H
HR2
Guest
"Cor ennit tater's" So says Sid Jessop my driver for the day and a real cockney too. I have done a weeks MCO with a Guard at Barking (yes you could MCO with other depots in section then) "Yes Sid" is my response. "Good turn this one mate" Sid informs me "It's Wimbledon, Earls Court then Grub and after grub Richmond, Barking and home." Now for Barking that was an extremely good duty as they usually had a bloody rough turns and it made me wonder why the original guard had asked me for the MCO. So we head off the the sidings and get the train out of bed. No trouble in prep and out of the yard on time and then shuggle off westward. All goes well and for once we get to Earl's Court early. Something near impossible in the peak then. At Earl's Court Sid tells me on the loudaphone that the the Wimbledon service is reduced owing to fog so we might get a load on when we go down there.
So off we go and fog wasn't the word needed. Blanket would have been more appropriate. We got to Putney Bridge and I could not see more that half of the car in front of me. Sid told me that the starter was off and he was going to take it dead easy from there on. I did not blame him for that because at that time the Wimbo road had semaphore signals and mostly up high so seeing them in murky weather was a real pain. We got to Wimbledon about 12 late after a very careful journey at about 20 mph (Sid was a cautious man) and seeing some very thick fog indeed. At Wimbledon Sid said he was going to be very careful also on the return trip for which I did not blame him. He told me he would tell me if a station starter were at danger but give no word if it were clear. However we did not expect any red 'uns as the train previous has passed us going east at Wimbledon Park. Consequently we left Wimbledon packed to the nines and left some punters on the platform.
Wimbledon Park was a bit of a long station stop as I could not get a pilot light and people had struggled to get OUT let alone in. After I had pushed a bum or two and a coat or three in and got all the doors closed I returned to the back and gave the bell and we left. About halfway between W. Park and Southfields we came to a halt and after about 3 minutes Sid shouted over the phone that when we got to Southfields I was to wait until he gave me the all clear to proceed. At that station I duly waited for Sid's say-so and when I got it we departed. At Earl's Court when we were having our breakfast Sid told me what had happened. After we left WP Sid was peering into the mist for the signals and when we got to Southfields home he saw something that astonished him. The signal arm was laying on the ground! He stopped to make sure it was the actual arm and not one that was a replacement due to be fitted. To do that he had to climb the ladder on the post. It was indeed the arm from the signal so when he got down he picked it up and slung it in the cab. He could see the trainstop was down so proceeded. Now the station at Southfields had a signalbox on the platform and the windows of it were only about 5 ft from the ground. Sid having told me to wait at Southfields picked up the signal arm and put it behind his back and walked back the short distance to the cabin and knocked on the window. The Bobby opened same and looked out enquiringly "Your up home signal mate, ain't right" Sid tells him "Ain't right? Why wasn't it off?..... "Yus cock, right off" says Sid and hands him the arm and walks away!
So off we go and fog wasn't the word needed. Blanket would have been more appropriate. We got to Putney Bridge and I could not see more that half of the car in front of me. Sid told me that the starter was off and he was going to take it dead easy from there on. I did not blame him for that because at that time the Wimbo road had semaphore signals and mostly up high so seeing them in murky weather was a real pain. We got to Wimbledon about 12 late after a very careful journey at about 20 mph (Sid was a cautious man) and seeing some very thick fog indeed. At Wimbledon Sid said he was going to be very careful also on the return trip for which I did not blame him. He told me he would tell me if a station starter were at danger but give no word if it were clear. However we did not expect any red 'uns as the train previous has passed us going east at Wimbledon Park. Consequently we left Wimbledon packed to the nines and left some punters on the platform.
Wimbledon Park was a bit of a long station stop as I could not get a pilot light and people had struggled to get OUT let alone in. After I had pushed a bum or two and a coat or three in and got all the doors closed I returned to the back and gave the bell and we left. About halfway between W. Park and Southfields we came to a halt and after about 3 minutes Sid shouted over the phone that when we got to Southfields I was to wait until he gave me the all clear to proceed. At that station I duly waited for Sid's say-so and when I got it we departed. At Earl's Court when we were having our breakfast Sid told me what had happened. After we left WP Sid was peering into the mist for the signals and when we got to Southfields home he saw something that astonished him. The signal arm was laying on the ground! He stopped to make sure it was the actual arm and not one that was a replacement due to be fitted. To do that he had to climb the ladder on the post. It was indeed the arm from the signal so when he got down he picked it up and slung it in the cab. He could see the trainstop was down so proceeded. Now the station at Southfields had a signalbox on the platform and the windows of it were only about 5 ft from the ground. Sid having told me to wait at Southfields picked up the signal arm and put it behind his back and walked back the short distance to the cabin and knocked on the window. The Bobby opened same and looked out enquiringly "Your up home signal mate, ain't right" Sid tells him "Ain't right? Why wasn't it off?..... "Yus cock, right off" says Sid and hands him the arm and walks away!
