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3 plans of the Science Museum's Southern Galleries

3 plans of the Science Museum's Southern Galleries

1908-1912
Interview with Simon Shepherd recorded by Polly McGillivray on 15th October 2024 at the Worthing Training Centre Depot, Worthing. Duration: 35min 17secs. Introduction, current job; born in South London, childhood, mixed ethnic background family, many siblings, Jamaican father, British mother; 1970s, experiences of homophobia and racism as a child in London, colour bar and segregation; examples of racist abuse, racism within black community, being protected by mother; [00:04:00] powerful Black activists figures; how not identifying to gay icons and stereotypes delayed coming out as gay in his 20s; commenting on LGBTQIA+ representation in the media; confronting homophobia in his family; [00:07:50] getting married, choosing marriage over civil partnership, what getting married meant for him; first Pride in Clapham Common, red balloons for people who died of AIDS; importance of LGBTQ+ rights activism; [00:09:45] first job, joining the railways, Railway Trainee Scheme (RTS) at 16 yo, different roles for 2 years, Network SouthEast; left railway and came back in 1990, fitter at Wimbeldon Park Depot, dirty work, colleagues’ behaviour and comments in communal showers, presenting as butch (very masculine) whilst questioning his own sexuality; how he identifies, how he feels in relation to LGBTQ+ community; communal showers at railway depots; shunter role at London Bridge, shunting activities; working up the grades, listing roles and grades, station control point, station announcer, duty station manager, filling up secondment/interim position but not being given permanent promotion; leaving station management roles to become a driver; [00:15:18] 1999, train driver; pay as a driver; homophobia, how other drivers acted towards him as a gay man, abuses, offensive graffiti in his cab, a friend being bullied, manager being clueless how to help; first Pride train 2004-2005, homophobic reactions and comments from colleagues, change to relationships with people finding out he is gay, coming out on Pride train 2004-2005; hiding being gay, Charing Cross’s ‘pink brigade’ secret meetings in LGBTQ+ bars, abuse when LGBTQ+ people came out or were outed, some supportive reaction when he came out; [00:19:25] secret safe LGBTQ+ spaces, the ‘pink brigade’ secret LGBTQ+ community, word-of-mouth on third carriage of a train being safe, secret clubs in Cornwall and Blackpool, getting together, sense of community, importance of knowing of like-minded people; how and when he realised he was gay, being confused about his sexuality; [00:23:30] first Pride train 2004, class 319, Brighton-Clapham Junction, positive reception, press coverage, LGBTQ+ crew on-board, Pride train then, journey experience on Pride train, balloons and champagne; [00:25:40] career progression from being a driver, not getting promotions because of being gay; first managing role in 2011, Driver Manager; 2012 changes to Driver Manager and Competency Development Manager (CDM) roles and drivers recruitment, diversity, open to change, resistance to change in some areas; CDM role; [00:28:45] reflecting on how LGBTQIA+ community perception and experience has changed during his career, comparing with Black Lives Matters, displays of tolerance but homophobia and racism still present, people behaviours, examples; his personal views on how social media impact on LGBTQ+ people representation, lack of diversity in gay or LGBTQ+ representations in popular form of entertainment/sports; [00:31:20] being considered a role-model by others, being the first openly gay CDM, unfairness of having to fight to get promotions, having to disclose being sexuality or gender identity; personal views on railway industry and LGBTQIA+ community inclusion, on People Pride and Progress oral history project; having knowledge of bullying and abuses suffered by LGBTQ+ people within the railway industry; final message to people listening interview, importance of being true to oneself, being ‘Born this way’ [end]

Simon Shepherd interviewed by Polly McGillivray

2024-10-15
Video oral history interview with John Palmer conducted and recorded by Gordon Pettitt on 18 June 2018, at the interviewer’s home. Duration: 2 hours 13 minutes. [Track 01] Career in Civil Service start 1952 to Head of Railways Directorate in 1976; challenges; creation of Department of Transport (DoT), identifying what was the job, frustration with British Rail, question if rail was declining; [00:04:30] business tackled; pigeon carriage, British Railways Board (BRB) St. Pancras-Bedford development investment proposals, re-signalling issues; [00:07:00] developing DoT and BRB relationship; [00:09:00] Transport White Paper, supported by DoT, not by BRB; [00:12:30] Joint Study of Electrification; Steering Group, opposing views of BRB and DOT, issues, political approach, conflict between DoT and BRB; [00:20:50] Impact of change of Government; BRB concerns, review of railways committee chaired by Sir David Serpell; [00:26:30] review outcome, Serpell Report; [00:31:00] questioning network efficiency, lack of feedback from Serpell report, conflicts within committee; [00:37:00] positive outcome from Serpell report; press conference; network maps concerns; end of Peter Parker’s BRB chairmanship, appointment of Bob Reid 1 (BR1), Nicholas Ridley (NR) Minister, 3 years plan for railways; good rapport between BR1 and NR, East Coast electrification; relationships between NR and Margaret Thatcher; [00:43:00] managing railways decline, moving towards a business led efficient railway, freight contracting; uneconomical passenger services, obstacles to closures, Bill Roger’s White Paper, Norman Fowler (NF)’s view of closures, resources for closures; [00:50:40] DoT Civil Service attitude; oil crisis impact on money to be transferred from road schemes to railways; no anti-rail lobby in the DoT; introduction of public obligation service grant, BRB reaction, challenges [00:59:59] [end of track 01] [Track 02] DoT and BRB relationship; fare change example; Ministers wanted railways run like a business; [00:06:10] NF appointed Secretary of State; NF and Peter Parker relationship; [00:08:30] privatisation politics, not part of Conservatives’ 1979 manifesto, railway’s privatisation considered after British Telecom's privatisation, suggestions for mini-privatisations, Slough-Eaton Riverside example; [00:13:40] DoT and Treasury relationship, only DoT dealt with BRB; impact and action taken due to economy recession, DoT information leak to BRB to address recession; after British Telecom privatisation and other industries Treasury focused on the railways privatisation; [00:20:30] Minister of Transport’s powers; St. Pancras- Bedford electrification; [00:22:10] DoT freedom in dealing with BRB, exceptions; dealing with strikes, conflicts examples; [00:28:00] changes with Thatcher government; BRB’s link with government, conflicts BRB and Unions; change to Labour Government, legislation impact on BRB and Unions relation; [00:31:30] changes following appointment of BR1, relationship with DoT [00:36:40] financial settlement; Quality Objectives introduced; Commuter Charter; [00:39:00] impact of changes Secretary of State (SoS), comments on different SoS; [00:45:30] Safety on the Railways; JP responsible for effectiveness of Railway Inspectorate, proposal for transfer of Railway Inspectorate transferred to Health and Safety Executive but maintained under DoT; [00:53:30] personal achievements at DoT; East Coast Electrification, railways changed to business led organisation; [00:56:30] latency from Conservative before privatisation took off; [01:01:20] JP joining BR, work on Channel Tunnel; [01:05:20] comparison between civil service and BR work; JP views of privatisation process; being removed from Channel Tunnel role, remaining as an adviser on privatisation; lawsuits; JP views of BRB on privatisation; JP focus ensuring that railway managers knew how to set up a bid as part of privatisation [01:13:34] [end of track 02] [end of interview]

John Palmer interviewed by Gordon Pettitt

2013-06-18
Oral history interview with Jane Hackworth-Young conducted and recorded by Jo Bath in 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 49 minutes. Whereabouts before moving to Northern England, family roots, father was an engineer; great, great granddaughter of Timothy Hackworth, descended from Hackworth’s youngest daughter Jane Hackworth, who married Robert Young, who helped Hackworth run the Stockton and Darlington Railway, father was a civil, mechanical and electrical engineer, family methodist background; [00:02:40] father’s efforts to get Hackworth recognised; Robert Young’s book, Hackworth papers, 1972 Shildon visit, Hackworth’s house, Hackworth statue, lack of Hackworth recognition; Smile’s book on Robert Stephenson, Wylam locomotives; father's lobbying to BBC and Northern Echo; [00:07:20] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, Shildon Town Council request for documentation to help preparations, working with her father to prepare documentation; [00:09:30] further efforts to get Hackworth recognised; support from Michael Kirby, Hackworth buildings and other relics, Hackworth family background, further lobbying, meeting with Shildon Town Council, September 1974 renovation of Hackworth’s house started, gathering of Hackworth documentation; [00:17:00] Robert Young’s book Timothy Hackworth and the Locomotive; [00:17:50] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, Hackworth Museum opening by Queen Mother (17th July 1975), Cavalcade (31st August 1975); [00:19:00] Hackworth Museum, Hackworth House, restored Soho Shed; Sans Pareil replica, Shildon railway works; summer 1980 running of Sans Pareil, Rocket and the Novelty, lack of money and expertise from Sedgefield Council to run museum, restoration of coal manager’s building; [00:23:30] 1984 closure of Shildon Works, impact on Shildon, impact on Hackworth Museum, Walter Nunn; [00:24:50] Hackworth Society (May,1976), activities; [00:25:30] Hackworth Museum, decline, Bowes Museum support, National Railway Museum arrival, opening Locomotion, 2004; personal reflections on museum 1975-2004, possible further developments; [00:28:00] Timothy Hackworth, involvement in Stockton and Darlington railway opening 1825, began own works 1830; [00:29:30] Hackworth Museum; 11th July 1975 opening by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, details of Hackworth-Young family in attendance, details of opening; [00:32:10] cavalcade 1975; [00:35:40] father’s research; blast pipe, importance of “Royal George”; [00:37:00] own involvement with Sans Pareil locomotive replica, Rainhill trials in Wales in 2002; personal views differences between Sans Pareil and Rocket locomotives; [00:39:20] personal views on early locomotive developments, element of luck, Stephenson-Hackworth rivalry; [00:40:00] Sans Pareil history, snow plough, restoration by John Hick in 1864, Rocket and Sans Pareil at the Science Museum, then National Railway Museum, now (2004) coming to Shildon, importance of having historical locomotives in London; [00:42:00] local awareness of Hackworth; growth helped by involvement of local schools, museum visits; NRM at Shildon, Locomotion museum; York and Shildon to complement each other, Hackworth to be an integral part, social side important; [00:45:00] 1975 Cavalcade franking stamp; [00:45:30] Locomotion, Hackworth involvement in rebuild, Hackworth wheels; [00:47:20] work on Hackwork archive [00:49:39] [end of interview]

