That's me lot....

[captain-buckeye]

After thirty-four years of railway work, the company doctor has said it's time to hang up my greasy hat. I was gutted. Fortunately, my pension isn't bad so I am going to retire and take things easy.No more 0300 starts or getting home at 0130 or summit daft. ****, I'm going to miss it.
In late October I got up one Saturday morning and noticed I had a dark shadow in my left eye. I was long weekend so I let it go. By Tuesday it was just the same so I went to the doctors who reffered me to the hospital eye clinic. They reffered me on to the Moorefield eye clinic who told me that I had had a minor stroke. I didn't know, I didn't even think about stroke, I thought they would do an operation and I would be ok. I had no pain, and ALL my other bits and pieces work fine. Just got this cloud in my left eye. They put the cause down to smoking. I gave up in 1988, but they said that was the cause. Twenty years without a fag and it still got me.

My advice to all you smokers is GIVE IT UP NOW!

At the age of fifty three I've lost my job and half of one eye due to smoking, which I gave up twenty years ago.

I started on the job in St. Johns signal box at Bedford, then went to Kings Cross as a secondman. Then I transferred to Bedford and then got my drivers job at Cricklewood.
When Cricklewood close I went to St Pancras 'till a vacancy came up at Bedford where I've been since.
I've made some great mates over the years, and some not so great. Railwayman, and in paticular drivers, are a unique group of people. You will never find the same sort ot of comradeship in any other job anywhere.
I am so glad I was one.

 

[AlexS]

Condolences mate. I don't think I've seen such an apt application of the saying 'It's not just a job, it's a way of life' as to railway work.

I only do it a couple of days a week and have only been at it for a few years, but I couldn't imagine my life without spending my weekends and the odd weekday up a signalpost in a gale, down a hole laying a foundation or grubbing around between a coach and loco doing up the bags, with the odd stupidly early start or late finish.

I'd agree with the people thing - there's a huge clash of personalities from the boring to the downright eccentric and it's a sometimes amazing thing to watch it all come together to produce a railway. You put your life in each others hands and go through quite a lot together and I think at the end of the day it counts.

If you can be doing with something else rather than driving, have you considered getting involved with a heritage line to keep it up but in a lighter way? I work with a lot of railwaymen retired or current who originally wrote it off until they got involved and found it was not at all what they expected. Somebody with your depth of experience is always worthwhile.

 

[captain-buckeye]

Thanks AlexS for your kind words. I'm actually thinking "have the summer off, then have a look around for summit to do" who knows, summit might turn up before. I certainly will miss the railway, well the blokes more than anything.

 

[Techniquest]

My condolensces, must be horrible to have to give up a job you love.

If you're anywhere near a preserved railway, I'd suggest doing something with them too.

 

[captain-buckeye]

The nearest to me is Quainton Road. That about thirty miles away.

 

[D306]

what about the northampton and lamport railway. Seeing as you were based in Bedford, I'm assuming that you live in that area

 

[Phoenix]

Well this indeed is a sad story and indeed makes me think about my smoking habit.
But at least you have the years of memories and the knowledge that well you were a driver a privilige that some of us only dream of.
But if you need things tohelp with dealing with retirement I suppose you could work at a preserved railway or take up the other various railway activities such as...........

Photography.
Modeling.
Spotting.
Traveling around the worlds railways.
I mean I would strongly advise that you write a book about your lifes experiences on the railway as there are always great tales to tell and it gives you chance to look back at your successful career.
But whatever you choose good luck mate and im sure you will find other ways of making the most of life.

 

[captain-buckeye]

Thanks for all the messages. I think I will have the summer off then perhaps start looking around. I still have to have more tests, an e.c.g. and an ultrasound scan on my arteries to see if they are furred up at all. Loosing the job is the biggest blow. The illness I can do something about. Lose a bit of weight, excersize a bit more and be carefull about what I eat, but the job is gone. Thirty four years of early starts and late finishes, bad weather, fog, snow, floods, Saturday night drunks, mess room banter and all the other things that made my life what it is/was. When I started on the railway in1975 it was just untill something better turned up. I slowly found out the blokes were the best anyone could call mates. the job was interesting and if a bloke was willing to learn then the job would give you a chance. They trained me and taught me and trained me a bit more. At 23 years old I was a driver at Cricklewood and they trusted me with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of equipment. Thousands of souls on the trains trusted me with their lives. I had a real job worth doing.I will always be proud to have been a train driver. Even prouder to have been a railwayman.
Give up the fags boys and girls.
It may not be too late.

