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George Stephenson on the floor of NRM

1975
Headboard (replica), London & North Eastern Railway, "Flying Scotsman", A4-type black letters on white background, between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, officially adopted in 1923, ran non-stop to Newcastle from 1927 and non-stop to Edinburgh from 1928. This is a replica of the headboard designed by Eric Gill and attached to the train 21st Nov. 1932.

Replica headboard, Flying Scotsman

1978
Made during the interview training session. The Interview was between a career Signalling and Telegraph Engineer and a career Traction and Rolling Stock Engineer, whose careers were both with British Rail. 3.1496 x 2.8346 x .315 in.

Robin Nelson/David Russell

2000-04-17
Made during the interview training session. 1940s-1990s. relief station clerk; personnel; traffic management scheme; reorganisation; local departmental committees; sectional councils; trade unions; business-led organisation; privatisation; Lincoln; Doncaster; Retford; York; Sheffield; Leeds. : 3.1496 x 2.8346 x .315 in.

Vessey, John

2000-04-17
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
Five magnetic reel-to-reel 1/4" audio tapes recorded on 16 and 17 November 1976 or 1982 at a conference for railway engineers. The tapes are numbered from 1 to 5. According to the notes inside the tapes’ cases, each tape corresponds to the recording of a session of the conference, with main speakers and questions from attendance, with a total of about 90 male participants throughout all sessions. The sessions were likely led by Dr Saunders. Several of these participants have been identified as British Railways workers who worked all or a part of their career in York or Yorkshire area. The following individuals may have participated to these sessions: Ken Appleby (Area Manager, York and Divisional Office, Leeds), John Bellwood (former LNER and BR, shed master, and Chief Mechanical Engineer at the National Railway Museum from 1975-1988), Geoff Bird (shed master at York), Alan Clothier (Divisional Maintenance Engineer, Newcastle), Eric Dalton (Divisional Manager Leeds), Arthur Dean (Chief Civil Engineer, York), Arthur Dytch (Deputy General Manager, York), Mike Fossett (Management services, York), Gordon Graham (Regional Operating Manager, York), Dick Hardy (shed master in East Anglia and at Stewarts Lane, Battersea), John Holt (British Railways Board Operations, York), Ernie Jefferson (Area’s Manager Organisation, Hull), George Mackie (Divisional Manager, Leeds), Mr McGregor (Divisional Manager, Hull), Geoffrey Myers (Deputy General Manager, York, and Vice Chairman of British Railways Board), Stanley Raymond (General Manager, York), John Thompson (Divisional Manager, Newcastle).

Five audio tapes of recordings with British Railways workers mainly based in York and Yorkshire area

1976-1982
One magnetic reel-to-reel 1/4" audio tape, recording of William Withuhn (Bill), talking to staff at the National Railway Museum: ‘Collecting: an American view’. Bill Withuhn talks about his experience as a curator (transportation) at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA. Recording made on 18 May 1992. Original master recording. 10 inch reel, 4 tracks, recorded at 7 1/2 ips, DBXI.

Audio tape, William Withuhn (Bill), transportation curator at the Smithsonian Institute talking to NRM staff

1992-05-18
Digital audio tape (DAT) of oral history interview with Sylvia Moss, conducted and recorded by Janet Davidson at the National Railway Museum, York, on 5 March 2001. The interview focuses on Sylvia's reminiscences of railways and holidays.

Sylvia Moss interviewed by Janet Davidson

2001-03-05
Digital audio tape (DAT) of oral history interview with Colin Cameron, conducted and recorded by Janet Davidson at the National Railway Museum, York, on 5 March 2001. The interview focuses on Colin's reminiscences of railways and holidays.