Jane Hackworth-Young interviewed by Jo Bath

2004
Oral history interview with Glynn Waite conducted and recorded by Bob Gwynne on 22 September 2017 at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 2 hours 9 minutes 25 seconds. [Start of interview, 00:00:00] Joining British Rail 1960, Trains Office Derby, diagramming, train staff planning, special trains; [00:04:30] area covered, freight timetable, Derby to Barnt Green, Hornsbridge at Chesterfield; Birmingham, freight traffic analysis, wagon surveys; changes, introduction of diesels working ‘out and home’; [00:09:00] line occupation surveys; diagramming journeys and staff; [00:10:30] different jobs before being involved with TOPS; TOPS at Cardiff, start with Ebbw Vale cutover, TOPS in South Wales; [00:16:43] problem with Cardiff Tidal/East Maws works; use of Ventek terminals, issues, wagon surveys, [00:20:49] missing wagons, ‘Cripple roads’, loading wagon data into TOPS; [00:24:32] TOPS survey staff, cutover process, working hours; [00:29:25] impact of TOPS on Area Managers, attempts at economies, TOPS helping reduce amount of wagons and introduce air braked wagons; [00:35:26] TOPS and locomotive maintenance on Western Region; [00:42:39]economies, elimination of consignment notes, survey, traffic flow introduction of numbers for clients, economies on clerks and paper; [00:47:47] goods offices rationalisation, reduction in sidings, new methods of working enabling savings; [00:49:30] job at Speedlink 1984-1990; [00:50:21] TOPS moving into privatisation, non geographic allocation of reporting offices; [00:54:40] planning redundancy but kept on to work out how to affect the move away from geographic location; [00:57:36] TOPS 2000 introduction, link with privatisation; division within privatised freight network, change to Windows operating system; [01:02:23] TOPS 2000 implementation, TOPS offices for BR mainline; TOPS responsibility area (TRA), capacity limits and rationalisation, Worcester TOPS office closure, further rationalisation; [01:07:08] reason for TOPS office locations, marshalling yards, reasons for rationalisation and TOPS staff redeployment; [01:11:47] TOPS clerks, recruitment and grades; [01:14:40] Freightliner, coal/cement, links to TOPS; difference between TRUST and TOPS; [01:17:01] TRUST and LARTA, geolocated train departures; how to put in a new location [01:21:50] locations for companies; wagon load, marshalling yards, train loads rather than individual wagons; [01:25:07] merry-go-round system (MGR), automation, including wagon numbers and weights, MGR wagons kept in trains; Toton, only two roads on down-side, wagon weight limitation at some collieries, MGR wagons revolution; [01:30:17] TOPS 2000, more people understand the system, area managers and shunters can input TOPS; TOPS direct (Eric Straw), Wolverhampton Steel Terminal, training on using TOPS, including Masboro Control; [01:35:10] EWS move; cut over Swansea Borough, Newport 1974, returned 20 years later to cutover to shunters; removal of Rowntrees traffic, closure of Dringhouses yard, closing yards, Parkeston; reflection on railways during time of career, sectorisation hierarchy, Bury St Edmonds example, Peterborough-Grantham, division of payments in pre-privatisation era; [01:43:04] sectorisation process, new thinking, cost of running railway has increased, GNER causes wage inflation with drivers, causing train cancellations elsewhere;[01:49:02] career overview, lodging at Railway Hostel, Loco hostels, redundancy, WR change, traffic analysis, Rowsley, Derby, Crewe, Nantwich, Bridgend, Sheffield, TOPS implementation, Speedlink, RFD, Manchester, Islington; EWS attempts to replace TOPS; Freightliner poached Glynn from EWS with traffic; [02:01:20] work as a consultant sorting out new freight flows, sectorisation, end of Speedlink, lack of knowledge; Michael Portillo, every freight flow had to make 8.5% return on assets; [02:06:50], privatisation, increasing distance of freight flows [02:09:25] [end of interview]

Glynn Waite interviewed by Bob Gwynne

2017-09-18
Oral history interview with Margaret Willmot conducted and recorded by Dr Jonathan Aylen on 8 December 2016. Duration: 1 hour 2 minutes 28 seconds. The interview focuses on Margaret Willmot’s experience as a junior programmer on TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) at British Rail. Start of railway career, TOPS (Total Operations Processing System), education, computing degree, job application; [00:03:23] British Rail induction, COBOL programming language, computing people vs railway people career approach; BR computer centres, machine types; work on TOPS at Blandford House, gender stereotypes, work on TOPSTRANS; [00:07:30] programming language in TOPSTRANS, assembler based macro language, how it worked, [00:14:23], computer core memory, data storage on magnetic tapes; TOPS customed built equipment, operating system; [00:18:30] disc drives vs tape drives, online vs offline processing; [00:20:00] TOPS wagons team, coding applications related to wagons, how coding was done, equipment used, punch cards, tele-type, team reaction to online machine, typing cards, programmers and typists, typing error example; [00:23:35] writing new enquiry for commodity code, modifying existing code, American code vs British Rail code, STANOX, TOPS Responsibility Areas (TRA), end of punch cards; [00:26:05] ventek cards 96 columns punch cards vs 80 column cards, no use of paper tape on TOPS; [00:29:51] enquiry for commodity code, security in TOPS; safety, preventative maintenance of wagons in TOPS, ‘cripples’ wagon; [00:32:20] TOPS wagon team, colleagues, organisation, way of working, hard coding, complexity of wagon movements in Scunthorpe area; [00:36:05] modification to original American TOPS for use by British Rail, example of obsolete codes for United Kingdom application; TOPS telecommunication, BR private phone lines; [00:41:10] British Rail choosing IBM over ICL; training on TOPSTRANS by Southern Pacific, relationship with Americans, helping with issues, BR staff visits to USA; interviewer discussing origin of TOPS; [00:46:20] example of computer crashing with application programme, technical issues and requirement, human errors rather than programme errors, example of issues with wagons, missing wagons, numbers painted on wagons; wagon audited against TOPS data; [00:55:00] working hours, office based work, junior position, reflections on experience on TOPS, camaraderie in TOPS team, TOPS experience useful in next job, if TOPS is still in use; date formatting in TOPS, space saving format; [00:59:30] leaving TOPS and British Railway, career after TOPS, San Francisco based computing company, revenue system for Eurotunnel; [01:01:00] further reflection on experience on TOPS [01:02:28] [end of interview]

Margaret Willmot interviewed by Jonathan Aylen

2016-12-08
Oral history interview with Rob Tibbits conducted and recorded by Tim Procter on 29 May 2012, at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes. Personal background; starting volunteering at NRM 1975; White Cross Lodge Group evening class, became York Railway Circle, links to NRM, Stockton & Darlington 150th celebration; NRM opening 27/09/1975, John Coiley (Curator), Flying Scotsman cleaning; [00:04:30] early volunteering at NRM, informal; [00:06:20] volunteering activities; beginning of locomotive operations, Evening Star, Green Arrow, informal activities; volunteer community; Invicta cosmetic overhaul (1976-1980), Jeff Bird, Tuesday night team; [00:08:40] other early volunteering activities; rail tours, Settle and Carlisle reopening 1978, Green Arrow, steam trip duties, tours,, informality; [00:11:40] volunteer backgrounds; relationship with other volunteers; previous engineering experience, Ffestiniog experience, similar for others; [00:15:10] informal training provided, health and safety concerns reported; Invicta Project, V2 engine clean, T9 tender work, Duchess of Hamilton (DOH) arrival (1976); [00:19:00] management of volunteers; John Bellwood for engine work, David Burrows for workshop, Bob Fearn, David Jenkinson for DOH work, Gwen Townend for running NRM trains, John Coiley, other museum staff; [00:21:20] the 55 Club; 1980 DOH operation, Pullman coach stock; details of 55 Club operation, routes covered, Premier Dining; 1984, end of 55 Club, Scarborough trip, Carlisle trip, 12 trips per year; [00:30:40] NRM recognition of volunteers; NRM staff views of volunteers, no formal recognition, RT record of volunteer contributions; [00:32:40] DOH operation, John Peck role (Chief Engineer, FNRM) and Kim Mallion (mechanical side), funding of DOH work; [00:34:30] balance of volunteers' work; engine work; projects examples; lack of links between engine work and other volunteer activities; [00:36:10] Front of House volunteer work; start of Information Points, FNRM presence, informal; volunteer numbers; locomotive work leading to DOH overhaul; [00:39:00] Tuesday night team; DOH overhaul, Richard Gibbon role, other roles developed; DOH overhaul; inspection of work, no formal training for DOH overhaul, no shortage of unskilled work, organisation, skilled work done by a few, good team, good relationships, Tuesday night and weekend working, social side; [00:45:50] volunteering in 1980’s; DOH; other activities, Liverpool-Manchester Celebrations, Mallard; [00:48:00] his favorite locomotives, DOH, Green Arrow, City of Truro, Hardwick; [00:49:20] relationship between volunteers and workshop staff, challenges, volunteers there to support; DOH ownership change from FNRM to NRM, good co-operation; [00:52:20] activities after DOH came out of traffic; more restrictive, reduced role; move to Tuesday night team; more work in 2000’s, DOH streamlining, NRM 6229 Volunteer Group; [00:55:00] 1990s change in volunteering; NRM organising volunteering, positive development; [00:56:50] reduced volunteer commitment; not easy, some unhappiness, maintained occasional involvement; [00:59:20] volunteers families generally supportive; [01:00:30] women volunteers, Tracey Parkinson, Helen Ashby (1984); support during DOH overhaul; [01:02:30] museum staff volunteers, library, education, support crew, workshop; [01:04:20] changes following appointment of Volunteer Officer; focal point for volunteers, communications improved, volunteer suitability checks, response to modern world requirements; [01:07:30] changes in volunteering over the years; Health and Safety requirements; now “golden age” of volunteering [01:09:00] discussion on how volunteering involvement impact on his teaching career; if museum recognises volunteers contribution, personally not feeling need for recognition, enjoyed volunteering[01:12:10] personal greatest achievement as a volunteer, fantastic memories and experiences[01:13:29] [end of interview]

Rob Tibbits interviewed by Tim Procter

2012-05-29
Oral history interview with Philip Graham conducted and recorded by Franck Paterson on 7 March 2019 (session 2) at the National Railway Museum in York. Duration: 3 hours 18 minutes. [Track 01] 1986 Area Operations Manager, Middlesborough, area, freight operations; [00:06:25] staffing, signal boxes, Tees yard, station; de-staffing stations; responsibilities; challenges managing staff; yard rationalisation; [00:11:10] how yards worked in 1966; [00:15:00] minor derailments; disciplinary system; communication system, then and now; mobile phone, pagers, emergencies; on-call responsibilities; [00:21:05] rules knowledge examination; regular meetings with chemical, steel and oil companies on servicing; Wilton power station, coal merry-go-round trains (MGR); [00:24:35] Redmire limestone train operation, crew operating level-crossings; [00:28:25] Whitby Branch single line, Glaisdale signal box operated with hydromatic points, signal engineer, Charles Weightman, simplified operation of Glaisdale; [00:36:00] track rationalisation; [00:40:00] 1989 business sector management at BR; [00:43:30] interview for Leeds Area Operations Manager, responsibilities, staffing, Leeds station; [00:51:00] signalling managers; Huddersfield resignalling scheme; [00:56:00] commissioning process, temporary block working by handsignaller; colour coding to minimise confusion, comparing with current practices; [01:01:00] Class 141 incident; Holbeck accident, lessons learned, rules changed; [01:04:00] introducing class 91, 1994 electrification to Neville Hill – Leeds North West commissioned; [01:07:00] Skipton transfer from London Midland Region to Eastern Region, challenges; signal boxes management transfer to regional railways; [01:12:10] organisational changes from regional railways to privatisation, personal impact, management changes observed; [01:17:30] working in signal boxes when short staffed; [01:19:00] 1994 Railtrack North East created, Movements Manager NE Zone, personal responsibilities; 1995 Zones merged, rationalisation [01:33:00] attitude to change, loyalty to Railtrack, maintenance by contractors; safety manager; personal view on Railtrack set-up; [01:39:30] 1994 signalling staff strike, [01:45:00] strike well supported, signal boxes operated by managers with signalling experience; management priorities; strike benefits for staff and managers; [02:00:00] 1995 zones merged, Movements Manager London North Eastern, 1997 responsibilities extended [02:04:16] [end of track 01] [Track 02] Railtrack, emergency response, delay attribution, level crossings management and inspections, disputed attribution, passing signal at danger; [00:06:00] end of Railtrack prior to Hatfield accident; delays data explained, Passenger Performance Measure (PPM); [00:10:20] Railtrack prior Hatfield; [00:13:30] gauge corner cracking, Durham, track condition, Hatfield; [00:18:00] personal recollection of accident site; [00:24:25] David Ventry, Head of Innovation, identified cause of accident; PG, Rail Incident Site Officer at Hatfield, responsibilities, procedures; [00:28:40] Heck derailment, Rail Incident Commander system explained, gold, silver and bronze; [00:33:05] speed restrictions after accident; [00:36:00] Railtrack into administration, Ernst & Young administrator, business as usual; Rolling Stock Acceptance Board (RASB) processes, Pendolino example; [00:41:00] transition from Railtrack to Network Rail, same job; maintenance taken in house by Network Rail; change from Zones to Regions; [00:47:10] changes in signalling, Project EROS (Early Reduction Of Signalmen); [00:52:20] Area Operation Manager for North East at Network Rail, organisational changes, rationalisation of signal boxes, level crossings; [00:59:00] retirement; [01:02:20] change in staff management, Project Violet Network Rail, assessment of personnel, shadowing redundancy interviews, negative experience; [01:07:20] PG providing signalling rules classes [01:13:53] [end of interview]

