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Oral history interview with Donald Heath, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in the East Riding of Yorkshire on 17 October 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 46 min. 2 sec. Early Career; British Rail (BR) Research track stability; development of stone blower; drop joints; relationships with other departments; Planning department British Rail: London Midland Region; Birmingham New Street track layout process; Newton Heath Maintenance Depot; programmes planning; development of networks critical path analysis; Signalling & Telecommunications (S&T) reluctance; rules of the route for possessions; over-runs factors; Manchester Central Area tunnel scheme development 1972; passenger transport executive (PTE); Transmark project in Tehran 1976-1980; Deputy Director Major Projects; Project Director East Coast Main Line (ECML) electrification; project progress; project scale; development of computerised management information systems; Durham Viaduct; Berwick-upon-Tweed; impact of organisational changes; first through electric train London to Edinburgh July 1991; Crossrail; failed Bill 1992; submission withdrawn 1993; retirement; consultancy; reflections

Donald Heath interviewed by Frank Paterson (Session 1 of 2)

2018-10-17
Oral history interview with Michael Siebert, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Reading on 9 June 2021. Duration: 1 hr. 49 min. 16 sec. Education, early career; 1974 Health & Safety Act; fire and explosion expert for Health and Safety Executive (HSE); joined British Rail (BR) as Head of Safety Audit 1990; health and safety development in railways; railway safety regulations; train accident investigation; Career as chemist in private industry and Health & Safety Executive, safety audit with fire & explosion specialism, joined BR to develop safety audit post Clapham accident. Implemented Safety Audit and Safety Validation process on BR pre privatisation and used these systems within Railtrack Safety Case to validate and audit privatised railway companies. Part of massive change of safety culture between 1990 and 1995 pre privatisation.

Michael Siebert interviewed by David Maidment

2021-06-09
Oral history interview with Philip O'Donnell, conducted and recorded by Peter Willey at the interviewee's home in Buckinghamshire on 20 March 2018. Duration: 56 min. 26 sec. Career overview; highlights; cultural change from Civil Service to British Rail; radical vision for structure; rail privatisation compared with other privatisations; industry structure; Privatisation Unit; importance of track access rights in Department for Transport (DfT) and Treasury model; role of the Rail Regulator over charges and contracts; definition of track access rights; designing the contractual arrangements from scratch; role of DfT; industry re-organisation 1992; emergence of Railtrack management structure; flotation of Railtrack in 1996; role of the Rail Regulator; effect of cultural change on people; involvement in West Coast Mainline (WCML) upgrade; dedication of colleagues; shift from contraction to growth; reflections on privatisation

Philip O'Donnell interviewed by Peter Willey

2018-03-20
Oral history interview with Alan Willis conducted and recorded by Alison Kay on 13 November 2014, at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 31 minutes. Alan Willis’ father was George Owen Willis (GW), born in Bromwich, Midlands in 1896, who was a train ambulance employee in World War 1. He worked on British trains only and not on trains on the continent. Alan Willis (AW) recounts the work of his father on ambulance trains. Childhood and family background of George Willis. How GW joined the war efforts in the ambulances, Royal Army Medical Core; photographs taken by GW; how GW recounted working on ambulance train to AW; work of GW on ambulance trains, how wounded were loaded on ambulance trains at Dover; relationships and socialisation with others on the ambulance trains; air raids impact on ambulance train, more risks in Dover; GW being promoted to Sargent; no death on board the train; how they dealt with infectious diseases, barrier nursing; shell shocked soldiers; medical orderlies on trains, nurses; how serious and less serious cases were placed on board of train; operations likely done on continental trains, not on UK ambulance trains; living on board the train; how GW met is future wife; after the war, GW career at health department Bournemouth, barrier nursing; whether GW kept in touch with people met on ambulance train, meeting Wilfred Owen; what AW remembers of a book of messages and drawings from ambulance trains patients and colleagues which has been lost