Colin Cameron interviewed by Janet Davidson

2001-03-05
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
Mini disc recording of David Ward being interviewed by William Kent during the interview training session. 1931- 1990s. Topics: Royal Engineers; marshalling yards; traffic apprenticeship; Regional Training Committee; Whitemoor Yard; Terminals & Cartage Manager; management culture; Passenger Marketing Manager, LMR; sectorisation; special trains; Places: Barnsley; Norwich; Ipswich;

David Ward

2000-04-17
tracer, District Civil Engineer's Office; trainspotting; permanent way training course "A"; draughtsman; permanent way work; continuous welded rail; permanent way renewal; concrete sleepers; senior technical assistant; computerisation renewal of ways (CROWS) ; area civil engineer; saloon inspection; track possession; North Eastern Railway; London Midland Region; Eastern Region; York; Tollerton; Scarborough; York Technical College; East Coast Main Line; Doncaster; London King's Cross; Ferrybridge; Darlington; Peterborough; Crewe; Leeds;

Woodcock, George William

2001-12-03
Made during the interview training session. 1950-90s. Topics: management training; BRB Community Unit Places: Bletchley; Norwich;Watford, P. Pay, T1 childhood, Second World War; T2 joining railway, 1950, junior porter/signal lad; junior booking & parcels clerk, Hendon; NationalService; T3 national Service; training, 1957; railway mayors; T4 ambition, Relief Stationmaster; T5 training, Rules & Regulations; traffic apprenticeship exam; Accounts Office; management, staff; Area Manager, Bletchley, 1965; T6 National Sundries Scheme, 1968; containerisation, Freightliners; Planning Manager; Channel Tunnel, 1971-75; T7 Safety Invigilator, Channel Tunnel, 1994; 1970s, National Parcels Plan; Divisional Operations Manager, Norwich, 1980; T8 night work; J. Crowe T9 family; T10 education; choice of career; T11 BR graduate recruitment; management training scheme; T12 training, staff relations; T13 atmosphere on railway, attitude to trainees; T14 management experiences in different posts; European courses; MBA; T15 closure of Locomotive Depot; Planning Assistant; T16 lecturer at Watford Management Training College; BRB HQ; Cliff Rose; T17 BRB Community Unit, 1988; Peter Parker, Bob Reid; business in community; privatisation; T18 privatisation; redundancy; community enterprise scheme; T19 Bill Parker; family; T20 NAROH; End.

Peter Pay/James Crowe

2000-04-17
Made during the interview training session. Longmoor Military Railway; work study; marshalling yards; Beeching closures; reorganisations; Divisional Operating Superintendent; 1929-1986, Reading; Newcastle; Exmouth; Whitby;

Taylor, Richard Keebil

2000-04-17
Made during the interview training session. c. 1943-1980s Topics: accounts; stores control; Places: Crewe; York; Derby; T1 blank; T2 childhood; family; education; choice of railway career; starting work; Accounts Office; Locomotive Works, Derby, 1943; T3 railway entrance exam; National Service, 1946; T4 National Service, Quartermaster's Stores, Chief Clerk District HQ, Palestine, 1948; return to railway, marriage; T5 1955, accoutancy apprentices scheme; Works Accountant, Crewe; HQ, Marylebone; Lost Property, Goods and Claims Organisation; T6 uniform; Assistant Source Controller, London Midland Region; family; T7 Source Controller, Western Region, 1967; Stores Controller, 1978, York and Derby; redundancy; T8 family; Transmark; Mozambique; yachting; End.

Peter Hornsby

2000-04-17
booking office; freight; working conditions; privilege travel; trade union; pass clerk; trains clerk; reorganisation; area management; advanced traffic information; controller; merry-go-round; Motorail; Total Operations Processing System (TOPS); privatisation; performance; d.o.b. 1950-02-28, railway work: 1966-2002 (on-going), London Midland Region; Great North Eastern Railway; York; Newcastle; South Gosforth; Goswick; Cullercoat; Heaton; Carlisle; Blea Moor; Settle and Carlisle line; Benton; Long Benton; Gateshead; Tyneside Central freight depot; Chester-le-Street; Tyne yard; Basford Hall marshalling yard; Euston; Crewe; Wolverton; Doncaster; Cornwall; Scottish Highlands; Middlesbrough; York and Surbiton college;

Groundwater, Kenneth

2002-02-15
Watercolour, Floor Polishing at NRM, depicts NRM manual attendants: Brian Fearn, Geoff Rhodes and Lou Walters, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 13.3858 x 10.3543 in.