Philip Graham interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 2 of 2)

2019-03-07
Oral history interview with Pauline Coldrick conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson on 31 January 2019 (session 2) at the interviewee's home. Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes. [Track 01] Bert Gemmell, Chief Passenger Manager, York British Rail Headquarters, organisation, public relations [00:01:49] [end of track 01] [Track 02] Passenger Department organisation, marketing (Len Jarvis), sales (Colin Hogg), market research and finance (Ken Westerby), budgeting, use of external consultants, surveying passenger trains, publicity campaigns, renewing image of British Rail (BR); [00:03:35] BR television advertising, external contractors, beginning of TransPennine Express train, Ken Dodds, Bridlington-Scarborough; [00:06:40] mood and working conditions in Passenger Department, equipment, typewriter allocation by hierarchy, content typed; [00:08:40] Bert Gemmell (BG) dictation story; [00:10:45] Eastern Region catering committee, BG opened a restaurant in a railway carriage 1978, The Sidings; [00:13:20] BG’s departure, PC’s relationship with BG, secretary grade glass ceiling; [00:16:05] PC volunteering with the police in spare time, Colin Hogg BR Eastern Region representative on York Crime Prevention Committee, taking meeting minutes for Crime Prevention Committee and Drug Addiction Panel; [00:18:40] Colin Driver, new Chief Passenger Manager, regrading application into management, no support from trade union, LDC trade union representatives attitude to secretaries, 1979, general attitude towards women in BR; [00:23:45] relationship between secretaries, seniority respect, personal ambitions, enjoying work; [00:26:15] typing pool camaraderie, relationships; , Christmas dinners, annual office outings, benefits, how trips were organised, example of outings; [00:29:40] changes with Colin Driver, PC skills development; Len Jarvis resigned, Bert Reynolds replaced him; [00:32:10] Customer Care Panels, Disabled Passenger Panel, origins and panel composition, 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons, campaign by Colin Driver, Viscount Ingleby, Baroness Masham, Barbara Parker, Bill Rodgers, Bill Buchanan, Donald Dempsey, contribution of panel members, meetings at the House of Lords; [00:37:55] Valerie Stewart, market research; [00:38:45] Colin Driver promoted, replaced by Fergus Gibson, then Ivor Warburton (IW); differences between different Chief Passenger Managers, personalities, reputations; relationship with IW; [00:44:25] Norman Blackstock replaced Ivor Warburton as Passenger Manager, changes not impacting PC; [00:46:30] how PC addressed managers, using surnames, changes throughout career, personal views, how other staff addressed managers; [00:48:10] sectorisation 1986, new promotion, Carol Bustard was manager [00:49:15] [end of track 02] [Track 03] sectorisation of passenger department, promotion to Provincial; relationship with Norman Blackstock; BR new job opportunities with sectorisation, committee matching people and job, Norman Blackstock replaced by Carol Bustard; PC moved to Provincial, manager was David Wharton-Street, relationship with David Wharton-Street; difficult time in BR, job insecurity, redundancy rumours; [00:05:00] PC was External Liaisons Manager in Provincial, liaising with Transport Users Consultative Committee (TUCC), county councils, closures and openings of stations, miscellaneous role, Provincial sponsoring athletes, little job satisfaction; [00:08:00] new re-organisation, enjoyed the work atmosphere, lack of challenges in work, example work on Settle-Carlisle line closure preparation, computerisation, first computers in offices; [00:10:45] retirement 1989; various voluntary work for charities and police, appointed to board of the Railway Housing Association, history of Railway Housing Association, changes in governance, scale of activities, professional management [00:18:30] [end of track 03] [end of interview]

Pauline Coldrick interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 2 of 2)

2019-01-31
Oral history interview with Michael (Mick) Haynes conducted and recorded by Jonathan Aylen on 16 April 2018 at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 27 minutes 29 seconds. The interview focuses on Mick Haynes’s role in the development of TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) at British Rail. Worked on TOPS from 1969 including modernisation in early 1980’s including intro; railway career start, railway management trainee, Birmingham Division; joining BR computer training (IT training) course; [00:02:30] programming language learnt, COBOL, PLAN, IBM assembler, CC++, ICL and IBM machines, data networking, knowledge of technology and business; role in TOPS, Manager of Blandford House, responsible for Blandford move to Crewe; working on IT side, relationship with Bob Armitt, 222, based in Marylebone; [00:05:20] relationship between IBM and Southern Pacific, IBM most suitable for real time transactions, ACP airline control programme vs Southern Pacific card based programme; Ventek cards used for TOPS, TOPSTRANS IBM assembler macro language, upgrade to CICS (high level COBOL language based interface); evolution of TOPS, TOPS CICS, addition of passenger trains information on system, final version TOPS 2000; [00:09:15] Blandford House, relationship with IBM and Southern Pacific, BR teams trained by Southern Pacific, modification to system, introduction of STANOX without track and spot, yard visual diagram in TOPS 2000; [00:11:00] ACP operating system, customised access method for TOPS files for fast transaction, writing in assembler, documentation built in the code, introduction of CICS; strategy in place to make TOPS operational seconds after failing, TRUST process, special traps in TOPS to prevent looping errors; [00:15:00] no knowledge of links between TOPS and SAGE American air defence system; TOPSTRANS language; telecommunication, asynchronous message transmission, telex lines with cards, synchronisation only came with TOPS CICS, use of LATA (Line Address Terminal Address), cardless TOPS via emulation, [00:19:00] front end to TOPS, use of multiplexes, dedicated phone cables for TOPS, introduction of TDU’s in late 1970s-1980s, designing TOPS own network system, online with interactive send/response real time transactions; [00:20:20] in-house designing and programming of Xlox Z80 cards for communications; comparison and collaboration with airline system team for first passenger reservation system, IBM 3270 protocols; decision making process, any changes or development by IBM assessed to decide if used or emulated in TOPS; [00:23:00] internet, IP protocols from mid 1990s, no hacking attempts; [00:23:45] CTT (Consigned Through TOPS) in 1981 allowed customer to have own terminal and release wagon, contract bound, early e-commerce; aggregation contracts [00:27:29] [end of interview]

Mick Haynes interviewed by Jonathan Aylen

2018-04-16
Oral history interview with Bob Cannings conducted and recorded by Chris Kinchin-Smith on 22 November 2019, at the interviewee’s home. Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes. Personal background, family, childhood, school (1936-1939), choir, job at railway station book stall, lad porter, grade 2 porter; Second World War (WW2) blitz memories; [00:04:00] reserved occupation; Salisbury temporary guard; [00:05:00] after WW2, Bristol East shunting 1945; signalman at Freshford 1946, Bath Hampton West 1947, Bath Spa 1949, train details; [00:07:00] railway career evolution, clerical exam 1962, Bath Road Depot, depot work, rostering job 1974; retirement 1990; [00:08:00] reasons for joining railway, interest in railways, wages, no previous family railway members, GWR a good company; [00:09:20] personal views of Nationalisation, not supportive, enjoyed working for British Rail (Great Western), good friends made; [00:10:30] incidents during career; personal views of HS2, Somerset to Dorset lines, dieselisation compared with electrification; [00:13:00] personal life, marriage in 1949, 3 daughters, details about wife, widower in 1995, family details, grandchildren and great grandchildren; activities since retirement, walking, choir member; memories of father, NUR member, staff association; [00:18:50] further incidents when was signalman; replacing bridge in Bath 1959, lorry hitting a bridge incident, 1962 Boxing Day snow memories, Open Days at Bath; [00:22:20] managers and people he worked for, Bath Road, Chief Clerk, Area Manager; interview for rostering Job; most job satisfaction at Freshford, staff and colleagues at Freshford and Bath station; [00:27:00] Bath Spa Signal Box; Paddington, visit and access; [00:28:20] looking at 1959 Bath Spa photograph, taking of the photograph, signal box description, view description; [00:30:30] safety incidents; Bath to Bristol train accident and aftermath; experience as a first aider, first aid competitions, London safety competition; [00:34:00] involvement with collisions/derailments; 3.50 from Chippenham incident, Freshford derailment, 7.45 Paddington to Bristol incident; [00:37:10] other issues, complaints about night trains, coal train incident; [00:39:10] reduction in goods trains; Bath trains; people he met; [00:41:00] working at Salisbury; brake van issues, Westbury problems using a banker, good crowd of colleagues; lodging issues, going home on days off; [00:44:40] memorabilia he kept, GWR watch, signalling manual; [00:46:00] Intercity 125 introduction; “shunt horse” story; fish trains during the War; Indian Army mule train; horsebox traffic; [00:52:30] Bath Station; goods shed, engine shed, inspector’s house, bridge office, canal office, signal and telegraph office; [00:54:00] summing up; retirement, pleased to leave, keeping fit, travelling, memories of Switzerland, visit to USA, visit to Canada, visit to Scandinavia [01:03:17] [end of interview]

