N.E.R.men left alive

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 1:17 pm
by Dave Cockle
I visit Peter Hill, aged 86, in a nursing home in Enfield every fortnight. Peter joined the LNER as a lad porter at Enfield Chase in 1947 and was a resident signalman at Gordon Hill from 1957 to 1975. He finished his signalling days on the GN in Wood Green temporary panel box then went onto West Anglia as a Rest day Relief signalman hone station Hackney Downs. The boxes he covered were Brimsdown, Chingford, Enfield Town, Hackney Downs and Seven Sisters.