Floor Polishing

1975
Ink and watercolour drawing by Barbara Jones. Interior of Queen Victoria's Saloon. (With a rough pencil sketch and artist's signature on the back)

Interior of Queen Victoria's Saloon

Watercolour, two men working on Weatherhill Engine, one of a series of five sketches showing preparation work on the Weatherhill Engine prior to NRM opening, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 13.3858 x 10.4331 in.

Two Men Working on Weatherhill Engine

1975
Watercolour, back of man on ladder working on Weatherhill Engine, one of a series of five sketches showing preparation work on the Weatherhill Engine prior to NRM opening, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 18.1102 x 14.685 in.

Back of Man on Ladder Working on Weatherhill Engine

1975
Oral history recording; Expanding National Archive of Railway Oral History; Douglas Harrison; housing; railway community; memories of individuals; management grades; pre-grouping; Big Four; British Rail; National Service; First World War; Second World War; retirement activity; charity work; pre-war; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s; Dr Beeching; Newcastle; Gosforth; Birtley; Middlesbrough; York; Leeds; Derby; Doncaster; Londonderry; Darlington; Hull; Hornsea; Shildon

Harrison, Douglas

2006-11-16
Watercolour, Tender of (Midland Railway locomotive) 1000 coming into Museum, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 18.1102 x 14.685 in.

Tender of (Midland Railway Locomotive) 1000 coming into Museum

1975
Oral history interview with David Ward, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 24 January 2020. Duration: 52 min. 34 sec. Career overview; InterCity changes; Class 43 High Speed Train (HST) moved from British Rail: Western Region to Midland Main Line (MML); Special Trains sub-sector; sleepers; Northern Belle; catering vehicles; profit centre remit; Royal Train; Venice-Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) in UK; separation from InterCity 1994; preparation for privatisation; Charles Belcher Managing Director; Cyril Bleasdale; John Prideaux; Chris Green; commendations from customers; sale of Special Trains rolling stock and locomotives to McAlpine/Waterman consortium; Flying Scotsman Enterprises; distribution of assets; retirement; reflections; Adviser to Marchington owner of Flying Scotsman; sale to National Railway Museum (NRM); involvement with Settle & Carlisle Trust

David Ward interviewed by Frank Paterson

2020-01-24
Oral history interview with David MacLean, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 10 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 39 min. 48 sec. Personal background; apprenticeship; Signalling & Telecoms (S&T); merger; microwave radio Doncaster to Edinburgh; public address systems; King's Cross test bed; Anglia Region; Contracts Manager responsibilities; project management relationships; Organising for Quality (OfQ); establishment of British Rail Telecommunications (BRT); safety; approach to job; attitude to privatisation; John Drake; shadow train operating companies (TOCs); preparing for sale of BRT; Racal culture change; share value; trade unions

David MacLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-06-10
Oral history interview with Christopher Austin, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 August 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 18 min. 32 sec. Early work with London Transport; Parliamentary Affairs Manager 1987; remit; correspondence with politicians; evidence to Select Committees; Robert Adley; Peter Snape; Gwyneth Dunwoody; sectors; politician’s issues; contacts and access to politicians; promotion of railway private bills; Peter Snape; briefing for debates; weekly analysis of potential issues; relationships with civil servants; private bills second readings; political party conferences; Adam Smith Institute; Transport 2000; Railway Bill; second reading February 1993; separation of track from trains; Railtrack sale; scrutiny process; House of Lords process; railway pensions and travel facilities; British Railways Board (BRB) excluded from bidding for train operating companies (TOCs); personal impact; London, Tilbury and Southend (LTS) ticket fraud; John Welsby weekly meetings; Bob Reid 2