Bob Cannings interviewed by Chris Kinchin-Smith

2019-11-22
Interview with Daniel Richards recorded by Polly McGillivray on 15th October 2025 at the Worthing Station Training Centre. Duration: 48min 59secs. Introduction; childhood in Cornwall, school, leaving before A-levels, first job, customer service, work at Marks and Spencer’s (M&S); being a young gay man in Cornwall, gay club in Penzance in someone’s home; feeling the need to leave Cornwall, move to work to M&S foodhall in London; [00:05:50] move to North London, family support in London, finding own accommodation, flat share; 1996, social life at 18 yo, going out with housemates, clubbing, G-A-Y gay night club at the London Astoria; the Millenium, 2000, feeling need to return home in Cornwall, resigning from M&S in London, support from former manager, offered job at M&S in Cornwall; 6 month in Cornwall, feeling need to move, how Cornwall had changed whilst he lived in London, gay night club, gay people, LGBTQIA+ community, labour club, Cornish Mafia bouncers, feeling safe; meeting first boyfriend; gay clubs feeling safer than straight clubs, comparing music played at either; [00:12:25] feeling safe but bored in Cornwall, childhood, school, being gay and coming out to friends, coming out to his mother, family; how he felt about Cornwall lifestyle, liking busy city life; [00:15:50] where his confidence comes from, previous work experiences airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, breakup and relationship with ex-partner, helped with interview for new job; 2000-2008 airline steward/cabin crew roles and progression at Virgin Atlantic; why he left airline job, being away from home a lot; homophobia; [00:20:10] how he became a train driver, considering pay, wanting a role with less social interactions than previous roles, no opportunities on Virgin Trains; trainee train driver, Southern Railway, Brighton; assessment process, physics exam, being given feedback; [00:25:50] living in Brighton since 2004, comparing with when he lived near aviation site; accommodation in Brighton, sense of belonging in Brighton, train driver job limiting ability to move, plans to move to Cornwall when retired, limited train driver job opportunities in Cornwall; [00:29:00] 18-years career on the railway; comparing railways and airlines work culture and ethics, more disciplined on railways; training as a driver, his driving instructor, how he felt as a gay person, being okay with banter when reciprocal, colleagues at Brighton depot; microaggression, how he felt when an unfamiliar colleague made an abusive comment in front of a new trainee when he was a driving instructor; [00:35:10] Brighton depot, being openly gay at work, LGBTQIA+ community there, how banter has changed, reflecting on his own words/use of language, worrying of offending, struggling with some changes in contemporary culture and discussing it with his daughter; his two children, relationship with his children and extended family, his children’s jobs not on the railways; [00:39:35] how he feels about working on the railways, what he loves about it, how it fits his lifestyle, working shifts, missing work when being on leave, advocating for railways, convincing friends to work on the railways, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) culture and depot; driver for 6 years, driving instructor (DI) for 10 years; profile of trainee drivers, not only people in early career; what he loves about being a DI, meeting new people, seeing trainees’ progression, training over 5 months, missing his partner; friendship with former trainees [00:44:05] challenging some trainees on how they used the word ‘gay’, making them aware it can be offensive; reflecting on his railway career, being openly gay, feeling privileged, hoping to be seen as someone others can confide in, being confident, where his confidence comes from, relationship with family; LGBTQIA+ community, importance to recognize what previous generations did, still facing challenges [00:49:00] [end of interview]

Daniel Richards interviewed by Polly McGillivray

2024-10-15
SMG corporate archive records for NRM, 1943-2006, transferred from Corporate Information, 2021. Consists of 554 corporate files, 6 born-digital media carriers (which are part of the files) and 1070 civil engineering and architectural drawings relating to the NRM site.

SMG corporate archive records for NRM

1943-2006
Interview with Gemma Burgess recorded by Esker Saward on 31st March 2025 at the interviewee's home in London. Duration: 1hr 40min 01secs. Childhood, Luton, education, career prospects; studying aerospace engineering at Surrey University, 2008, challenges; reflecting on time at university; 2011, questioning and realising own identity; how she realised she was transgender and how she felt, June 2012, period of significant change, from university to workplace, job interview, support from friend on online gaming platform; [00:18:50] start first job, oil and gas industry, how she felt, impact of realising she was trans, impact of being neurodivergent on office work experience, performance; temporary jobs at university, not being openly trans, meeting a transition buddy; being unemployed, experience at job centre, spring 2013, application and interview for Network Rail graduate scheme, personal interest in railways, confidence at interview; Track and Train scheme by Network Rail, details of graduate scheme, placements in Train Operation Companies (TOCs), Freight Operating Companies (FOCs), Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and Office of Rail Regulation (ORR); Network Rail Westwood Training Centre, Coventry, corporate training; personal health and safety considerations; first placement, suicide prevention, working with Fatality Mitigation Manager; [00:30:25] not being out as trans at start of graduate scheme, feeling positive in Network Rail environment, comparing inclusivity in railway industry and private sector; how she found out about Archway LGBTQIA+ support network attending early meetings; coming out as trans to line manager, support; 2012, mental health, referral for transitioning; June 2014, coming out at work, starting transition, name change; second placement, performance office, support at start of transition; process of transitioning gender at work, colleagues/team briefed by line managers, updating IT, issues getting new ID card, support from Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail; no policies for gender transition then, supportive environment; [00:45:24] graduate scheme placement, performance, measurement of delays, why team call performance ‘the magical railway money’; train performance issues, example; anecdote, report on gapped Class 54 at Clapham Junction; other things she worked on; [00:52:23] third placement with Track Maintenance Engineer (TME) in Woking, data input, office based; interest in operational work; April 2015, end of 18-months graduate scheme, applying for jobs internally within Network Rail; reflecting on first years of her transition, physical wellbeing and health, job hunting; successful interview at Network Rail Head Office London, Project Manager role, planning and finance, how different it was to previous experiences; 2015, impact of Great Western Electrification project going over budget, enhancement projects cancelled; relationship with colleagues, politics, 2015 elections, Brexit, wellbeing and mental health; [01:11:10] new role, Freight Documentation at Network Rail, Head Office, relationship with colleagues; attending early Archway meetings; being neurodivergent, challenges at work; freight documentation role, what she does and what she likes about it; experiences being misgendered; [01:26:30] reflection on career; 2016-2020 focussed on work, 2020, Covid-19 pandemic impact on her work and life, adapting to work from home, restrictions and living conditions during lockdowns; hybrid working (2025), reassessing her life/work balance; what motivates her in her job; her personal view on how Archway started, LGBTQIA+ diversity within Archway in 2015 compared to post-Covid 2022-2023; reflecting on doing the oral history interview, feeling lucky that she hasn’t encountered a lot of adversity in her life and work [end of interview]

Gemma Burgess interviewed by Esker Saward

2025-03-31
Interview with Stuart Meek recorded by Polly McGillivray on 25th October 2024. Duration: 1hr 24min 50secs. Childhood, family; education, school, small town; career prospects, GCSEs, vocational A level, supportive teachers; social life, choosing universities; [00:08:20] Loughborough University, Transport and railways, challenges, working hard, masculine environment; industry placement, work discipline; [00:13:40] 2006, PhD in transport economics, meeting partner, coming out to family, student union jobs, personal life kept private; PhD in 2½ years, his work discipline [00:15:20] post-PhD, Transport For London (TfL) graduate scheme; 2009, first job at TfL; Leicester to London move; first day at London Underground headquarters, commuting [00:16:20] PhD on interchange, Park and Ride schemes, impact on his railway job, communication skills in leadership [00:21:40] work at TfL, placements, operations at London Underground (LU), people and work culture, work as Operations Manager to Chief Operating Officer (Howard Collins); progressing to senior role running LU Network Operations Centre, Centurion Grade managers [00:26:20] LU Network Operations Centre, colleagues; not involved in LGBTQIA+ community; work culture, vision of diversity then, not LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, BAME communities, accessibility; transphobic abuse; [00:32:30] 2013, personal life, family, adopting child impact on being openly gay at work; changes at LU and TfL in operations and culture; prioritising family, adoption leave, colleagues reactions; headhunted by railway companies, responsibilities at TfL, move to Southern Railway TOC (Train Operating Company); Head of Control at Southern Railway, challenges, Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC), culture compared to TfL [00:36:20] Go-Ahead Group, South Central franchise, bid for Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR); General Manager, working with COO Dyan Crowther, GTR bid structure, sub-franchises, roles and responsibilities, being part of directors team, diversity; timeline Go-Ahead winning GTR contract, merger with South Central franchise [00:42:00] start of GTR, impact of Southern Driver-Only Operation (DOO) dispute, change in GTR, working with Angie Doll Managing Director of Southern/Gatwick Express as General Manager of Operations, DOO dispute, strikes, poor level of service, impact on passengers; setting LGBTQIA+ group, responsibility to support colleagues; [00:47:00] beginning of LGBTQIA+ support group; trainbow, Pride flag wrapping on train, new class 700; LGBTQIA+ group impact; leaders responsibilities towards their community; [00:53:30] team achievements at Southern; Business Development at Go-Ahead, international operations; final months as Train Services Director GTR, personal life, family grief, support at work; summer 2019, event management Brighton Pride, milestone GTR float at Pride; [00:58:00] September 2019, Go-Ahead, commute to Germany, work culture; 2020 covid-19 pandemic, remote work; covid impact on business development in railways; summer 2021 Thameslink Great Northern Passenger Service Director in GTR, changes; 2016 MBA sponsored by GTR, diversity in other industries, celebrating diversity, LGBTQIA+ heritage, bringing new perspectives; [01:05:30] LGBTQIA+ and BAME communities representation at South Western Railways (SWR); diversity beyond LGBTQIA+, “All Aboard” campaign National Inclusion Week 2023, everyone welcomed on SWR trains; LGBTQIA+ people and public transport; lack of support within LGBTQIA+ community, intersectionality, language for inclusivity [01:11:00] “All Aboard” campaign; employee engagement survey; Vauxhall station adopted by SWR Pride Network and LGBT HERO charity October 2024; [01:16:40] inclusivity in the railway industry; celebrating diversity; having a positive impact on all colleagues; loneliness of leadership in a large organisation, trusting he does the right thing; how contemporary society has changed, role of railways in society [end of interview]

Stuart Meek interviewed by Polly Gillivray

2024-10-25
Oral history interview with Brian Bushell conducted and recorded by Bob Gwynne and Jonathan Aylen on 2 December 2016 in Tremadog, Wales. Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes 54 seconds. The interview focuses on Brian Bushell career in computing (starting at Unilever, moving to British Rail) and role in the development of TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) at British Rail. Family background, childhood, railway interest, career start, British Rail, Lever Brothers (Unilever); IBM computing skills test; computer programming training, IBM college, IBM machines; BACS (Banks Automated Credit system) system at Unilever, transporting magnetic tapes on train; designing software, coding, machine code, programming language, Autocoder, use of punch cards and discs; System controller at Lever Brothers (Unilever); applying to Computer Project Officer role at British Rail, salary comparison, British Rail computing work structure, International Computers Limited (ICL); barcoded wagons, IBM and Southern Pacific starting developing TOPS in 1964 ; British Rail Management Services responsible for computer development, difference with BR Research Derby; technical support, Computer Centres at Crewe and Peterborough, type of computing equipment; issues with computerisation of payroll, fixing programming errors; decimalisation, use of COBOL programming language, decimal conversation sub-routine; designing TOPS for British Rail, working with IBM, Southern Pacific, international collaboration; introduction of packet switching, ARPANET, standard IP address; how TOPS worked, TOPS developed by Americans, needed modification for British Rail; TOPS legacy; TOPSTRANS software

Brian Bushell interviewed by Bob Gwynne and Jonathan Aylen

2016-12-02
January 2011 / "419" / Footage of Flying Scotsman in workshops

MiniDV 'Flying Scotsman'

