Bill Dunington interviewed by Robert Aitchison

Oral history interview with William (Bill) Dunnington recorded and conducted by Robert Aitchison on 18 June 2004 as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 19 minutes. Born 1923 in Shildon, childhood, school; career start, Caxton Press type setter (1937), father on dole, 1939 Caxton Press stopped, father into air force, WD on dole 2 weeks, job as a presser in factory in Shildon making army battle dress, moved with factory to West Auckland until 1940, move to Shildon railway works as a riveter; [00:03:30] further career; Darlington Motive Power Depot (1941-1962), cleaner, fireman, West Auckland Depot, driver, Shildon, diesel driver, details about cement train work, Shildon–Leeds trains, other train workings, Shildon Depot closure 1969, WD returned to Darlington Depot until retirement on ill health aged 63 years; [00:06:50] other railway work experiences, main line driving, locomotive memories including Dominion of Canada, driving Flying Scotsman; 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, cavalcade, huge crowds of spectators, good experience, firing locomotives, job enjoyment; [00:12:30] railway career, first experiences, engine cleaning, huge machines, overall job enjoyment; [00:15:20] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, moved locomotives into running order, Flying Scotsman movement, meeting with Sir Kenneth Moore [00:19:24] [end of interview]

Time Tracks, Shildon Railway Village Community Project was an initiative funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund that encouraged members of the public to bring photographs and documents at Locomotion to form a community archive, when Locomotion museum was opened in Shildon, 2004. Over 50 oral history interviews were also recorded with members of the community. They shared their memories of Shildon as they knew it in their childhood and throughout their lives, from as early as the 1920s, as well as their work experiences in local factories and industries, including Shildon railway works.