Alan Willis interviewed by Alison Kay

2014-11-13
Oral history interview with Tony Steadman conducted and recorded by Claire Cohen on 19 June 2012, at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 1 hour 11 minutes. [Track 01] Background, birth [00:00:36] [end of track 01] [Track 02] Initial involvement with National Railway Museum; volunteer group emanating from friends of museum; interviewed by Dr Lowe [00:02:30] [end of track 02] [Track 03] his occupations and availability [00:01:00] [end of track 03] [Track 04] how he heard of volunteering at museum; Dr Lowe’s interview; organised rosters; 1990 concrete degradation in Great Hall; station hall opened; he was asked to be coordinator in 1990; continued till 2000 [00:04:48] [end of track 04] [Track 05] 1990, 1950’s concrete was deteriorating, clearing Great Hall of artefacts; moved to Great Railway Show and NRM on tour; Mallard moved to Swindon; move lasted a year; [00:05:00] John Coiley retired in 1992; changes in museum, Great Hall technical and Station Hall social [00:08:24] [end of track 05] [Track 06] Bill Greenwood asked Tony to be volunteer coordinator; relationship between volunteers and staff; [00:05:00] Information Point started 1992; Tuesday night team with Richard Gibbon; ad hoc activities; Chris Allender and Clare Evans involvement; first duty on miniature railway in 1995 [00:10:27] [end of track 06] [Track 07] creation of volunteer committee, deciding projects; Miniature railway; Bob Gwynne visited America; introduced awards for volunteer service; incentive to keep volunteering; Matt Hick and Christmas dinner with awards; NMSI at forefront of volunteering; staff and volunteers; short term contracts for museum staff [00:11:18] [end of track 07] [Track 08] comparison of security staff then and now (2012); Tony stepped down in 2010; volunteer trips arranged from 1998; NYMR with Great Western saloon; [00:05:00] Matt Hick arranged trips, volunteers outings, first one to York station, Cedar Grand, St Pancras; [00:10:00] Tony now organises trips; Railfest, crisis management; [00:15:00] best part of volunteering is management and training; Worse moment was with A4’s and rain in the North Yard; Andrew Scott; [00:20:00] changes in Health and Safety over the years; public announcements over time; [00:25:00] Personal information, secrecy; best of time was relaxing away from work; value of volunteer work worth to the museum; letters of appreciation [00:31:33] [end of track 08] [end of interview]

Tony Steadman interviewed by Claire Cohen

2012-06-19
Oral history interview with Don Collins conducted and recorded by Tony Steadman on 22 January 2015 at the interviewee’s home. Duration: 34 minutes. How he started volunteering at NRM, interest in railways, involvement with Friends of NRM (FNRM); Information Points, managed by Clare Evans; started volunteering in 1995; career as civil servant, worked at Chilwell, moved to York; [00:05:00] volunteer recruitment interview with Clare Evans, social aspects of volunteering; knowledge of railways; training with visitor experience courses; [00:10:00] evacuation instruction; miniature railway; training with Richard Gibbon; diesel hydraulic power; [00:15:00] difficult to start engine; took over roster; top and tail with two locomotives and two crew; very flexible volunteers; [00:20:00] new layout needed more drivers; started in 2015; [break in recording] trained as a guard; passed stricter exams for guarding; [00:25:00] Volunteer Awards event at Christmas; relationship with explainers, not so much affinity now due to their change in role; [00:30:00] help from staff in early days; not so much now; 20 years a volunteer; change in ways volunteers are managed, supervised, now use team leaders [00:34:12] [end of interview]

Don Collins interviewed by Tony Steadman

2015-01-22
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
Oral history interview with John Charlesworth 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: 34 minutes. How he was introduced to railways; volunteering at Middleton Railway; member of the Friends of the National Railway Museum (FNRM), joined in 1977 on information points; rigidity of staff at museum; 1985 helped with work on Tuesday night restoring the Duchess of Hamilton locomotive (DOH); [00:05:00] career, worked on maintenance at power stations, hot riveting and air drills, lived in Selby; 1988 footplate ride on Green Arrow; support crew on DOH on main line; [00:10:00] miniature railway and working with public, Richard Gibbon, increased numbers, driver training for miniature railway, started charging, change, replacement of tracks; [00:15:00] miniature railway originally thought of as a toy, changed when charges came in; Deltic introduced on miniature railway, run round; 2014 rebuild; volunteer age differences; [00:20:00] recruitment of new drivers; outside examiners; everyone a driver; difficult passengers; [00:25:00] cataloguing with John Peck; drawing of accident; preparing standard gauge locomotives; fireman during day; [00:30:00] not so much to do at present, commenting on open spaces in Station Hall; believes there is potential for more volunteer involvement; enjoyed volunteering [ 00:34:14] [end of interview]

John Charlesworth interviewed by Tony Steadman

2015-02-24
Oral history interview with Wilfred Owen Fripp conducted and recorded by Colin Divall on 9 January 2013, at the Priest's House Museum, Wimborne, Dorset, in presence of one of the trustees of the Priest’s House Museum. Duration: 42 minutes. The interview focuses on Owen Fripp’s work experiences on the railways between 1962 and 1968, as well as his railway passenger experiences. Personal background; working on the railways; why joined railways, people OF knew on railways, train spotter, school details, friend Roy Roberts (signal box boy), further train spotting details, details of how got railway job, job start 28th December 1962; [00:05:00] job details; Bournemouth Central based, travel from home to Bournemouth, cleaner until aged 16 years, fireman with Johnny Walker, difficulties recruiting firemen in mid 1960’s; [00:07:30] first trip made on Corfe goods train; Johnny Walker memories, journey details, fireman job easy because of fitness, enjoyable; [00:09:30] wages, cleaner’s pay 84 shillings, 112 shillings when passed as a fireman (aged 16 years); further career details; moved up when vacancies occurred, quick development as people retired; [00:11:00] jobs done as a fireman; Wessex to Weymouth and mail train return, “old” engine drivers work, trains into Wimborne, Waterloo trips, Temple Coombe train; [00:13:50] highlights/lowlights of a trip; Brockenhurst trip with 82000 tank engine, engine replacements, details of working train from West round the Old Road, goods train working out of Poole; [00:16:10] shunting at Wimborne; easy station to work, workers at Wimborne listed; OF’s experience of Wimborne, signalmen at Wimborne, details of shunting movements, Salisbury goods trains workings, Wimborne goods yards workings, lot of goods workings, abattoir details, cattle traffic from Wimborne; [00:23:50] fuel depot at West Moors; loose coupled trains, details of workings, depot had private shunters; [00:25:20] leaving the railway after steam trains ended, last turn was boat train to Waterloo 31st August 1967, left because there was no work, no redundancies, did not mind leaving the railways; [00:27:10] Clinker siding at Wimborne; no memories, memories of clinker at Bournemouth Central good shed; [00:28:00] Winter of 1963 memories; use of fires to stop water freezing in engines, trains ran to time, Wimborne incidents (including derailment); [00:30:40] early morning train to Eastleigh; 5.15 am train, detail of working, popular train, Sunday running, use of Black 5 locomotive; [00:33:40] Beeching Report (March 1963); reaction, petition, no effect, census taking, redundancies, rail removal; [00:36:00] other information; not many women workers, bookstall on station (1950’s), started shift work on 16th birthday, own motorised transport, people worked with in Wimborne, more on Wimborne derailment, Wimborne was “a happy station” [00:42:29] [end of interview]

