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(1963 the end of an era)!
Snowball turns up! The most pleasant passed fireman you could ever meet! Charles Atlas was the fitness king! No computer system back then! Simply magazines? Permanent way track gangs have small bogy wheels on an axle that were used by fireman to jerk n lift above the head! Snowball was king! My own driver, The guy i spent all day with was now in a very smelly DMU set! A ratchet handle start to then close for a gear that blew exhaust to the sky! Diesel tuition with a teacher stood on his shoulder! He lifts a hand to me and all our many branch line trips are over! My driver is off to the big city / On his own? I’m left with 41321, 82025 and 80064! Dr Beeching said rule 3 was to help footplatemen transfer, So I continue my trade on 72A with the big boys? Maunsell, Bulleid whatever? With a rule 3 pref’ for Bristol! Because now Southern is now Great Western! So I fire at Bristol Barrow road shed, (A Midland shed), With an added duty of taking engines to scrap! And who do you think ends up in there? Well its 80064! (Amongst many others)! Its like putting a faithful dog down! Snowball lived a ripe old age, I’m still breathing, and Riddles 64 looks better than both of us! And my dear old driver didn’t know me come the end! Don’t fret’ said his wife of 40 years, He doesn’t know who I am either? But I still retain my marbles? Just don’t ask what I had for dinner yesterday? Ive gone Wiltshire farm foods readycooked? Dammit an ex fireman cant live on coal alone?
