David MacLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral history interview with David MacLean conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson on 10 July 2019 at the National Railway Museum in York. Duration: 3 hours. [Track 01] Family background, mother from County Durham, Scottish father, miner at Doncaster, father’s health, father’s in 1939-1945 Second World War, father’s jobs Scotland and Yorkshire; grandparents. railway family, extended family; [00:05:15] childhood in Scotland; family history; Kennoway school, Fife, relocation of miners to village, village became small town, new schools, catholics and protestants relationships in town, orange marches freemasons, pubs in the village, issues between catholics and protestants; [00:14:35] completing primary school, Buckhaven secondary school; interest in engineering, father’s job as bus driver, school holidays at uncle’s farm in Yorkshire, travelling by train, railway enthusiasm; [00:17:45] British Railways application, interview in Glasgow by Harry Baldwin, signal and telecommunications (S&T), Harry Baldwin’s office; [00:22:40] Glenrothes becoming a technology and electronics centre, apprenticeship at Hughes Aircraft company in Glenrothes, start in chemical laboratory, Kirkcaldy Technical College, explaining American working culture and organisation in place at company, secrecy, working on printed circuits not knowing the finished product; [00:28:00] manager and mentor at end of apprenticeship; restructure in company, getting mentor’s job; [00:34:40] why he left job, new job for customised Public Address (PA) systems company in Doncaster; [00:42:00] joining British Railways Signal & Telecommunication department (S&T), ambiance and hierarchy in S&T; [00:50:00] Peter Handstock, microwaves systems; work for radio assistant, BR PA systems, challenges; [01:01:00] radio system, interference CEGB grid; Grantham team; [01:11:00] works order systems; [01:14:00] Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) implementation; [01:18:00] NTP nation telecom plan; safety issues, incidents; [01:28:00] job in signalling maintenance, new technology; being on call; [01:42:00] Grantham, telegraph office replacement; Thirsk hot box detector; Clifton bridge; remote control; [01:58:00] management structures; replacement of overhead telephone line [02:04:16] [end of track 01] [Track 02] Area Management Operating System (AMOS); telecom design, electrification ECML, Selby diversion; [00:10:00] new technology issues; track safety, Heck incident [00:19:26] [end of track 02] [Track 03] comparing experience in British Railways and in private sector, examples; Global Crossing link up; RACAL; [00:05:00] 2001 Global Crossing bankruptcy, government intervention; [00:07:00] redundancy package offer; introduction to consultancy; [00:15:00] Great Western story; Hugh Murray [00:21:00] Big projects undertaken by railways, ECML, London Bridge; consultancy for Network Rail; Scotrail project; working with different government bodies, England and Scotland; [00:27:50] reflections on railway career, successes and what he enjoyed most [00:37:41] [end of track 03] [end of interview]

Oral history recording made in continuation of the NAROH project (National Archive of Railway Oral History), recording stories of people who worked on the railways