Owen Fripp interviewed by Colin Divall

2013-01-09
Oral history interview with Gwen Divall conducted and recorded by Colin Divall on 13 April 2006, in Swilland, Suffolk. The interviewee is the interviewer’s mother. This is the second and last session of the interview. Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes. The interview focuses on Gwen Divall passenger experiences on the railways and other forms of mobility, especially during the period between the First and Second World Wars. After 1945, post Second World War (WW2); WW2 years; bus travel; no limits to personal movement; [00:05:00] cycling after school; trip to Stratford on Avon and Isle of Wight and Youth Hostels; [00:10:00] bus to Epping Forest; train to teacher training college alone; Hereford college by train via Paddington; long distance coach cheaper; from accommodation to campus by coach; experience at rural school by bike; [00:15:00] traveling to Liverpool and Durham to NUS conference by train; cycling to Penzance on YHA trip; lorries to Symonds Yat; [00:20:00] entertainment in Hereford; travel not paid; applied for teaching jobs at Middlesex County Hall; put at school in London; [00:25:00] walking to school and living at home; mother doing cleaning jobs; [00:30:00] husband cycled and walked; [00:35:00] [interference] train to South Downs; bus then train; water transport; abroad by ferry to Paris; [00:40:00] coach to Nice by charter; mainly university students going to jobs; walking holidays in England and Scotland and Wales; bus to London for diploma in English; [00:45:00] Austria for climbing from a hotel; travel by train; no sleeping car; Italy by train in 1951; Spain in 1952; trains crowded; married in 1955; honeymoon to Brittany; [00:50:00] move to Beaconsfield; husband worked in Maidenhead; GD taught at High Wycombe; cycling to work; used Green Line buses; also trains to London; [00:55:00] local shops used; no car; to hospital by bus; husband worked at DSIR at Datchet; [01:00:00] arrival of baby, train to Eastbourne; bought secondhand car in 1959; father only driver; [01:05:00] Greenline buses to central London; car sharing to work; moved to near Wimborne Dorset; [01:10:00] sports car to Stratford on Avon; bus to town; learnt to drive in 1961; delivery of food; car used more; now two cars; [01:15:00] supply teaching; reasons for buying a second car; walked children to school; Bournemouth main shopping area; [01:20:00] train from Wimborne to London; car to station; laundry; door to door salesmen; entertainment in Colehill; [01:25:00] car to London then public transport; types of cars; Morris Oxford; Triumph Dolomite; [01:30:00] various new cars; kept two cars for a long time; no long distances; moved in 1969 to Coleshill; [01:35:00] long-distance buses to London; from Wimborne; convenient; car not good in London now; choice of Poole or Bournemouth for London; [01:40:00] 1980 first flight abroad; Greece; France; Eurotunnel; hovercraft; father flew earlier with the army; [01:45:00] car travel in the 1960’s; in 1949 father out of work; new job needed train to work; parents from Clerkenwell and St Pancras [01:53:38] [end of interview]

Gwen Divall interviewed by Colin Divall (session 2 of 2)

2006-04-13
Joint oral history interview with Jack Fussey and Ramsey MacCleary conducted and recorded by Tony Steadman on 17 April 2015 at the home of one of the interviewees. Duration: 39 minutes. Both interviewees give their origins of volunteering at the museum; before the outreach group; Derwent 150; [00:05:00] Both give details of their careers as mechanical engineers; [00:10:00] they spoke to each other, and Ramsey joined in around 1996; Jack joined in 1980; on information point; Ramsey was talking to visitors on Friday and Sunday; [00:15:00] volunteers set up the outreach team under Keith; sold railway items and talked about the museum; story of Australian enthusiast; interesting visitor; [00:20:00] visit with museum on Eurostar to Paris organised by Chris Nettleton; in the 1990’s the museum staff took over the information points under Clare Evans; [00:25:00] Cab access events hoping for experienced drivers; enjoyable; Christmas events usually dinners in Station Hall; organised by David Thomas; [00:30:00] allowed to drive steam locos in yard; Jack has recently left volunteers; Ramsey continues; information point has moved, how it has changed over time; Japanese visitor; [00:35:00] volunteering can be very worthwhile and therapeutic [00:38:44] [end of interview]

