It shouldn't happen to a guard

With appologies to James Herriot for borrowing the title off one of his well known books, we come to the tale of my annual week guarding on the Severn Valley.
As a fireman, I am far from rare in doing a full week on the footplate (this is the norm on our line) however, as a guard, I am very much in the minority, infact, at the moment, I think I am the only one.
Monday morning, and I arrive at Kidderminster on the bus. It is the week between our two 1940s weekends, and the education department are taking train loads of evacuees to Arley for the day, and with the period bus, lorry and cars about the place, Kidderminster town station presents a very unusual scene.
After breakfast, I go to book on, noteing that I have the same set of coaches all week (which is a bit of a result) and scanning over what is required at the end of each day, so there are no surprises waiting for me.
Set N (the teak set) weigh in at 8 coaches for 262 tons, and seem in good order, the loco is hear early (as the driver also wants his breakfast) the only thing wrong is that the train is in number one engine release line rather than the platform. The set is shunted smartly accross to the vacant platform, and my driver and fireman go for breakfast, while I take down some numbers and weights and make a cup of tea, cursing the fact that I am not allowed anything stronger as it is very hot, and it would have gone down well.
Once we have loaded our passengers, it is noted that a door on 24105, the wheel chair coach, is playing up with the handle remaining vertical, Just my luck that this is also the wheel chair door. After locking the door off, a plastic bag was located to tie round the handle to notify any signalman that may notice that it is known about and locked off, so we start the day, leaving Kidder 5 minutes late.
The locomotive for the day, is GWR 0-6-0PT 5764, and the tough little tank engine is soon put to work recovering the delay, however, detraining 120 odd school kids at Arley (with teachers seeming insistant that they should all leave the train very slowly through one door!) followed by a delay at Hampton Loade waiting for the up train at Hampton Loade. We were, none the less, ready to leave Bridgnorth on time. Pressing the RA button, the train was soon under way, and getting stuck into Eardington Bank. This was where the fun was to start.
Just before Crossing Cottage, I noticed a small lineside fire. There wasn't much I could do from the van, so we caution the down train at Hampton Loade, sure that they can deal with it. However, he delays us at Hampton Loade, with us picking up a further delay as we collect a party of 50 at (Of all places) Country Park Halt.
All things considered, we do very well to arrive at Kidderminster exactly on time, at 2.43.
We would not do so well on our second round trip, our small fire meant the up train was half an hour late at Bewdley, no I will always have a decent go at making time, but even I know when I'm beaten, and to be fair, that was the story of the rest of the day, with us arriving in Kidder still 8 minutes down at the end of the day.
So to tuesday, and again, i have the same set of coaches, with the same driver, this time though, we have 7812, Earlstoke manor at the head of the train, and one of the youngsters has asked if he can come and have a look at what the guards do, this probably been the most eventless day, as the whole day goes smoothly (well one out of 5 has to doesn't it!)
Wednesday, however, is as hectic as tuesday was routine.
"Same weight again Ian?" asks the driver, who today has our third loco of the week, this time being on 42968.
"No John," I said, "Thy washed them last night so they are a bit lighter, 8 for two hundred and sixtey one tons, nineteen hundredweight, one hundred and eleven and a half pounds"
I have never been very good at taking things seriously.
We are delayed leaving Kidder again, this time, mainly by the large school parties getting on, however, this was compounded by as we go to leave, one of the party, either a teacher or a re-enactor, opening a door on the moving train. Things don't improve at Bewdley either, as the up train is again late, and we loose yet more time, however, we do finally make it, on time into Bridgnorth.
I have again been joined by a colleague for this trip, and we leave Bridgnorth right time, and again get held at Hampton waiting for someone else, and loading Large parties again at Highley and Arley mean it is impossiable to pull back any time, we arrive at Bewdley about a minute down, the Down train does like wise. "Great," I think "We'll be right time at Kidder" however, the board stays at Danger, so we wait, and wait.
