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clive BRretired posted an update in the group
2 weeks agoOther Adventures (Its a bit quieter on this section) I quite liked the 63 or 22class diesel hydraulic! It would get us over Dartmoor ok! (The old Southern route from Plymouth), But come 1964, 5, 6 we would be given a 1000 diesel at Bristol, like Western prince! A noisy engine, I would learn its Stones boiler and driver would gun it up out of Templemeads, ‘Double’ manning back in them days! Speed pick up quite dramatically away from Bath rd bridge, I likened their ‘drone’ to a Spitfire? (fighter plane) So my mind go back to 72A and 92 squadron named after a Spitfire group in the war? 66 was the same but they just named that ‘Spitfire’? We had lots of them on Exmth jct shed! Driver and me still in grubby overalls because we are Barrow rd steam crew?, My old 72A shed now under Great Western, That’s why i now live in the BR rail Hostel in Bristol, Nothing never happened but i might ponder a derailment? Look sharp, A train on other line flying toward you! Rule 55? Lol. Protection first and then look for signalman’s phone trackside! The bloke who invented the mobile phone has not been born yet! I didn’t have a home phone till the 1970s! I was an extra pair of eyes, A stand in driver, I could run forever (back then) To protect our train! But No! 1967 all but passed fireman were kept on! We less seniors were paid off! I ended up in water treatment and filtration! Its just how things transpire? I’m too thick for Pilot of a Spitfire! But wish now i had gone for Plumber! More settled? messing with little copper pipes? But i must admit to not a day off work! Maybe a week or two in Spain though! And i did like Goa in India! All them old buses! And chasing Dolphins!