Jack Fussey and Ramsey MacCleary interviewed by Tony Steadman

2015-01-15
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
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
Oral history interview with Roger Salmon, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in Cambridge on 30 October 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 41 min. 5 sec. Banking career; headhunted for first Director of Rail Franchising 1992; recruitment; setting-up team; personality analysis; Department of Transport attitudes; objectives; first draft franchise agreement rejected; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) team working practices differences from civil service culture; network of contract documents; rolling stock issues; Andrew Pitt; Railtrack track access difficulties; British Rail (BR) good relationship with OPRAF; relationship with Department of Transport (DoT) and Treasury; documentation; breakdown of processes; Thameslink 2000; Allison Ingram; development of Schedule 8 performance concepts

Roger Salmon interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-10-30
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 David E. Rayner, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in York on 2 May 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 42 min. 59 sec. Personal background; early career; Personal Assistant to David Bowick; Saatchi & Saatchi advertising; encouragement from Peter Parker; Deputy General Manager British Rail: Eastern Region 1985; British Rail: Anglia Region; electrification; Donald Heath; Board Member British Railways Board (BRB); Managing Director Engineering & Operations; British Transport Police (BTP); sectorisation; Clapham accident issues; King’s Cross fire; Safety Directorate established; Clapham accident Hidden Report; quality management ; David Maidment; foundation of penalty regime; Brian Burdsall; audit of re-organisation processes; Bob Reid 2 attitude to privatisation 1991; separation of trains and track feasibility; formation of shadow Railtrack John Welsby; Safety Cases; Health & Safety Executive (HSE) involvement; Railtrack floatation; Bob Horton; John Edmonds; analysis of recommendations from railway accident inquiries; Railtrack culture; train operating companies (TOC) management; composition of Railtrack Board; Gerald Corbett; privatisation achieved due to John Welsby; relationships with trade unions on safety; managerial responses; minimal involvement with Department of Transport (DoT); Board membership; personal reflections on privatisation

David Rayner interviewed by Frank Paterson

2018-05-02
Video oral history interview with Richard Morris, conducted and recorded remotely by Neil Butters on Zoom video conferencing platform, on 8 March 2022. Duration: 51 minutes 18 seconds. Education; family history; holiday jobs; other job applications; training school Derby; [00:05:00] Tinsley marshalling yard Sheffield; review of board operations; punctuality at Liverpool St; move to Eurotunnel; [00:10:00] Privatisation, enthusiasm for privatisation; cannot sever train from track; no-one in charge; spoke to John Major; guards story; [00:15:00] negotiations on Channel Tunnel; issues with Bob Reid 1; freight through the tunnel; engineering in tunnel; simulator; impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on traffic; [00:20:00] approach to take over a Train Operating Company (TOC); financial challenges; privatisation antagonistic at higher levels; a lot of investment with privatisation; [00:25:00] electrification to Bath; first franchise to Chiltern was 20 years giving time to expand; later franchises were 7-8 years which were not so good; fire in Eurotunnel; [00:30:00] interview with Adrian Shooter; fire at Marylebone signal box; staff entrants in 1970’s; Bristol signal Box; [00:35:00] after organisation dividing it now looks like it is coming together; Romney Hythe and Dymchurch safety; after privatisation no-one in charge; accidents at Clapham and Potters Bar; lessons from other countries; Finland and Melbourne; [00:40:00] Delay Attribution Board, who was responsible for delays; Williams report; representative of TOC’s and Railtrack; Schedule 8; driven by money not by pride; [00:45:00] future of Delay Attribution Board, unique to UK; involvement in safety on Romney Hythe and Dymchurch; [00:50:00] TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) [00:51:18] [end of interview]

Richard Morris interviewed by Neil Butters

2022-03-08
Oral history interview with Christopher Bolt, conducted and recorded by Christopher Austin on 3 July 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 19 min. 43 sec. Early career; founding of Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); regulation; privatisation model shortcomings; Railtrack shortcomings; franchising; roles of the Regulator; incentive models; Subsidies; political influence on ORR; John Swift (Rail Regulator); public sector collaboration; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) shortcomings; ORR management structure; Chief Economist responsibilities; time as Interim Regulator; Tom Winsor; Informed Traveller project; Adviser to Transport Select Committee; Gwyneth Dunwoody (Member of Parliament); Railtrack collapse; Metronet collapse; Passenger Upgrade 2 (PUG 2); Network Rail; rebrand to Office of Rail Regulation (ORR); resolution of T-12 problem; effects of unexpected industry growth; rail freight problems; Network Rail asset management shortcomings; rail safety responsibilities; Greyrigg accident