Christopher Austin interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-08-13
Oral history interview with John Ellis, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 26 February 2019. Duration: 3 hr. 5 min. 35 sec. Career overview; General Manager British Rail: Scottish Region; sectorisation; Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE); General Manager British Rail: Southern Region; Chris Jago; Michael Holden; no adverse trade union reactions to sectorisation; transition; Dick Fearn; Deputy Director Network SouthEast (NSE); Deputy Director InterCity; sleeper services withdrawal; Jimmy Knapp; John Prideaux; Chris Green; Ivor Warburton; InterCity broken up; Chris Green letter from John McGregor (Secretary of State for Transport); move to Railtrack Production Director; John Edmonds not involved organisational structure; Joint Industry Combined Track Access Regime (JICTAR); Chris Stokes; performance regime; relationships; Chris Leah; Chris Jago; Martin Shrubshole; signalling strike; JICTAR; development of delay attribution principles and track access charges; track condition register absence; delay attribution disadvantageous to Railtrack; Tom Winsor; tight timescales; John Edmonds; separation of track from trains; relationship between Railtrack and train operating companies (TOCs); signalling strike; Managing Director Scotrail; politics; SPTE; Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE) regime; Malcolm Reed; management buyout team (MBO) team; workload; Paul King; National Express won franchise; savings not realized; John Edmonds management style

John Ellis interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-02-26
Oral history interview with Dr. Malcolm Reed, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 37 min. 59 sec. Academic career; Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE); relationships; Chris Green; John Ellis; financial disputes; value for money review; Organising for Quality (OfQ); interactive processes on costs; rolling stock replacement programme; service improvements; privatisation political concerns; process of Railways Bill; lobbying; personal involvement in European developments; separation of track and trains issues; Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA); limited involvement of Scottish Office; John Swift and Roger Salmon visits; performance regimes; Chris Stokes; relationships with new industry bodies and companies; Roger Salmon; ScotRail issues; National Express success; relationships; timescale for privatisation; PTEs role in privatisation; investment due to privatisation; comparisons with current franchise process; Network Rail; Chief Executive Officer Transport Scotland 2002; recovery of £260 million investment in stock and infrastructure

Dr. Malcolm Reed interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-06-13
Oral history interview with Christine MacLean, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 3 January 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 1 min. 5 sec. Signalling & Telecommunications (S&T) Tracer Stratford; Property Board York; training as surveyor; selling closed railways; Whitby to Scarborough; selling railway houses; Selby diversion land purchases; cash flow; British Rail Investment Services created; Hull Dairycoates sale; Anglia Region 1989; property management; joined Railtrack; station leases to train operating companies (TOCs) prior to franchises; Railtrack information technology (IT) difficulties; retirement; Railtrack unrealistic targets

Christine MacLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

2020-01-03
Made during the interview training session. charter trains; train planning; special trains; traffic apprenticeship; training; family; entry clerk, Special Traffic Dept, Liverpool Street Station; duties; charter train bookings; clerk, Coaching Stock Control Office; clerk, CSCO; Bank Holiday demand; balancing stock; balancing North-South demand; resort traffic; August Bank Holiday; methods for balancing trains; running out of coaches, Peterborough-Yarmouth; stock returns; formal arrangements for coaching stock; rationalising special train paths; natural wastage of stock; traffic apprenticeship exam, 1957; training; training on the job; variety of experience, fireman; Assistant Operating Superintendent; reflections on training; c.1946-1959

Tellwright, Basil

2000-04-17
Made during the interview training session. 1940s-1980s. Topics: civil engineering; major customers; Transmark; business-led organisation; Royal Engineers; Control; freight train planning; sectorisation; Places: Sheffield, Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham T1-4 blank; P. Boden T5 education; joining railway; T6 training ; National Service, Royal Engineers, 1954; T7 New Works; electrification; 1959, Bridge Assistant, Peterborough; Beeching plans; payment by results scheme, Sheffield; T8 track possessions; home life; Assistant Divisional Civil Engineer (Works), Bristol, 1972; T10 industrial customers, collieries, power stations; family; Sheffield, 1984; rationalisation, business-led organisation; T11 redundancy; Transmark; consultancy; T12 family ; opportunities in BR; T13 BR management; international role; G. Rutter T14 family; railway background, getting a job; T15 railway welfare; T16 Gloucester Control Office, 1940; T17 education, starting work; T18 junior clerk, Cheltenham Lansdown Station, conditions, night turn; T19 travel to work; Cheltenham traffic; T20 Cheltenham; National Service; T21-22 National Service, 1952; ambitions; T23 Control Office, Eastgate Station, responsibilities; T24 derailment; T25 1955 ASLEF Engineman's Strike; driver without route knowledge; T26 route knowledge; Controller duties; T27 duties; Birmingham Snow Hill Control; stolen locomotive; T29 stolen locomotive; T30 lodgings, 1950; Western Region HQ, Freight Train Office, 1961, conditions, pay; T31 FTO work; Head Office; Freight Train Planning ; marriage; 1960s, oil traffic; T33 housing; Regional HQ, Swindon, 1983; promotion; T34 control of FTP; business customers, Esso; T35 oil distribution terminals; planning freight; quality; T36 road freight; strikes; T37 road freight; T38 family; reorganisation, Head of FTP (WR), 1983; T39 role; 1984-85 NUM Strike; T40-41 sectorisation; redundancy; T42 family; T43-44 Transmark, NRM; End

