Built for the GWR by Peyer Peacock in 1864. No 337 seen here was photographed in 1879.
a need for beer. Those who know the London end of Southall station on the Upside might remember the Red Lion’ pub. The fence is a few feet from the engine, the road is at the same level as the railway and the pub is about 30 yards from the fence. It would be an easy vault over the railings opposite for a craving man who knew his fireman would not ‘split’ on him. His further decline is shown as the incidents crept down his page. He was unusual in that. He was never more than a 3rd class driver but that could only be that he was not senior enough to move up a grade. He was a 3rd class driver at Reading from 8th October 1894, in 1899 he had been posted to Trowbridge. In November that year he was marked down as ‘AWOL’ and when did return he was ‘insolent to his Foreman’. That was the last straw. The register states: Notice of dismissal with four weeks’ notice was served on 8th December’. But he left the service of the Great Western with a good character reference. What did Great Grandpa do? He went back to Reading and got a job in Simmonds brewery looking after the boiler and stationary steam engine. He obviously liked steam! Years later, he became landlord of the ‘King’s Arms’ in Wallingford Street, Wantage and died there in 1932. His last words to my Granddad were ‘Fetch us a pint, Will’.
A Look at The Company Staff Records! (See also the Appendix on p50)
The ancient Permanent Way Ganger at Uffington, ‘Butty’ Martin had told me most emphatically, ‘the old Company would sack yer soon as look at yer, boy’. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. Here are some examples from the Company’s Staff Records. On 17th February 1874 Driver Evan Harry was taking a goods from Llantrisant to Black Mill. That was three days past his 33rd birthday. He arrived on the branch line and reversed his train into the Down Siding. He told the signalman he was going to a party in a farm house across the field and went away. Four hours, later he returned and drove on. This did not go unnoticed and the result, shown in the record book was that he was sacked and a
No.473, ‘Sir Daniel’ class. Built at Swindon in 1869. Seen here, perhaps at Didcot, prior to 1880 alterations.
red line was drawn under his entry in the book. But he was not sacked because on 21st September 1877 he ‘dropped a plug’ causing serious damage to the firebox and tubes and for that he was sacked. But he liked being an engine driver so he moved to the other end of South Wales and was taken on as a driver on the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. On 1st August 1880 the MR&CC was amalgamated into the Great Western and Evan along with it. On 4th January 1909 he was ‘called upon to retire because of old age. He was 68. He died nine months later. On 24th November 1881 Driver 3rd class George Gazey, off duty, got drunk and was brought before the Magistrate charged with ‘attempting to commit a criminal assault on a woman in Pontypool. The record does not tell us what action the Magistrate took but the GWR suspended him from duty for 8 days and demoted him to shed engine turner and shunting Engineman. George Armstrong was Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the GWR’s Northern Division based on the great locomotive factory and engine sheds at Wolverhampton. When Armstrong heard of Gazey’s demotion he made ‘an earnest request’ that Driver Gazey be re-instated as 3rd class Engineman. So he was reinstated and Gazey’s list of errors continued to fill the lines of his record. On 1st December 1884, Wolverhampton driver William Lovejoy failed to arrive on duty to work his train. On 12th of December he failed to arrive to take out his train and was sacked. On 27th September 1890, Driver Wheeler drove from Wells to Draycott, a single line, without the benefit of the Single Line Staff. He was fined £1. On 16th March 1982 Driver Charles Haynes succumbed to the Stratford-onAvon Stationmaster’s blandishments and drove a privately ordered Special to Honeybourne without the single line Train Staff. He was fined five shillings and suspended for one day.
My Love of the GWR is Born!
As a boy I sat on the little wooden seat, usually occupied by the fireman, and listened to the chat between driver and fireman. They usually talked about events in the past – or maybe that’s the only Spring 2021
GREAT WESTERN STAR MAGAZINE
47