Christopher Bolt interviewed by Christopher Austin

2018-07-03
Oral history interview with Leslie Smith, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in Edinburgh on 5 December 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 36 min. 10 sec. Career overview; freight marketing posts; Managing Director Trainload Freight (TLF); cost reductions; TFL profit subsidised Railfreight Distribution (RfD) losses; separation of freight; implementation processes; management buyouts (MBOs); Wisconsin Central bid; internal movement of engineering materials; English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS); Ed Burkhardt (Chief Executive Officer); Ian Braybrook (Managing Director); reversed strategy; open access; Foster Yeoman; Charterail; National Power contract; private owner wagons; Section 8 grants; Merehead Quarry; Class 59; financial improvements; retirement

Leslie Smith interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-12-05
Oral history interview with Dr Alan Wickens, former Director of Research at British Railways, conducted by Bob Gwynne and Dr Jonathan Aylen on the 16th April 2018. TOPS project; Educated as Aeronautical Engineer; Sea Slug; dynamics problems; Cl88 long range aircraft; Flutter and vibration specialist on Blue Steel project for AV Roe (1987.752); Recruited to BR Railway Technical Centre; observation of a coal train; using techniques from aircraft industry in the Rail industry; Derailment rate of freight wagons; PAL van critical speed; Use of computers to calculate and simulate motions of a railway vehicle; building own simulator; modifying analogue computers; British Rail Research Department; HSFV1; APT; Passenger business driving modernisation; use of CAD; finite element analysis; Research departments in other countries and businesses.

Dr Alan Wickens interviewed by Bob Gwynne and Dr Jonathan Aylen

2018-04-16
Oral history interview with Alan Deboo, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Wiltshire on 22 September 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 9 min. 41 sec. Early career; joined British Rail (BR) as Personnel Manager 1989; culture comparison; Organising for Quality (OfQ); policies; communications; bargaining; Cannon Street accident; support after accidents; privatisation; travel benefits; advising government; Travel Facilities Working Party; pensions and redundancy arrangements; communication with staff and trade unions; Ministry of Defence; redundancy support package; train operating company (TOC) profits; culture comparison; temporary companies; scale of work; BR sports facilities; advising government on change in trade union bargaining power due to fragmentation

Alan Deboo interviewed by David Maidment

2020-09-22
Oral history interview with Peter Field, conducted and recorded by Theo Steel at the interviewee's home in Surrey on 8 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 24 min. 20 sec. Personal background; early career; Assistant Station Manager Liverpool Street; area management; working with Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF); Gordon Pettitt; industrial relations changes; Network Director Eastern Liverpool Street; Chris Green; transfer of responsibilities from Regions; King's Lynn and Royston – Cambridge electrification scheme approvals; Operations Manager British Rail: Southern Region; splitting region; vertical integration; John Nelson; Organising for Quality (OfQ); preparation for privatisation; culture change; early years of Railtrack; John Edmonds (Chief Executive Officer Railtrack); contrast between management buyout (MBO) bid and Stagecoach bid; MBO team; exposing London, Tilbury & Southend (LTS) ticket fraud; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); Stagecoach; BR forecasting issues; move into consultancy; joined Transport for London (TfL) as Rail Strategy Director; political issues; difficulties with train operating companies (TOCs) and lack of Mayoral control; fare evasion levels in TOCs; North London line to TfL and expansion; structuring of TfL concessions; retirement

Peter Field interviewed by Theo Steel

2018-05-08
Oral history interview with Mike Crabtree, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Crewe on 29 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 17 min. 24 sec. Personal career; early career; Acting Superintendent Doncaster Works 1979; building Class 56s; Superintendent of Wagon Works 1980-1984; Works re-organisation; British Rail Engineering Ltd (BREL); British Rail Maintenance Ltd (BRML); BREL privatisation; sectorisation; new contract systems; staff benefits concerns; BREL management buyout (MBO) preparation and involvement; Production Manager British Railways Board (BRB); Level 5 Maintenance Depots preparation for privatisation; financial arrangements; General Manager of Departmental Traffic; preparation for privatisation; MBO; three freight companies set-up; personal situation 1994; Fleet Manager for Trainload Freight South East: MBO; Mainline Freight MBO; split of locomotive and wagon repairs management; National Power; wagon policy; MBO progress; management style; Wisconsin Central; Ed Burkhardt; English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS); Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI); new organisation; Scottish depots; scope for action under privatisation; staff reductions

Mike Crabtree interviewed by David Maidment

2018-05-29
Oral history interview with Simon Linnett, conducted and recorded by Philip Benham at the interviewee's office in London on 17 September 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 12 min. 55 sec. Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister); privatisation; working as Director of Rothschild investment bank; rail privatisation proposals; 1992 Conservative manifesto; lack of government planning; attempt to gain employment as a Director of British Railways (BR); Rothschild advising on BR privatisation; BR preferred privatisation option; impact of EC Directive 91/440; Treasury Department philosophy; importance of Philip Rutnam (Civil Servant); privatisation structure; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); creation of Railtrack; Rothschild advising Railtrack; valuation of assets; determining access charges; Thameslink 2000; Railtrack finances; performance regime; possessions regime; open access operators; cost of operating performance regime; order of privatisations; impact of 1997 General Election; prospect of re-nationalisation; investment prospectus drafting; working as lead advisor to Railtrack; Bob Horton; John Edmonds; reasons for not taking a job in rail industry; Gerald Corbett; role of Rail Regulator; John Swift; effectiveness of privatisation structure; reasons to reintegrate rolling stock and infrastructure; Rothschild advising Railtrack post-privatisation; major rail accidents; Railtrack collapse; Network Rail; challenges of privatisation; Privatisation Delivery Group (PDG)