2011-01-01
Rushes SD / Tape 1 / 08/2000 / Filmed by Chris Hogg / WCML Journey from Glasgow Central to Preston (cab shots), drivers mess Preston. Preston to Glasgow. Polmadie depot, Class 87 Royal Scot checking prior to service, depot 08 shunter, filters working on rolling stock, etc., driver training

Master MiniDV Rushes 'Polmadie Drivers- tape 1'

2000
Oral history interview with Philip (Phil) Graham conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson on 8 March 2016 (session 1) at the National Railway Museum in York. Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes. [Track 01] Career start; childhood, interest in signalling; [00:06:00] homelessness, Hunts Bank station; [00:10:00] leading railwayman, transfer to booking clerk, pay comparison; [00:13:00] 12 hours working day, overtime; Runcorn; [00:15:00] clerical duties; relief clerk, Liverpool Lime Street, duties, pay checks; Birkenhead maintenance staff; staff free tickets; [00:20:00] Area Manager (Gordon Fox), mentor; British Rail management training scheme; grade A supervisor; train register books, timekeeping policy, justifying delays; [00:23:10] supervising grades, relief supervisor duties; carriage cleaning supervisor, Downhill carriage sidings, staff turnover, gender work differences; [00:27:00] Mark 1 carriages, destinations, sleeping cars; [00:30:00] night shift; pit road examination; [00:33:00] management lessons learned, carriage cleaners; [00:35:00] yard supervisor, Canada Dock, wagon load traffic, import, morning/evening trips from Garston, private siding; [00:38:00] 350 diesel shunter; restricted driver allocation; [00:42:00] grade B supervisor, Edgehill carriage sidings; derailment hand worked points; steam heating vans on electrified stock; [00:46:00] Apollo 19 runaway; [00:49:00] 08 shunter and class 86 collision, inquiries; [00:51:00] management training scheme, Stoke Division, NEBSS certification; [00:53:00] meeting Les Holding, Shrewsbury Area Manager, extent of Shrewsbury area, comments on Welsh branch, trust in workers, economies; [01:00:00] Cambrian coast difficulties, track conditions, late running; [01:02:00] Chester signal boxes, attitudes to divisional functions; end of training, supervisor grade C at Shrewsbury, report to Area Operations Manager; supervisor duties, staff supervised, carriage cleaning capacity [01:08:36] [end of track 01] [Track 02] supervisor at Shrewsbury, rules and regulations exam, Great Western rules; [00:04:00] move to Liverpool, promotion grade D supervisor, relief supervisor at Edgehill; job applications; career plan, personal choices; role of regulator, absolute block signalling; [00:10:20] March 1983, Traffic Manager Chester, responsibilities, 7 signal boxes, stations on North Wales coast; issues with staffing, run down of mechanical power boxes, 1984 introduction Chester Power; [00:15:00] night shift, filling-in to open unstaffed Chester Number 5 signal box; [00:17:45] enjoyment in traffic management jobs; Wrexham cash retention safe, wages paid cash, checking train account book; [00:21:20] 1986 job change, closed listing jobs, vacancy system; Traffic Manager Hull application, area and responsibilities; manually operated level crossings, Scarborough line, weekly issues on Bridlington to Hull, timekeeping; [00:27:15] automatic open level crossings, accidents, Lockington accident, fatalities ; [00:32:05] change in level crossings, AOCL (automatic open crossing locally monitored) and AOCR (automatic open crossing remotely monitored), comparison with Europe, modern level crossing technologies, obstacle detector, CCTV; [00:38:30] comparison London Midland and Eastern Regions, signal box design; chairing LDC meetings, 1985 carriage cleaners no longer working on Sundays, NUR advert Hull Daily Mail, BBC, ITV news; [00:44:30] NRM 10th anniversary, documentary; [00:45:25] miners’ strike, impact on railways; [00:49:05] Goole Docks activities, import; Goole Swing Bridge, planned closure prevented by refurbishment, accident [00:57:25] Birmingham Assistant to Operations Manager (Ian Gibson), passenger services, New Street station, extent of area, responsibilities; [01:02:10] mobility for work, renting or buying property, British Rail’s support, disturbance allowances; [01:04:30] Bentley Heath DMU fire; on call arrangements [01:07:41] [end of track 02] [end of session 1]

Philip Graham interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 1 of 2)

2016-03-08
Oral history interview with Mary Wright conducted and recorded by Jo Bath in 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes. [Track 01] Born in Shildon, childhood 1930s, father on the railways, leaving school at age 14, shop assistant Bishop Auckland, work at Co-op Shildon, memories of funerals; [00:07:10] Second World War, billeted soldiers, little to eat, rationing, little social life; [00:09:50] work as a school clerk at end of war; evacuees, details of work; [00:13:00] co-op work; boredom, rats at work, dislike of work, left 1945; [00:20:30] secretarial work at Printing Works; break in; [00:23:00] working for police force or at Shildon Works; interview for secretarial work for police; offered job at Shildon railway works; [00:25:40] Newton Aycliffe history, built around munitions factory; [00:26:50] factories built at Shildon; [00:28:00] working life memories; dancing, social life, Spennymoor Rink; [00:30:00] life at Shildon Works; clerical work, monotonous, family members and the War, over staffed, weather of winter 1947; [00:36:30] work in Shildon Works stores; poor quality of work, met husband, few women at Shildon Works, rats in the works, cat at home; [00:46:00] chapel; soldiers used dining room during war, dead rats' story; [00:48:50] further employment; employed 4 years at Works, married, work at Marks & Spencer [00:50:48] [end of track 01] [Track 02] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, “Shildon's finest hour”, provided Bed & Breakfast, marvellous experience, Cavalcade; [00:05:00] Shildon works, “buzzer” story, father at Works during Second World War, 12-hour shifts during war, died at aged 51 years, poor air quality in Shildon, friendly; [00:10:20] views on life now: Shildon “smarter” now, no one “hard up”, comparison with Darlington; [00:13:00] Shildon works closure; [00:13:50] Shildon Carnivals, yearly, revived now, lack of “spirit” now, photographs; [00:18:00] Geest banana factory at Shildon, story of a driver at the factory; [00:23:00] reflections on own family [00:23:41] [end of track 02] [end of interview]

Mary Wright interviewed by Jo Bath

2004
Interview with Joe Brown recorded by Scott Heath on 8th July 2024 at the Transport for London Office. Duration: 1hr 35min 47secs. Childhood, living near District Line, London; education; parents, mother’s health and death, father’s remarriage; [00:03:37] gender identity, identifying as gay at age 12; seeking friends with magazine’s lonely hearts ads, meeting people, discovering London gay scene; [00:09:00] bullying at gender segregated school, change to gender diverse in Sixth Form, making friends; relationship with his father, coming out to family; his husband; [00:13:00] education choices, A-levels, university; diversity at school versus university; [00:16:00] working on the London gay scene in the mid-1990s, [00:20:00] HIV-positive people and AIDS then; [00:22:00] 1997, joining London Underground (Transport for London, TfL, since 2000), guard role vacancy poster, recruitment process; work as guard on Northern Line, East Finchley, last trains with guards; [00:26:30] personal commute to work, working hours, shifts; work as a guard, interacting with passengers; driver training on 1959 stock, Ashfield house Training Center, qualification exam; East Finchley, guard/motorman role; mess room in late 1990s, not an inclusive environment; requesting transfer to Parsons Green known as ‘The Pink Depot’; mess room at East Finchley, how people behaved; [00:35:24] how driver and guard worked in pairs, ‘mafia’ system for drivers to swap shifts; doing shifts with different drivers every day, difficulties being open in small talk, thinking carefully about whether to disclose being gay or not, no visibility of LGBTQ+ colleagues then; [00:39:25] experience at Parsons Green (‘The Pink Depot’), roles of Julian Hows and Dave Hirst (first openly gay driver in 1970s) in establishing ‘The Pink Depot’, safe space for LGBTQ+ people, comparison with other lines; [00:44:40] Parsons Green’s demographic, allies, gender balance at different depots, social environment; routine as a driver, work-life balance, friendships; becoming a Trains manager, Earls Court; [00:51:25] anecdote with straight male colleague wearing proposed new female uniform, ambiance at depot; importance of LGBTQ+ representation in Union; reflecting on 1980s unemployability of open LGBTQ+ people, London Underground seeking workers; difference with now (2024), change in numbers of LGBTQIA+ people at TfL; [00:57:00] Parsons Green, reactions to environment; silo mentality within a depot, no wider community network; [00:59:55] 2007, Trains Operations Manager at Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo Line), comparing environments, LGBTQ+ representation; women and lesbians on TfL; further change of roles; 2005, creation of OUTbound, how it was perceived, divide between head office and operational roles, unofficial network at line levels; [01:05:20] experience at Wembley Park as Trains Manager, larger depot, 2012 London Olympics, LGBTQ+ representation; general societal changes observed during his career, reflecting on gay/LGBTQ+ culture since 1990s; [01:10:10] meeting his husband, marriage in 2006, being open about his relationship in the workplace, why he occasionally avoids disclosing being gay; [01:15:05] new role, Executive Officer as covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began, operational challenges bringing back services and managing staff; changes and pause to OUTbound network during covid, remote events, impact of furlough leave; office work experience during and after pandemic; husband’s operational role during pandemic; personal impact of covid; [01:21:50] new role of Strategic Delivery and Change Manager, supporting colleagues; chairing OUTbound, making changes, BFI Flare Festival, increasing diversity and accessibility; project planning London Pride 2023; collaborating with other network groups; [01:28:10] LGBTQ+ vinyl wrapping TfL bus and trains, other Pride activities [01:32:30] reflecting how LGBTQ+ inclusion has changed at TfL [end of interview]

Joe Brown interviewed by Scott Heath

2024-07-08
Letters private. Secretary's Office, Division of Science. Department of Science & Art [being the out-letterbook of Lyon Playfair as secretary to the division, covering period 1854 Jan to 1856 Dec. He was secretary of the science division from the Science & Art Department's creation in 1853 and of the united department from 1855 to 1858]

Letters private, Secretary's Office, Division of Science. Department of Science & Art

1854-1856
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]

David MacLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-07-10
Oral history interview with Fred Edwards conducted and recorded by Jo Bath on 20 February 2004 as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes. [Disc 01, track 01] Born c 1921, leaving County Durham aged 14 to work in a leather factory in Nottinghamshire; joining the Navy aged 17 [00:01:48] [end of disc 01, track 01]. [Disc 01, track 02] joining the Navy, Navy life [00:03:30]; the journey to a posting in China; life on the China sea, the outbreak of World War 2 [00:07:10]; looking for the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic [00:08:40]; fighting the Italians; explosion of the destroyer and escaping the wreckage [00:12:34]; recuperating with rum and cigarettes [00:13:13]; diving for mines in the Suez Canal [00:16:20]; journey back home for leave [00:19:55] home on leave [00:20:58]; HMS Nelson and the Malta convoy [00:22:40]; D-Day and returning to Portsmouth [00:24:41]; meeting his future wife while on leave; his wife [00:31:20]; demobbed from Navy, back to Shildon, career options; joining the railways as a signalman, training school Darlington, postings; Locomotive pub opening [00:35:51]; watching the cavalcade; his grandchildren [00:38:05]; Royal Train [00:39:13]; accident between Simpasture and Heighington, inquiry [00:43:25]; signaling system [00:45:25]; accidentally letting wagons off the end of the tip [00:49:00]; runaway wagons and coal [00:50:38]; an accident and some injured hands [00:52:45]; cows on the line [00:54:25]; ill horses in a wagon [00:56:26]; closure of Heighington station, wagon of new coins sent to the wrong Heighington station [00:58:40]; dealing with multiple trains [01:00:50]; training his replacement; 1984, one day strikes [01:03:40]; theft of brass from axle boxes of new wagons from the works [01:06:27]; following the rules; accident with a chest expander [01:11:33]; his wife mending the banner [01:15:50]; working on trains as a pilot man [01:17:40]; reporting car going through the red light at crossing [01:19:08] [end of disc 01, track 02] [Disc 02, track 01] cars regularly going through the red light at crossing, prosecutions [00:03:36]; visits and escapees from nearby by mental health hospital [00:08:35]; shift system, uniforms; accident inquiry [00:13:34]; first aid; training in Union law at Newcastle University [00:16:51]; breaking signal box windows, reporting [00:20:53]; weather conditions issues, fog and snow [00:26:02] bending the rules [00:27:39] [end of disc 02, track 01] [end of interview]

Fred Edwards interviewed by Jo Bath

2004-02-04
Oral history interview with Les Dunn conducted and recorded by Jo Bath on 14 March 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes. Interview recorded whilst walking outdoors around the former Shildon Railway Works site and surroundings. [interview starts 00:01:15] Shildon railway works, site geography, gasworks, railway line, railway horses stables; childhood, born 1923 in Shildon, father’s work as a miner, then coal/goods transport with horse and cart, later also opened a fish and chips shop with his wife; [00:02:51] former surrounding buildings, near Victoria street; [00:03:56] childhood, living near Shildon works, traffic in the goods yard, coal dock; [00:05:49] coal drops for engines, shunting; tanks in Second World War; [00:07:44] leading timber for the railways, seeing railway workers encountering issues with heavy load lifting on tracks; [00:09:05] railway office building, goods clerk work, weighbridge, weighing vehicles, change of weighbridge after incident, collecting coal with horse and cart; [00:12:45] use of cranes, weight and loading goods, coal or parcels; [00:13:45] father gave work to all family members after school years, goods transport or fish and chips shop; [00:14:00] shunting operations observed at the goods yard; coal merchants, station master supplying coal for family business; [00:16:30] big traction engine to Show Fields; Wall Side line, farmers bringing potatoes and hay, sugar beet transport; [00:18:30] loading coal, truck issues; [00:19:28] coal delivery by lorry; coal and other goods delivery in Second World War, family business doing road transport for British Railways; [00:21:19] Shildon gymnasium, boxing, brother was a boxer, LNER box championship 1936, links between Shildon railway works and boxing; [00:23:00] when circus came to Shildon; [00:24:30] types of lorry and wagons used for transport; Bishop Auckland cattle market; [00:25:45] machine used for coal transport; helping father with business as a child; siblings joining both family businesses, coal and goods transport, fish and chips shop, work linked to railways; [00:27:19] parcel delivery, silver delivery to the bank, safety measures; [00:30:05] wages; comparing horse and cart and lorry, care for horses; meeting people in goods yard, helping others; goods yard closure; water pipes and leak in goods yard building; relationship with railway workers in goods yard, Dunn family renting goods yard office; 1925 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington centenary, the Dunns had set lorries for public to watch event in goods yard, loading coal in engines for cavalcade, Green Arrow, Dunn family helping on day of cavalcade; [00:38:15] crane breaking lifting 2 tons; being buried under coal at age 5; childhood caring for horse, working; coal house, equipment, incidents, goods yard playground for children; railway horses, stables; Mr Appleby, station master; [00:43:20] Second World War, presence of soldiers; [00:45:00] plates from Shildon LNER Good Templars, temperance; [00:46:00] horse stables; fish and chips shops, public houses; [00:48:24] usage of church building, housing for homeless people; Soho cottage, station master’s house; [00:51:26] former gasworks and surrounding, weekly coal deliveries; [00:54:10] goods yard closure; bombing in Second World War, anti-aircraft guns (ack-ack); stolen commemorative plate; [00:56:34] goods yard staff; Dunn family transport business, A licence, delivering timber to colliery, different types of licences for railway road transport; deliveries to the bank, shops, fresh goods deliveries; [00:59:13] Geest bananas delivery, using railway weighbridge, Dunn family buying over Geest warehouse; banana road and rail transport; [01:04:20] birds collecting grit from coke piles; Hackworth house, historical railway memorabilia; [01:06:20] childhood family house, living arrangements [01:07:09] [end of interview]

Les Dunn interviewed by Jo Bath

2004
Oral history interview with Gordon Reed conducted and recorded by Tony Steadman on 24 February 2015, in the mess room of the Miniature Railway team at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 39 minutes. Childhood, Northumberland, old LNER route, early interest in railway, family members working on railways, school; apprenticeship as boiler smith, at Darlington Works 1948; engines built at Darlington works, comparison with Doncaster works; interview for apprenticeship, starting as trade apprenticeship in boiler shop; what was a premium apprenticeship, better education; work as apprentice in boiler shop [00:06:30] National Service, Royal Engineers, railway operated squadron, unit boiler smith; end of National Service, family in Bishop Auckland, 1956, getting a job in a steam shed, people no longer interested to work with steam engines; at age 25 became boiler examiner; meeting future wife, her railway family background [00:10:00] 1960s end of steam, Dr Beeching, closure of railway line through Bishop Auckland, impact on shed, 1964 closure of the steam shed, transfer to depot in Dinsdale, became relayer, then rail welding; explaining relaying work;1965, Leeds district welding inspector; how staff was treated by the railways, different railway staff statuses, high risk and low risk jobs, difference in grades and salaries; life in Leeds, West Riding district, job as district welding inspector; work culture; [00:16:00] 1975 Chief Welding Inspector, York BR Headquarter, until mid 1980s; 1987, starting volunteering at the National Railway Museum, talk with Richard Gibbon, installing permanent way exhibition in Great Hall; volunteering in NRM workshop with John Peck, supervised by Richard Gibbon; joining workshop team, staff and volunteers; differences between boiler exam and boiler inspection; work on O4, 1 day a week volunteering, staying over night in camping coach, change for guest house; emotions of being back in a firebox; [00:21:00] colleague who repaired snow plough at Locomotion; health and safety conditions at beginning of volunteering; relationship with Helen Ashby; presence of security staff at museum; trips with V2; Flying Scotsman boiler work, Scarborough Flyer trips out, footplate days; [00:25:35] Working with Ms Parkinson; Flying Scotsman riveting work, with Charlie Bird, nameplate; challenges around Flying Scotsman repairs; meeting people tanks to volunteering; receiving volunteer award for repairs on City of Truro, Railfest 2012, details of repairs done on boiler with female assistant, trial runs; [00:32:00] West Auckland train, reference to Snowdrift at Bleath Gill British Transport Films; details of job on BR in 1990 before retirement; volunteering one day a week, then fortnightly; [00:34:15] Difference between volunteering front of house or in workshops; current workshop work; ongoing restauration of Flying Scotsman; also volunteering on Keighley and Worth Valley Railway at Haworth [00:38:43] [end of interview]

Gordon Reed interviewed by Tony Steadman

2015-02-24
Country song performed by Maurice Smullen about the Flying Scotsman, found in the NRM Press Offices

CD-R 'The Flying Scotsman' song by Maurice Smullen

Interview with Stephen Jenkins recorded by Robert Morgan on 20th March 2024 at Exeter Library. Duration: 52 minutes 40 secs. Joined railway 1973, education, boarding school, studying modern languages at university in Oxford, career prospects; knowing he was gay from a young age, sex education at school then; not being out as gay at university; early 1970s changes in society, Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) impact, questioning his own sexuality and coming out, feeling of not fitting in with people openly gay at university; [00:05:05] career considerations, interest in industry, interest in transport and railways; traffic management training scheme with British Rail (BR), South Wales, his impressions at start of training, cultural shock, experienced railway staff there, feeling isolated as a gay man, no knowledge of other LGBTQIA+ people; coming out attempts, experience going to gay pub for first time in Cardiff; [00:11:05] shift supervisor role at Severn Tunnel Junction, dealing with male employee known to chase young male employees; Total Operations Processing System (TOPS), yard supervisor role and TOPS officers, work culture then, pranking and goofing around; how he felt about being asked out by colleague; [00:16:30] work at Head Office, doing masters at university funded by BR; exploring his sexuality and coming out when doing masters at university, discovering LGBTQIA+ community, surprised when meeting someone from BR at gay pub for the first time, how different it felt then (1970s-early 1980s) compared to now (2024); occasionally met LGBTQIA+ people working in railway industry, gradually realising there were more LGBTQIA+ people in railways than he thought; Railtrack, early 1990s, assumptions and gossips about a manager being gay, anecdote how he came out to his line manager, hierarchical relationship with line manager, how he feels about talking about his sexuality; [00:24:00] applying for job at Railtrack in Swindon, wanted to be open about his sexuality, being chairman of lesbian and gay switchboard for 5 years, sexuality not made a topic at work/when hired; anecdote, hearing people gossiping about him; used to keep quiet about his sexuality, changed in late 1990s, how things feel different now with visibility of LGBTQIA+ people; [00:28:10] impact of 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, more discreet about his sexuality; lack of knowledge how HIV was caught, ticket collectors worried they could catch it from tickets; microagression, when he was off work with flu and people thought he had AIDS, lack of support at work then; Severn Tunnel Junction job, anecdote, colleagues’ prank with fax machine; when his boss tried to find out if he was gay, unofficial support; not coming out at work, how he dealt with gossip, reflecting on having kept part of his identity secret throughout his railway career; [00:37:00] Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in workplace now, employers embracing people’s identities, being able to bring whole self to wok; how it felt for him not being fully himself at work, impact on confidence and ambition, not wanting to be in high profile position; how railway felt a safe workplace to him as a gay man, but may have felt different to others; [00:44:30] how railway industry has changed for LGBTQIA+ community, rail employers at pride events, employers supporting employees; how BR supported well its employees when straight, married with kids; advice he would give to LGBTQIA+ person joining railways now, not to be put off from joining railway industry, support, be yourself and do not hide your sexuality; what his dad said about work when he came out; generational differences in acceptance of LGBTQIA+; reflecting, used to think senior management was always made of straight people, impact of knowing that senior staff could be gay [00:52:40] [end of interview]

Stephen Jenkins interviewed by Robert Morgan

2024-03-20
SMG corporate archive records for ScM, 1856 -1985 , transferred from Corporate Information, 2022. This includes pre-1909 Z-Archive records, the Z/111 series of photo albums, ED-79 Department of Education and Science General Files and the Science Museum Dyelines collection.