 

[Mintona]

Can you not get a job in a booking office or something with your TOC? Ok, it's not much, but I would have thought you'd be ok?

 

[O L Leigh]

Evening Cap'n,

It's always sad when a colleague has to hand in his key early and while still enjoying the job. I've not been in the grade very long but have already learned so much about the railways, people and life in general. It's something that I'm proud to do and hope I never have to stop.

Best of luck for the future.

O L Leigh

 

[Juniper Driver]

I gave up smoking on 31/12/1999 and have stopped drinking since mid-December after going down with that stinking cold after doing an 8 in 9 day stretch of work.

Im thinking now perhaps I should stay off the booze as long as I can as we do seven days on at a time and I get very run down,so drinking on my restdays is no help at all.People have said my cycling to work (and back) all the time does not help and im tending to agree with them,but I wont give up the cycling.

Im coming up to 27 years on the railway now and find it has it's good points as well as bad.Interesting to note I was a secondman I got in at the age of 22 and started driving trains on my own at 26.Im now 45.

Good luck Captain Buckeye,I don't know where it will end for me but I feel privelaged and lucky in a way to be trusted to drive trains.

 

[westcoaster]

hey cap'n s sorry to hear about what happened mate, hope you find something to do, and keep yousr spirits up, ive just started my driving days at bedford, and hopefully many years of driving to go. it is a good feeling to be in charge of your train and all those people.

all the best westcoaster.

 

[captain-buckeye]

Well, Westcoaster, you must know me. I've been down the depot several times lately.
The feeling you mentioned only gets better with time. You will get fed up and pi$$ed off with it but stick with it, it's worth it.

 

[Juniper Driver]

You are right CB,has it's good days and it's bad days.

 

[captain-buckeye]

Last day is 14th March. Ill health severence has won. I think I have more or less accepted it now.
Thanks every one for your supportive messages.....

 

[chuffchuff]

Enjoy your retirement, You'll be wondering why you didn't do it
years ago, I've yet to meet a retired Driver who hasn't said that to me
and keep an eye in the mirror and watch all the wrinkles disappear now
the stress has gone

Chuff ( 30 done 16 to go)

 

[Juniper Driver]

27 done,20 to go.

 

[captain-buckeye]

I did 35 years all told. I could have done with another four or five just to get the pension up a bit. So, get some dosh in another scheme if you can as well as the railway pension.
I did and am glad I did.

 

[Teaboy1]

Hi Captain, sorry to hear of your condition but Im sure you will have figured it out now that all good things come to an end! Now your choices are altered and I would think that your priorities are now to keep your health what it is now or better, plan for your retirement now cos its going to happen come-what-may!
So keep fit, get the ticker fit and keep healthy to enjoy what lies around the next corner. One proposal, if I may be so bold, is to get yourself a dog mate!! Mans best friend is also his best way to keep fit and active. Dont buy a big strapping animal that eats buckets of food and will pull you about but consider a small dog...Whippet....Jack Russell....etc so long as its a short hair and NOT white...you will my friend have a good faithful friend for life. Plenty of walks and you will not have time to sit at home and vegetate.
Enjoy your NEW LIFE, the past was just a practice run-up to retirement, its now gone never to return.

.....SScchhh..........walkies.....!

 

[ungreat]

Get yourself a staffy mate if you are looking for a dog..I got one 7 months ago and he's absolutely brilliant..loyal,affectionate and gentle.We walk for miles on my days off and he asks nothing of me,just an owners love(and a bag of scratchings at the pub!)but gives all his to me.

Sorry to hear of you having to give up the job..Ive been driving 22 years and know it must be a wrench mate..good luck buddy

 

[captain-buckeye]

Thanks all. We've got a dog but she's only got little legs. What keeps us going are the grand kids. We also have a project on the go in the form of another bungalow. We are havng it gutted and re-built inside together with a side extension. When we move into it it will be like a brand new place.
I got my last pay slip yesterday. I stapled it to my first one. (£29.73!) from 1975.
Oh well, **** happens, don't it?

 

[Teaboy1]

Whippet then me thinks .....Captain.....they have long legs.......they don't shift when they stretch their legs!!! When the Grandkids leave for college/uni thats when your dog keeps you sane!!