George Rutter/Peter Boden

2000-04-17
chairman, British Rail; management pay; Richard Beeching; Barbara Castle; Harold Wilson; Roy Jenkins; Bill Johnston; public sector working; secretaries of state; role of BR Board; management; trade unions; parliamentary select committees; audits; public relations department; Will Camp; Terence Conran, design needs; David McKenna; Channel Tunnel; balance sheet of change; Rail Council; difficulties of implementing change; electrification; corporate advertising; Transmark; railway community; business sectors; accounting; privatisation; freightliner; Bob Reid; hotels; shipping; Bloody Men's Club; time management; visits out; politicians; civil servants; industrial action; resources; motivation; chairmen of nationalised industries; social responsibility; d.o.b. 1924-08-30, railway work 1976-1983

Parker, Peter

2001-11-20; 2002-02-05
booking clerk; relief clerk; control; traffic apprentice; stationmaster; work study; commercial planning, cartage; bonus scheme; assistant to district operating superintendent; productivity assistant; Beeching closure proposals; staff consultations; divisional operations manager; operating manager; Transmark; d.o.b. 1925-09-10, railway work: 1942-1982, LMS, London Midland & Scottish Railway; Ilkeston station; Nottingham; Chesterfield; Loughborough; Lincoln; Burton-on-Trent; Derby; Bescot shed; regional headquarters, Euston; Urmston; North West Polytechnic; Hemel Hempstead; Manchester London Road; The Grove, Watford; Liverpool Lime Street; Leicester; Liverpool-Southport; Liverpool-Ormskirk; Birmingham; Ely; Norwich; Melton Mowbray; Peterborough; Preston; Cardiff; York; Crewe; Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong marshalling yard; India, Baroda, Madras, Bombay;

Henshaw, Eric

2002-04-23
Made during the interview training session. Topics: Dutch railways; Dutch railway preservation; Places: Holland T1 railway family background; T2 father's work; T3-4 blank; T5 childhood, education; railway interest; T6 railway museum; T7 Dutch locomotives; T8 light railways; investment; T9 integrated transport system; T10 Dutch railway development; T11 Dutch railway museums; T12 Dutch interest in railways; T13 replica engines; End.

van den Broeke, Rene

2000-04-17
Made during interview training session. stationmaster; traffic apprenticeship; Beeching closures; reorganisations; East Coast Trains Inspector; Glasgow, Stranraer Town; Burnt Island; British Rail Headquarters; Wales; H Gould: childhood; train spotting; graduate management training; vacation work, porter, guard; staff relations; traffic apprenticeship interview; passenger guard; training; perks; effect on home life; stationmaster, staff management; promotion, general assistant, operating department, British Rail headquarters; Gerry Fiennes; continental department; passenger assistant; regrading; planning department; assistant sales manager, outlets; continental sales manager; reorganisation; passenger manager; I Lockie childhood; music; management training scheme; army; decision to join railway; stationmaster; Beeching closure proposals; train planning department; market research; Bert Gemmell; Secretary to Train Users Consultative Committee (TUCC); staff relations; management style; interest groups; pressure groups; closure proposals, Settle-Carlisle line, misuse of proposal procedures; train planning and research; workplace atmosphere; closures assistant; redundancy; East Coast Trains Inspector;

