ArchieWoodbine
Member
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 260
Inspired by this recent thread, alongside this older one regarding the Woodhead tunnels, I wonder...what do you think was, or indeed is, the worst job in the history of the railways?
Doing a six-hour stint in the choking, dark and damp environment of the Woodhead tunnels must be pretty near the top, as evidenced by the short-lived existance of the role. But, would that be preferable to spending twelve-hours trudging over Shap summit in a blizzard, tightening fish-plates? Are the signallers who spend a whole day sitting by themselves, staring at a bank of screens, driven to insanity? The navvies who dug Box tunnel had to work in the same vacinity as rock-blasting, because it would take too long to evacuate the tunnels before detonation. Was the awfulness of that job mitigated by the pay and heroic quantities of whisky consumed?
No wrong answers, I'm just interested to hear anyone's examples or anecdotes of jobs, recent or historic, that stand-out as being particularly tough in an industry that's not always been known for its easy-going working conditions!
I've always thought that the rear-facing guards on early GWR services, perched on a seat at the back of the tender with brief to just watch-over the carriages, must have had a pretty rough time of it in winter!
Doing a six-hour stint in the choking, dark and damp environment of the Woodhead tunnels must be pretty near the top, as evidenced by the short-lived existance of the role. But, would that be preferable to spending twelve-hours trudging over Shap summit in a blizzard, tightening fish-plates? Are the signallers who spend a whole day sitting by themselves, staring at a bank of screens, driven to insanity? The navvies who dug Box tunnel had to work in the same vacinity as rock-blasting, because it would take too long to evacuate the tunnels before detonation. Was the awfulness of that job mitigated by the pay and heroic quantities of whisky consumed?
No wrong answers, I'm just interested to hear anyone's examples or anecdotes of jobs, recent or historic, that stand-out as being particularly tough in an industry that's not always been known for its easy-going working conditions!
I've always thought that the rear-facing guards on early GWR services, perched on a seat at the back of the tender with brief to just watch-over the carriages, must have had a pretty rough time of it in winter!