Simon Linnett interviewed by Philip Benham

2018-09-17
Oral history interview with James Collins, conducted and recorded by Chris Kinchin-Smith at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London on 14 January 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 24 min. 55 sec. Personal background; early career; Traffic Management Training Scheme 1977; Area Manager Plymouth 1984; sectorisation; Personal Assistant to Bob Reid 1 1987; involvement with Clapham accident; vertical integration; Director Thameslink train operating unit (TOU); Network SouthEast (NSE); general election 1992; privatisation; Thameslink 2000; John Nelson; Informed Traveller project; National Rail Enquiries Service (NRES); management buyout (MBO) bid; British Telecom (BT); joined Railtrack; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL); Thameslink 2000; East London Line (ELL) upgrade; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); proposal to increase franchise terms; Railtrack’s relationship with customers; focus on share price; investment; Thameslink performance since privatisation; GoVia; First Group; personal impact of privatisation; reflections

James Collins interviewed by Chris Kinchin-Smith

2019-01-14
Oral history interview with Georgia Ehrmann, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's office in Avanti offices, London on 18 December 2019. Duration: 50 min. 47 sec. Childhood interest in railways; Chiltern Railways internship; Oxford Cowley branch feasibility report; permanent post in same team; customer engagement using Twitter; comparison with British Rail (BR) management training; Network Development Manager 2015/6; Track Access Manager Northern Rail April 2016; Leeds Institute for Transport Studies course; planning Northern Rail timetable change 2018; need for a whole system view over capacity; Head of Commercial Timetable Strategy Virgin Trains 2018; commercial and operating departments interface; complexity of commercial world and timetable needs; Class 220 Voyager replacement strategy 2022; reflections

Georgia Ehrmann interviewed by David Maidment

2019-12-18
Oral history interview with Dominic Booth, conducted and recorded by Dick Fearn at the interviewee's office in Abellio Headquarters, London on 30 April 2018. Duration: 40 min. 46 sec. Career overview; military approach to management in British Rail (BR); InterCity sector in the East Anglia division at privatisation; setting up Isle of Wight Railway; move to South Eastern Train Operating Company prior to privatisation; management buyout (MBO) bid; sadness over bid failure; beginning of Connex South Eastern; decision to move on; Prism Welsh franchises situation; formation of Welsh Assembly; comparison of passenger rail services before and after privatisation; post-privatisation rail industry

Dominic Booth interviewed by Dick Fearn

2018-04-30
Oral history interview with Nick Brown, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's office in London on 21 August 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 32 min. 38 sec. Early career; Assistant Station Manager Edinburgh Waverley; Polmont accident; Glasgow Central Station Manager; Chris Green; station music; Birmingham International; John Prideaux; sectorisation tensions; Retail Manager West Midlands; Leadership 500; privatisation; InterCity advert; Association of Train Operating Companies; management buyout (MBO) workshops; Richard Brown; Midland Mainline (MML) MBO; British Railways Board (BRB) support; Genesis 125; Paul King; bid progress; access agreements; penalty regimes; liaison with other MBO teams; meetings; Ernst & Young; competitors; franchise awarded to National Express; organisational culture and structure; financial arrangements with National Express; customer service initiatives; staff training; Railtrack; culture; track access process; developing company image; toilet provision; family marketing; market analysis; reflections

Nick Brown interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-08-21
Oral history interview with Dick Keegan, conducted by Frank Paterson in London on the 18th November 2021. Duration 57min. 08 sec. Early career; Kings Cross Development; Kings Cross Parliamentary Bill; Channel Tunnel terminal process and decisions; 1992 Director projects; Staffing at Management Buy Out; Expanding professions skills; Bid to Buy Transmark rejected; development of stand alone business; vendor unit support level; Rejected Bids; Department of Transport directed BRB to accept the offer; Company structure; Operational Research Staff salary directives; Business sold to Peter Watson Group; Personal views; Consultancy Business specialising in rail Infrastructure.

Dick Keegan interviewed by Frank Paterson

2021-11-18
Oral history interview with Professor Jack Cuzick CBE, describing his work on cancer research including the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and breast cancer. Interview conducted and recorded by James Vincenti at the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, London on 29 May 2018. Duration: 75 min. 02 sec.

Professor Jack Cuzick CBE interviewed by James Vincenti

2018-05-29
Oral history interview with engineer John E E Fleming, describing his experiences researching early uses of ultrasound. Interview conducted and recorded by Hina Amjad at the Science Museum in London on 28 June 2018. Duration: 104 min. 41 sec.