Hugh Gould/Ian Lockie

2000-04-17
Made during the interviewer training session. civil engineering; Parliamentary Acts; British Rail Board; reorganisation to business-led organisation; royal trains; weather; university; Royal Engineers, Locomotive Officer; Royal Engineers, Palestine; aid to Russia; civil engineering interest; training; 1948 East Coast mainline floods; redesign of bridges; Great Waverley route, loss of bridges; rebuilding bridges; unifying railways under BR; design of bridges; jobs, 1952-59; Parliamentary section; qualifying as civil engineer, 1955; Assistant District Engineer (Glasgow South), responsibilities, laying CWR; personalities; dispute on wooden and concrete sleepers; introduction of CWR; payment by results work study; laying CWR; comparison with modern rail-laying work; Beeching closures; resignalling Glasgow Central; Glasgow cont; inspection cars; inspections; bridge safety; Pway Engineer (Scottish Region); snow clearance; snow clearance; Works Engineer, BRB; effect of moves on family; Chief Engineer (Glasgow); burst water main; flooding from water main; royal train incidents, James Ness (GM), arrest of flag man, royal flowers; planning; Project Engineer, Channel Tunnel, 1970s; Civil Engineer Pway, BRB; Pway Sub-Committee; staff relations; power at Board level; introduction of business-led organisation; John Prideaux; dynamic track stabilisers; business-led organisation, effect on pway research; Director of Civil Engineering, 1985; Research & Technical Committee; Research & Technical Committee; highlights of career; 1940s-1980s Glasgow; London, British Railways Board.

Currie, Stewart

2000-04-17
Oral history recording; Expanding National Archive of Railway Oral History; Geoff Richardson

Richardson, Geoff

2006-12-05
Oral history interview with Richard Gostling, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 3 March 2020. Duration: 52 min. 25 sec. Early career; joined British Rail (BR) Research 1969; Vampire vehicle dynamics software; pantograph design; stoneblower; BR Research becomes a profit centre; relationships; staff uncertainty over privatisation; management buyout (MBO) bid; financing; Peter Watson; Managing Director AEA Technology; bid unsuccessful; contrast with Railtrack; relationships; research offers; culture change; Technical Director Railway Industries Association (RIA); Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE) changed role; fragmentation of BR; reflections on privatisation; quality staff

Richard Gostling interviewed by Frank Paterson

2020-03-03
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 John Saville conducted and recorded by Colin Divall on 5 November 2013, at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes. The interview focuses on John Saville’s passenger experiences on the railways as well as his trainspotting activities. Childhood in Wimborne area, parents, education; living in Wimborne area; [00:06:20] travelling by bus and train to school; school train, push-pull train to Brockenhurst, Weymouth Grammar School and Dorchester Grammar Schools differences; [00:16:20] Afternoon train passenger in late 1950’s; Broadstone, local traffic, Pines Express; travel in local trains; push-pull trains; late 1950’s-60’s Salisbury coach sets, locomotives, winter on Salisbury line; [00:21:40] travel comfort, interior of trains SW coaching stock, Brockenhurst, vans attached to trains; [00:24:10] Creedmoor Halt story; Passengers on Poole- Salisbury train; Parkstone Girls school children; bus and train travel whilst working in Salisbury, Salisbury-Wimborne, details of platform and passengers; [00:32:10] 1963 line closure, other train services, London-Wimborne, Salisbury-Weymouth; tablet loss Salisbury-Wimborne line, implications; [00:37:10] other train journeys, London, Bournemouth Central, Brockenhurst, trainspotting; [00:40:40]1961-1962, holidays in St David’s, train travel Wimbourne-Hungerford-Swansea-Haverfordwest, South Wales-Bournemouth trains, Wimborne-Salisbury Class 4 locomotive, Salisbury-Swansea journey Class 9F locomotive, busy trains, Cardiff-Swansea engine, Swansea-Cockett travel details, Cockett-Haverfordwest journey, passengers, return journey by car; trains running from Cardiff-Bournemouth (1949); lineside fires, firefighting; [00:54:30] Oakley Crossing, crossing keeper, trainspotting, summer Saturday trains, Waterloo-Swanage train; signalling details, bell signals, signal lever pulling, Wimborne and Oakley signals, road traffic usage; [01:04:00] signal box staffing, Oakley Box, Wimborne Box, Michael Webb book, Bill Norman (porter-signalman), split shift working; [01:07:10] developing personal interest in railways, time spent at Oakley, visits to Wimborne station; Wimborne Station detailed description, entrance, cafes, cattle market, station yard, layout, station house details, booking office, parcels office, waiting rooms, etc; [01:30:30] usage of Wimborne station, decline in 1960s, station staff; [01:34:20] station facilities, rooms, bookstall, parcels; [01:37:50] goods yard, goods shed, Poole end shunter cabin, shunting arrangements; [01:40:20] freight, goods trains, Merley; interaction with Wimborne station staff; [01:43:10] travel after railway closure, bus used, details of journeys, Brockenhurst-Wimborne route, car use (from March 1965), other bus route information; [01:46:40] railway after passenger traffic closure; goods trains continued, gradual disappearance of the signals, railway gradually subsided, thoughts on how it could have survived [01:49:52] [end of interview]