SMG corporate archive records for ScM

1856 -1985
Rushes SD / Tape 2 / 08/2000 / Filmed by Chris Hogg / Checking Class 87 Royal Scot prior to service, Depot 08 shunter-fitters, drivers signing on, briefing session, driver training mess room and depot shots

Master MiniDV Rushes 'Polmadie Drivers- tape 2'

2000
Oral history interview with Geoffrey (Geoff) Sims conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson on 21 March 2019 at the National Railway Museum in York. Duration: 50 minutes. Childhood Peak district, school, family background, father worked on the railway as gangman; interest in electronics, start of railway career 1959, junior porter, range of tasks; [00:03:30] District Relief at Chapel le Frith, Beeching cuts; [00:04:20] work in yard sidings, interview with Division of telecom engineers Manchester, interest in electronics and radio from childhood, self-taught electronic knowledge, radio amateur, 1975 amateur radio course at college, technical job application and interview;, building radios as a teen, starting transmitting, morse code test Hull, no qualifications; [00:09:00] 1975 S&T technician role, work in telephone exchanges Manchester rail house, tasks, maintenance and repairs, challenges, worked across the country, telecom work only, occasional support to signalling engineers; [00:12:50] age of telecom equipment; signal post telephones; relationship with team, benefits of having previous traffic experience in technical role; 1977 transmission licence in personal capacity, process of obtaining licence, self-motivation, interest in transmission; amateur radio group in Glossop did public demonstration; [00:18:30] using transmission licence, learning morse code on single needle telegraph, description of using telegraph to send daily time signals in morse code 1960, what was daily time signal; [00:21:45] starting to transmit, building own equipment, morse code key; 1978 Railnews article looking out for radio amateurs, John Tuckfield Chief Personnel Officer Eastern Region; [00:24:00] BR Amateur Radio Society, people in the society, what they talked about, rules of the society, origin of BR Amateur Radio Society 1966, Ronny Hooper, Tavistock Stationmaster early member of society; met John Tuckfield at BR Amateur Radio Society annual general meeting, society still active now (2019), current membership information, GS current president of society, congress in Blackpool with FIRAC; [00:32:15] FIRAC (International Federation of Railway Radio Amateurs), GS vice-president of FIRAC, FIRAC origins, 19 countries involved, annual international meeting, organising FIRAC congress in Blackpool, link with FISAIC (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Artistiques et Intellectuelles de Cheminots, an international social and cultural railway organisation); [00:38:15] topics covered at annual FIRAC conference, multi-language translations, communication between attendees, relationship with FIRAC members, communication with members in USA, Australia; [00:42:00] radio transmission competitions, how competitions work and points are made, what competitors do; what members talk about together, equipment; confident in the future of the amateur radio society and FIRAC [00:50:07] [end of interview]

Geoffrey Sims interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-01-31
promotional Eurostar film sent by the Eurostar company to the Museum for display in the Eurostar exhibit. Contains footage of the waterloo International Station, onboard etc

DVD-R 'Eurostar'

2002-03-27
Master

DVD-R 'An interview with Kenneth Dunderdale, working on wartime railways'

02/2009
Rushes, filmed by Chris Hogg on 17/10/2001, for Wish You Were Here exhibition. Content: Waverley station, views of station concourse and platforms, arrivals, departures, shot of the station from the National Gallery. Views of the Royal Mile, Holyrood House, Princess street and Edinburgh Castle.

Master MiniDV 'Rushes of Tourists Edinburgh'

2001
07/2004 / Filmed by Chris Hogg / Sans Pareil moving out of National Railway Museum and into welcome building at Locomotion

Master MiniDV 'Sans Pareil move to Shildon'

2004
01/2003 / Tape 3 / Filmed by Chris Hogg / The remaining railway telegraph poles, lineside between Keith and Inverurie, Scotland / Anne Sharkey and Betty Forrester, interview conducted by Robin Nelson

Master MiniDV 'Railway telegraph demonstration, 3'

2003
Duration: 5 min

DVD-R 'Flying Scotsman Update May-June 2005'

Edited master. A Quanta production for the National Railway Museum, using archive material from: Huntley Archives, British Movietone news, Jeremy English, Alan Garroway and W.A. Camwell. 30/06/1995. Made for display, interpretation for the Royal trains exhibit.

Betacam SP videotape 'The Royal Road'

1995-06-30
Oral history interview with Aubrey Clethero conducted and recorded by Jo Bath in 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes. Born 1928 in Shildon, childhood, education, first job at 14, tobacconist; office job at Shildon railway works, 1942, sorting and delivery mail; move to joiner’s shop, apprentice joiner; [00:03:50] career overview, leaving Shildon works, private joiner’s firm, work at Shildon Council, redundancy, joiner’s jobs at Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, return to Shildon Council (1957), woodwork teacher at Cotton Hill School, Bishop Auckland, teaching evening classes in joinery, teaching qualification, Woodhouse Secondary Modern School for 24 years, retired at 55 years of age, now helps neighbours; [00:08:10] Father’s career, miner at Dabble Duck Mine, First World War soldier, milk business after war, during the Great Depression kept pigs and hens for sale, labourer at Shildon Works, various jobs until retired; [00:11:00] mother’s career, labourer at Shildon Works until son started at the Works, mother looked after house, livestock and allotment, work in axle box plant at the Works, previously worked as a dress maker, mother into the work to help the war effort in Second World War, war effort armament production; [00:16:20] further details of Father’s lorry work; photograph described, earth closet cleaning, rubbish disposal, use of clinker, coal man, ended at the Great Depression; [00:19:40] first day at Shildon works: aged 14 years, worked in general office, messenger boy duties, arrangements for carrying parcels; [00:22:50] extreme weather, hard winters, 1942 whilst working as apprentice, lost milk cart story; [00:24:00] childhood, mince pie story, black out activities; [00:27:50] Second World War impact on Shildon works, air raids, no bombs dropped, munitions at Works; [00:29:20] Italian prisoners of war at Shildon works, camp at Harpley; [00:30:50] cats at the Works, cat in most workshops, father got a kitten from the works, cat in works and home; [00:31:40] Shildon Works: flooring, enjoyment of working there, piece work, NUR involvement, leaving works; [00:34:40] life after leaving Shildon Works; good career, evening classes, Further Education teaching (1953), more money; [00:36:10] working at Shildon Works; got on well with others, did simple tasks, examples, practical jokes, Uncle worked at Works, no clocking on, never ill; [00:41:00] joiners shop work; check-in system, pay check system, few accidents, sawmill accidents, personal accident; enjoyed work; first aid system at the works, ambulance room, works’ ambulance; [00:47:45] Second World War, volunteering as a patient for first aid courses for women at the Railway Institute; [00:49:30] Railway Institute facilities; church choir member, became leader of church youth club, youth club committee meetings, no Works social activities during War, Works Band, Works cricket club; [00:54:40] Shildon works, Fire Brigade, difficulties of working in the forge, heat and dirt, welding work, lot of local boys got jobs in the Works, Works provided a lot of experiences; [00:58:10] impressions of working in Shildon Works, comparison with Darlington, paid board and lodging at home, given pocket money; [00:59:20] father buying first television; [01:01:00] Shildon works, views on what the site is now (2004); neighbours; memories of lots of men entering and leaving Works each day; [01:05:30] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, cavalcade; [01:07:10] 1930’s carnival; involved through All Saints’ Church, Sunday School, Redcar Annual outing, train travel to Redcar; [01:10:40] Shildon works lunch arrangements; came home, canteen mainly for men from Bishop Auckland, tea making, 10 am breaks; [01:13:20] social classes distinctions at the works [01:17:42] [end of interview]

Aubrey Clethero interviewed by Jo Bath

2004
Oral history interview with Garry Huntington, conducted and recorded by Jo Bath over two sessions in 24 and 25 February 2004, as part of the Time Track oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes. [Disc 1] Childhood, family background, parents and schooling; [00:03:55] starting work at Astraka fake fur factory, [00:05:05] early history of Astraka, its role in the development of fake fur, [00:08:27] breaking into the Russian market, [00:10:55] famous clients, [00:12:22] uniform, diversification and closure; Winter Olympics; [00:15:54] a working day, relationship with designers; [00:18:57] funny mistakes; customer service; making a horse blanket; [00:22:15] working as a trouble shooter and with catalogue companies; [00:24:50] early work in the stores, training and negotiation for better job; [00:28:21] work of the technical department; [00:29:24] lack of union activity or protest; [00:31:03] highs and lows; relations with the directors; [00:34:55] social and sports facilities; [00:37:25] various homes; [00:39:15] the canteen and the estate, damp problems; [00:42:20] staff discount; [00:44:25] career as a councillor, working in housing; [00:48:00] Recent elections and signs of recovery; move towards residential area; [00:53:45] 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, cavalcade, love for steam trains; [01:00:00] Shildon railway works, workers coming out of the works, [01:03:51] works open days; [01:05:15] impact of the works closure in 1984, signs of recovery; [01:11:46] sports as a child, meeting his wife [01:14:59] [end of disc 1] [Disc 2] activities and leisure in Shildon, rock and roll, dancing, fashions and culture; [00:07:20] housing then and now, development; [00:11:24] making do, clippy mats; [00:14:00] New Shildon old shopping area; [00:15:40] open cast mining; [00:19:58] carnival, foot running, gambling and cheating; dressing up; [00:24:24] Shildon’s Banana factory, Geest; [00:28:09] the Dunns; [00:30:25] Shildon people, problems with private rents; [00:32:30] poverty as a child, neighbours arguing; [00:36:20] extreme weather, snow in 1947, flooding; [00:42:35] paste eggs, "jarping", holidays, working men's clubs; [00:49:16] the Railway Institute; [00:53:12] boxing, learning to box at Hackworth's workshop, watching fights [01:02:06] [end of disc 2] [end of interview]