John Fleming interviewed by Hina Amjad

2018-06-28
Oral history interview with Dr Helgi Johannsson, describing his experiences as an anaesthetist. Interview conducted and recorded by Selina Hurley at the Science Museum in London on 21 May 2018. Duration: 68 min. 43 sec.

Dr Helgi Johannson interviewed by Selina Hurley

2018-05-21
Oral history interview with Dr Mary Clarke, describing her experiences of working as a haematologist with a speciality in sickle cell disease. Interview conducted and recorded by Muriel Bailly at the Science Museum in London on 29 August 2018. Duration: 71 min. 8 sec.

Dr Mary Clarke interviewed by Muriel Bailly

2018-08-29
Oral history interview with Helen Brewerton, describing her experiences in palliative care and her role as Head of Community Services at Royal Trinity Hospice. Interview conducted and recorded by Maja Neske at the Science Museum in London on 22 May 2018. Duration: 102 min. 03 sec.

Helen Brewerton interviewed by Maja Neske

2018-05-22
Oral history interview with Tom Lynch MBE, describing his experiences as a paramedic and founder of the Emergency Services Cycle Teams and his role as Emergency Services Operations Manager. Interview conducted and recorded by Anna Bloxam at the Science Museum in London on 17 May 2018. Duration: 81 min. 38 sec.

Tom Lynch MBE interviewed by Anna Bloxam

2018-05-17
Oral history interview with Laurel Brumant-Palmer, describing her experiences of living with of sickle cell disease. Interview conducted and recorded by Muriel Bailly at the Science Museum in London on 29 August 2018. Duration: 87 min. 20 sec.

Laurel Brumant-Palmer interviewed by Muriel Bailly

2018-08-29
Oral history interview with Professor Judith Howard, describing her experiences as an X-ray crystallographer. Interview conducted and recorded by Anna Bloxam at the Science Museum in London on 17 April 2018. Duration: 63 min. 33 sec.

Professor Judith Howard interviewed by Anna Bloxam

2018-04-17
Oral history interview with Dr Thomas Best, describing his experiences working in critical care (ICU) and as a Critical Care Consultant at Kings College Hospital, London. Interview conducted and recorded by Maja Neske at the Science Museum in London on 21 June 2018. Duration: 91 min. 57 sec.

Dr Tom Best interviewed by Maja Neske

2018-06-21
Oral history interview with Professor the Lord Ara Darzi, explaining his surgical and political career including the impact of technology on healthcare. Interview conducted and recorded by Barbara Cadge at the Surgical Innovation Centre, St Mary's Hospital, London on 23 May 2018. Duration: 50 min. 46 sec.

Professor the Lord Ara Darzi interviewed by Barbara Cadge

2018-05-23
Oral history interview with Professor Dame Anne Johnson, describing her experiences of working as an epidemiologist with a speciality in HIV, AIDS and seasonal influenza. Interview conducted and recorded by Katie Dabin at the Mortimer Market Centre, London on 6 November 2018. Duration: 121 min. 09 sec.

Professor Dame Anne Johnson interviewed by Katie Dabin

2018-11-06
Oral history interview with Dr John Marks, describing his experiences as a GP after qualifying on the day of the founding of the National Health Service and his role as former Chair of the British Medical Association. Interview conducted and recorded by Rebecca Mitchell at the interviewee's home in London on 9 May 2018. Duration: 94 min. 09 sec.

Dr John Marks interviewed by Rebecca Mitchell

2018-05-09
Oral history interview with John Tilley, describing his experiences as a public health legislator including leading the team at the Department of Health that was responsible for the implementation of smoking policy at the time of the 'bans' (2006-2007). Interview conducted and recorded by Oscar Clarke at the interviewee's home in Kingston upon Thames on 7 June 2018. Duration: 73 min. 57 sec.

John Tilley interviewed by Oscar Clarke

2018-06-07
Oral history interview with Andrew Bliss, conducted and recorded by Gordon Dudman at the interviewee's office at Network Rail, Crewe on 23 March 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 5 min. 16 sec. Early career; changing nature of parcels business; Rail Express Systems (RES); InterCity allowed development of premium parcels business; business needed the support of all operations staff; realisation that privatisation would allow Red Star to control costs; impact of privatisation on decisions as Red Star Manager Birmingham; responsibility for 110 staff; Red Star Production Manager; first steps of privatisation early 1990s; Adrian Shooter (Managing Director Parcels); Ivan Coucher (Managing Director for Red Star); managerial appointments; different priorities of ex-British Rail (BR) managers and external managers; new general managers; appointment as Production Manager; early management buyout (MBO) discussions; early decisions to restructure Red Star; privatisation appropriate for parcels distribution business; outside management practices in Red Star replicated; views on privatisation of Red Star and wider rail industry