John Saville interviewed by Colin Divall

2013-11-05
Oral history interview with Ian Yeowart, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson (session 1) at the National Railway Museum, York on 24 June 2019. Duration: 31 min. 55 sec. Early career; York Travel Centre; Regional Railways; Organising for Quality; Management Buy Out middle managers; preparation for bid outlined; Consultants; presentations to venture capitalists.

Ian Yeowart interviewed by Frank Paterson (Session 1 of 2)

2019-06-24
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
Digital audio tape (DAT) of oral history interview with Margaret Cameron, conducted and recorded by Janet Davidson at the National Railway Museum, York, on 5 March 2001. The interview focuses on Margaret's reminiscences of railways and holidays, including her memories of camping coaches.

Margaret Cameron interviewed by Janet Davidson

2001-03-05
Watercolour, man on ladder painting crossbeam of Weatherhill Engine, one of a series of five sketches showing preparation work on the Weatherhill Engine prior to NRM opening, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 13.3858 x 10.4331 in.

Man Painting Crossbeam of Weatherhill Engine

1975
Watercolour, Hardwicke and the Flying Scotsman, by Edna Lumb, 1975.

Hardwicke and Flying Scotsman

1975
Watercolour, man on ladder working on flywheel of Weatherhill Engine while second man supports ladder, one of a series of five sketches showing preparation work on the Weatherhill Engine prior to NRM opening, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 18.1102 x 14.685 in.

Working on the Weatherhill Engine

1975
Watercolour, man on ladder working on crossbeam of Weatherhill Engine, one of a series of five sketches showing preparation works on the Weatherhill Engine prior to NRM opening, by Edna Lumb, 1975. 18.1102 x 14.685 in.

Man on Ladder Working on Crossbeam of Weatherhill Engine

1975
Two digital audio tape (DAT) of oral history interview with Robin Gray and Chris Ford, conducted and recorded by Janet Davidson at the National Railway Museum, York, on 5 March 2001. The interview focuses on the interviewees' reminiscences of railways and holidays.

Robin Gray and Chris Ford interviewed by Janet Davidson

2001-03-05
Oral history recording; Expanding National Archive of Railway Oral History; Joseph Lee; childhood; religion; memories of individuals; other industries; National Service; retirement activity; charity work; preserved railways; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s; Leeds; Yeadon; Guiseley; Padgate; West Kirby; Lyneham; Hunslet; Swansea; Mumbles

Lee, Joseph

2006-05-03
Oral history recording; Expanding National Archive of Railway Oral History; Gerald Egan; family life; daytrips/outings; BRSA; railway clubs; sport; work culture and relationships; memories of individuals; station master; British Rail; ethnic minorities; National Service; retirement activity; preserved railways; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s; Jimmy Savile; Leeds; Dewsbury; Padgate; Blackpool; Leeming; Wakefield; Horbury; Ossett; Healy Mills; Knottingley; Bradford; Hull; Barnsley; Sherburn

Egan, Gerald

2004-11-16
Oral history interview with Allan McLean, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 June 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 8 min. 12 sec.

Allan McLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

2018-06-13