Garry Huntington interviewed by Jo Bath

2004-02-24
Interview with Liz Lumber recorded by Ashlynn Hudson-Welburn on 9th September 2024 at the National Railway Museum, York. Duration: 2hr 5min 3secs. Childhood 1960s, family, education, school; unemployment mid 1980s; early career, casino, trying for armed forces, work for Metropolitan Police, fitness industry; joining the railways, railway career evolution; [00:07:08]; challenges in childhood, boarding school, changes in her family, working to help parents, her interests then [end of track 01] [track 02] education, hard times at school, friendships; working with parents after school; work at the casino; joining the police, 1988-1993; living with her first girlfriend; her sexuality, coming out to family, supportive parents; first girlfriend, her life then; HIV/AIDS crisis impact on public perception of same-sex relationships, keeping her sexuality private from work; 1984-85, LGBTQIA+ scene in Portsmouth, feeling part of the community [00:20:52]; police force 1988-1993, double life, hiding sexuality/relationship at work, homophobia in police, male dominated environment; work in fitness industry, private life separate from work; how double life impacted her, microaggressions, LGBTQIA+ people not accepted; meeting new partner, coming out to a few at work; reasons for joining the railways, 2000, trainee train driver, Brighton; driver training school, challenges as female in male dominated environment, practical handling; few female trainees; choosing Brighton depot, social life, sports, healthy lifestyle; relationship with her partner then, hiding sexuality at work, coming out to a few at work, homophobic abuse of male gay colleagues; feeling a shift in acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people [end of track 02] [track 03] Brighton depot, how it suited her not to be out as gay, how her feelings about that changed; offensive comment written in cab; 2005, driver manager role; romantic relationships impact on her confidence in own identity, not caring about other people opinions; denial of LGBTQIA+ identity in older generations; driver manager role, locomotives driven, drivers training, her motivation to take on manager role, work/life balance; [00:16:20] 2010, competence assessment team leader, Southern Railway, professional development, degree in Railway Operations, changing roles every 5 years to avoid boredom; Operational Standards Manager at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Head Office, GTR structure; 2019, change in workplace culture and society in acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people, open about sexuality, how it felt before, glass ceiling; growing up without lesbian role models, when she realised she was gay, book ‘The Well of Loneliness’ influence; current and ex partners [end of track 03] [track 04] Meeting partner, meeting other lesbians through golf, sports; Railway Operational Standards role at GTR; family life, paternity leave from work, impact of flexible working; changes at work as a LGBTQIA+ person; 2022, Alstom, supportive workplace culture; lack of women in strategic operations [00:11:15] early career challenges as female train driver, night work, last train, facilities/equipment made for men; being driven by challenges, her role at Alstom, personal development opportunities, responsible for competence assessment of all Alstom UK staff; comparison with previous work environment; how challenging it is being female in operations, glass ceiling; challenges getting women and new people to join the industry; achievements within career, plans for coming years; work/life balance, pioneering flexible working from home pre-Covid-19 pandemic, post pandemic hybrid work, remote teams; occasionally driving rail tour trains for Hanson and Hall [end of track 04] [track 05] Life in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis, how LGBTQIA+ community was perceived by public opinion and government; anti-section 28 demonstrations; support within LGBTQIA+ community then; support from her own family [end of track 05]

Liz Lumber interviewed by Ashlynn Hudson-Welburn

2024-09-09
Oral history interview with Lesley Wilson conducted by Jo Bath on 24 March 2004 as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 29 minutes. [Track 01] Born in Shildon, family background, grand-father worked at Shildon railway works, father’s bricklayer, education, being a pupil and now (2004) teacher at Timothy Hackworth school; 1975 celebrations, Stockton and Darlington 150th anniversary, Shildon Wesleyan Youth Club, Gerody’s Pinker group, Iron Road song for anniversary, local singing performances, studio recording of Iron Road, relationship with group members now; performing on day of cavalcade, Cleaveland radio broadcast, event security; [00:05:46] Iron Road song played at opening the Timothy Hackworth Victorian Railway Museum in Shildon by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, 1975; Iron Road disc record; cavalcade event, crowds, Shildon people offering bed and breakfast, static engines display, Shildon works; [00:09:00] Shildon works visit as a child, noises, meeting her grandad when he finished work; [00:11:00] parents, father’s choice to not work for Shildon works; school, children of Shildon works workers had extra holiday; 1975, youth group, helping churches, special services, churches offered catering and sleeping arrangements for visitors to 1975 celebrations, Timothy Hackworth memorabilia [00:14:07] [end of track 01] [Track 02] teaching trip to India, bringing posters about Timothy Hackworth; childhood, learning about Timothy Hackworth; teaching about him at Timothy Hackworth school now (2004); group singing performance for Thimothy Hackworth museum opening 1975; reflecting on Iron Road song, performing at Royal Albert Hall in London; childhood, youth group, churches activities; [00:05:38] Shildon now (2004), hope with new museum (Locomotion), local community involved with local heritage, new housing; younger generations rarely coming back to Shildon after university, different sense of community in Shildon compared to childhood; [00:08:00] Shildon railway works closure, marches against closure, impact of closure, people moved to Doncaster and Eastleigh, impact on community; starting career with office work, becoming a teacher after having a family; 1975 celebrations, excitement for the events and having a lot of people visiting; [00:12:00] childhood, children of parents working at Geist banana factory bringing insects at school; hot summers in childhood, playing on grass bank with friends [00:15:02] [end of track 02] [end of interview]

Lesley Wilson interviewed by Jo Bath

2004-03-24
3 films on Sierra Leone Railways for an exhibition. 3 data disks and 1 disk suitable for DVD players

DVD-R 'Sierra Leone 3 Films'

a national railway Museum film detailing the progress on re fitting the flying Scotsman boiler. With commentary. Edited

DVD-R 'Flying Scotsman 2007'

2007
10/12/2008 / Tape 1 / Filmed by Chris Hogg / John Bygate, former planning engineer, Hong Kong MTRC, talking to Lynn Patrick

Master MiniDV 'Interview with John Bygate, 1'

2008-12-10
Master handwritten on disc / Edited film with commentary by Rod Lytton, about the pressing of new boiler backhead / 5min / DVD with menu, one film to chose

DVD-R 'Flying Scotsman Update Pridhams October 2007'

Oral history interview with David Thomas conducted and recorded by Matthew Hick on 17 July 2012, at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 1 hour. Background; starting as a volunteer, campaigning for York as NRM site, site requirements, museum opening 1975; Friends of the National Railway Museum (FNRM) group established, Lord Downs, member of Stephenson Locomotive Society, joined FNRM; [00:03:40] FNRM details, membership, presence at NRM, how volunteering began; DT stopped volunteering early 1980s due to work pressures [00:06:10] maintaining contact with FNRM; stewarding trains, examples, organising York Evening Meetings (1994), York FNRM Evening Meetings, details, numbers, benefits to FNRM; [00:09:00] volunteer recruitment; end of 1990’s, volunteer recruitment and training co-ordinator (autumn 2000), information points and miniature railway volunteers, Claire Evans, background in training and recruitment, detail, job satisfaction; [00:15:50] other aspects of volunteer recruitment; formation of millennium volunteers in York, opportunities to get younger volunteers, reservations, failures, developing records, IT development, volunteer database development; [00:22:10] volunteer management; volunteer manager (Kate Wadden) appointed (2002), coming to terms with having a manager, success at working together, volunteer manager success across museums in the group, continued when Matt Thompson appointed, links with other volunteer officers, job satisfaction continued; [00:27:00] volunteering development; Railfest 2004, Matt Hick impact; [00:29:00] what drove the first volunteer push; concern to move volunteer recruitment quickly, contributory factors in helping recruitment; [00:32:30] why NRM increased volunteer numbers, recordkeeping on volunteers, value of volunteers; reasons for recruiting more miniature railway volunteers, not enough drivers, recruited 10; [00:34:10] driver training provided by Director of Engineering Richard Gibbon; [00:35:00] Back of House teams; Tuesday night team managed by Rich Gibbon, changed when Richard Gibbon retired; [00:36:50] highlights whilst a volunteer co-ordinator; satisfaction of people who were recruited and stayed, some still at NRM; [00:38:00] changes in volunteer recruitment, applicants with “their own agendas”, now recruit against a job description, applicants with impediments, improving inclusivity in recruiting volunteers, turning down applicants, dealing with difficult cases, museum needs to “get what it needs”; [00:43:00] roles at NRM; would have liked to have been involved in locomotive support, linked to family history, role carried out like in professional career with British Telecom (BT); [00:45:00] last 12 years; enjoyment, good support, enjoyed working with Claire Evans; shock of having a manager; Railfest 2004, challenges managing volunteers, keeping up with changes; [00:48:00] change in relationships between staff and volunteers; more co-operation and co-ordination, closer links with learning team; [00:49:50] change in relationship between the volunteers and FNRM; [00:51:00] Why NRM appointed a Volunteer Manager (Kate Waddon); DT volunteers 1 day per week and for FOH volunteers, appointment to cover whole spectrum of volunteering, volunteering in better shape now, very positive development; [00:53:00] reflections on own volunteering experience, no disappointment overall, found it difficult in 1 day per week role, keeping pace with what is happening; [00:55:50] how family views his volunteer endeavours; [00:56:20] aspirations for future volunteer programme; get people that the museum needs, questioning impact of economic crisis on future of volunteering [00:59:36] [end of interview]

David Thomas interviewed by Matthew Hick

2014-10-13
Master videotape. U-75 ; Copied from VHS

U-Matic videotape 'Mallard 1988'

Oral history interview with Maurice Peacock conducted and recorded by Jo Bath in 2004, as part of the Time Tracks oral history collecting initiative. Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes. Born 1917 in Shildon. Childhood; moved to Middlesbrough (1921), Middlesbrough High School; Shildon streets; father a coal miner (Dabble Duck Mine, Shildon), father moved to ICI Billingham; leaving school pre-exams to be an errand boy, brothers on dole, took exams, errand boy, shop manager; [00:03:10] joining Rochdale Police Force (1939); 9 years in Rochdale, periods in army and air force, married 1941, dislike of police work; [00:04:00] further career; ; return to Middlesbrough; general dealer’s shop (4-5 years), fish and chip shop, burnt out after one week, new equipment within a week, commercial traveller until retirement; [00:06:40] childhood, Growing up; father’s work as miner, coal seam under house, brothers farm workers, railway routes near Shildon, no family members became miners; [00:12:40] play location and games as a child in Shildon, goods yard play, friends, Timothy Hackworth School; [00:19:10] Shildon railway works, wagon works; [00:20:00] food in childhood, porridge; [00:21:10] Shildon area; leisure and activities in Shildon, Soho Shed used by band, museum visit, Sunday School, brass band visits, church on Sundays, played during week, groceries paid once a week, lot of shops, wet fish shop, played in recreation ground, lot of railway lines; [00:28:40] family life; first girlfriend 1937, married 1939, widowhood 1998, memories of wife, grandchildren, great grandchildren; [00:31:20] 1926 General Strike, the Great Depression; father and brothers out of work, reduction in amount of food, family memories, what people did during general strike, deaths of young siblings; [00:35:00] Shildon railway works visit, no desire to work in works; [00:36:10] interest in police work, Shildon policeman; [00:38:00] childhood, clothing, coal deliveries, coal house outside, toilets, wash house, washday, father’s miner’s clothes, watching the carnival, bicycle use, grocery deliveries, hand cart use; [00:46:10] agricultural show; showground, rabbits, pigeons; [00:47:30] extreme weather, winter, igloo building; [00:49:40] dinners during General Strike; Salvation Army, soup; [00:51:30] mines around Shildon; lots of pits; [00:52:20] electrified railway; few memories; [00:53:50] cinema, went now and then, “flea pit", not enjoyable, piano played pre-organ, first picture with talk seen in Middlesborough; [00:56:50] social classes in childhood, no issues, no bullying in school; [00:58:00] shoes in childhood; [00:59:00] food, always fresh food in house; [00:01:10] remedies, drugs, medication in childhood, cod liver oil; [01:02:40] favourite things to do; playing out, details, punishment if mis-behaved; [01:04:50] proggy mat making, helping mother; [01:07:10] tricks on neighbours; doorknob tying; [01:08:00] street play; hoop rolling, marbles; [01:10:20] family support; relationship with brothers, sisters, sister’s work; [01:12:40] Army service; visit to London to see sister, army work in a US army camp [01:15:09] [end of interview]

Maurice Peacock interviewed by Jo Bath

2004
Euston 21/07/1988, Bridlington 07/07/1988, Recorded by Chris Hogg, reference V8/88 / Digitised through MiniDV in May 2017

VHS master Tape 'Euston and Bridlington'

1988-07-20