Andrew Bliss interviewed by Gordon Dudman

2018-03-23
Oral history interview with Peter Forbes, conducted and recorded by Richard Spoors at the interviewee's home in Wiltshire on 5 June 2018. Duration: 55 min. 15 sec. Early career; Senior Technical Officer (STO) Swansea; Area Civil Engineer Preston; sectorisation; Civil Engineer Regional Railways; creation of Railtrack; creating Railtrack Zone boundaries; British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); separation of renewals and maintenance; Western Infrastructure Maintenance Unit (Western IMU) management buyout (MBO); privatisation of BRIS; leading MBO; relationship with Railtrack; Amey; Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE); new transport fleet; Amey buyout of MBO team; retirement

Peter Forbes interviewed by Richard Spoors

2018-06-05
Interview with Robert Thornton conducted by Richard Malins in Reading on the 12th July 2021. Duration 1hr. 16 min. 59 sec. Career introduction; pre nationalisation structure; move to business structure; creation of architecture and design group; Management Buy out; current role; Development of Modular Concepts; key design issues; signage; British rail corporate identity; use of alphabets and fonts; awareness of Railway heritage; building architecture; Kings Cross St Pancras; Liverpool Street-last British rail in house architectural project; Tiverton parkway Station project; Architecture and Design group role changing; Experience of working with listed buildings; writing his book; changing budget for stations; Station Regeneration Programme; building maintenance and condition of railway station estate is an important benefit of privatisation.

Robert Thornton interviewed by Richard Malins

2021-07-12
Oral history interview with Hugh Fenwick, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the interviewee's home in North Yorkshire on 1 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 4 min. 42 sec. Early career; British Rail Civil Engineering Training Scheme; delegated responsibility and authority; secondment to Doncaster District Engineer 1977; development of Concrete Bridge Design (CBDES) computer programme; designing route for Selby Diversion; land purchase; Resident Engineer for Selby Diversion 1980; Outside Parties Bridge Section Regional Civil Engineer’s Office York 1984; ambitions; role and responsibilities of Works Engineer; East Coast Main Line (ECML) electrification; Organising for Quality (OfQ); changes due to sectorisation; Drawing Office Planning and Control System (DOPACS); renaming of Design Department to York Engineering Services (YES); Self-Accounting Unit (SAU); Leadership 5000; Quality Accreditation BS5750; transfer of civil engineering staff to sectors 1991-1992; employment of consultants; Total Business Management (TBM); re-organisation; realignment of YES; new industry structure; profits made from contracts with sectors; computer aided design (CAD); reporting lines; AD Little consultants; reaction of British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); consideration of management buyout (MBO); working with Railtrack; British Rail Vendor Unit; becoming a limited company; Civil Engineering Design Group (CEDG) Ltd.; British Steel as owners of CEDG; Managing Director British Steel CEDG; success; bids; role; reflections on privatisation process; sectorisation; effects of privatisation; Railtrack/Network Rail issues; vertical integration; effect on personal life

Hugh Fenwick interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2018-05-01
Oral history interview with Tim Stubbs, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in Burton-on-Trent on 2 March 2020. Duration: 38 min. 49 sec. Early career; engineering roles; move to training and development; Personnel Manager for rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) 1994; post-privatisation career; creating of graduate scheme for ROSCOs; British Rail (BR) arrangements for graduate engineers; allocation of graduate engineers to private companies; train engineering service companies (TESCOs) in-house accredited schemes; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) training scheme; Railtrack’s role in graduate training; professional engineering institutions co-operation with new industry; creation of ATOC training scheme; TOC involvement; reflections on career; effects of privatisation

Tim Stubbs interviewed by Brian Clementson

2020-03-02
Oral history interview with David Rollin, conducted and recorded by Richard Malins in Doncaster on 6 March 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 51 min. 47 sec. Early career; gaining commercial expertise with British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL); Project Director for InterCity 225/250; management buyout (MBO) interest; train engineering service units (TESCOs); acquiring business and expansion skills; bid finance; Interfleet deal; Vendor Unit; shares offers; sale of business; business growth; international operations; structure; SNC-Lavalin (SNCL) purchase; railway pensions; organisational culture and structure; bringing British Rail (BR) culture over; SNCL mergers; reflections on career; BREL; Class 91

David Rollin interviewed by Richard Malins

2019-03-06
Oral history interview with Stuart Baker, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session 1) at the interviewee's home in York on 28 November 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 20 min. 5 sec. Career overview; Shift Supervisor Barrow Hill; Total Operations Processing System (TOPS); Relief Manager Preston; Shift Duty Station Manager York; InterCity East Coast; open stations implementation; role of sector and Eastern Region; Prime User concept; Parcels sun-sector; Simon Frazer and Dr John Prideaux (Director InterCity); British Rail (BR) Charter Train business; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Lockington accident; Retail Manager Regional Railways North East (RRNE); passenger transport executives (PTEs); improving station quality; Robert Urie; Mike Hodson; direct reports; Railtrack; track access agreement; train operating units (TOUs) set-up; Paul King; safety case; Ais Gill accident; signalling strike; Railtrack and Safety Case Validation Audit; Regional Railways North East (RRNE) management buyout (MBO) team; Ian Yeowatt; Mersey Travel Ltd. (MTL) bid successful; RRNE last to be franchised; PTEs

Stuart Baker interviewed by David Wharton-Street (session 1 of 3)

2018-11-28