Eventually I decide to Phone South box, and find that the nice, new telephone is broken, which does little to improve my mood, so it is off to find another phone. I can't get south box, so I ring the north, to ensue that all is well, only to find that the temperature of the day is causing havoc with the pointwork. This gives us a ten minute delay, and one which appears to become a recouring theme for the day.
We loose another 8 minutes at Bewdley on our return, and having recovered all the delay we had incurred earlier, we are back to square one.
We have now been joined by my good friend Lawrence, and I am glad of the large van, so no one is in my way.
For the third time today, the guard is doing all he can to reduce station times, while the driver is using the loco's power to get to line speed as briskly as we can, and this time, there is no delay at Hampton Loade, allowing us to arrive in Bridgnorth exactly on time.
That wasn't to last, as we arrive at Hampton Loade, and await the Down train.
As the down train left, I heard a long blast on the whistle and looked up to see the road still against them. looking out of the van window confirms my thoughts as the bobby is holding a green flag. A descussion with my companions ensues as to what the fault may be, untill I suddenly say, "ooh look, the lights are all out, looks like the juice is off"
"They have emergency batteries," replied Lawrence.
"How long do they last?"
"About 8 hours."
"Looks like the power may have been off all day then, the lamps are definately out."
As expected, we too are flagged past the starter, there is now a lot of emphasis on me to recover time. We are 11 down which is just about the limit for what you can recover without doing anything silly, so we have a go, no passengers at country park, so we sail straght through, and arrive at Highley, not to many people there so 15 seconds later we are moving again.
It is the same at Arley, and we have a fighting chance of a right time finish.
At orchard crossing, we have a green distant, and the Banner repeater in the distance is showing clear, we pass the home at green, and at the inner home, Bewdley south box's distant is also showing green, so it is all resting on the departure from Bewdley, and hoping that 2968's troublesome tender brake behaves it's self. It works perfectly for once, and we can record a right time arrival at Kidderminster, even if the guard and loco crew have had to work hard for it.
Thursday, and a new month, same set once more, and again the same driver, with another change of loco, we once again have the manor, the day is a little wetter so the school parties elected to stay on the train to Bridgnorth, and it was on the return run, that the trouble started. One of the re-enactors got a little carried away in their attempts to avoid being arrested by a policeman, looking for german spys, one of our juniors being in the right place at the right time to administer the nessesary first aid, while I did the paperwork, although it shos how rare such an even is, as I had to seek the assistance of an inspector in what I should do with the accident report form.
The run to Brigdnorth was less eventfull, bar being held at Hampton Loade, once more, awaiting another train.
Taking coal at Bridgnorth prooved to be less polished than it normally is, the loco crew finding that a wagon had been left in the way and so a little shunting had to go on before the loco could be coaled up, meaning we left 8 minutes late, again. At least we managed to do our best, and arrive right time again.
Friday, and I was keen that there should be no late arrival tonight, as I had to drive to Cheltenham Spa, and make a rather tight train connection, so a faultless first down trip was just what the doctor ordered, it was also, not to last, of course!
42968, with her troublesome brakes was again the motive power for our last day of the week.
Leaving Bridgnorth, we slow for Sterns which is still 15 mph, slightly faster than it was before the stabilisation work there, and we accelerated away towards Little Rock, how ever, suddenly the brake went in hard, and we ground to a halt, immediately, I looked out on the right hand side, to see the fireman climbing off the loco.
"Oh hell," I thought, "What have we hit, and began to climb from the van, when I noticed that far from heading for me, Colin was actually heading for an un-remarkable bush. The bush, it transpired, contained his hat, which he had lost on our down trip, a waved appology, and a fit of the giggles from the passengers, and we are away again.
Things went from bad to worse, as the buffet steward came back again looking for a first aider, this time for a little lad who had had his head out of the window as we approached Hampton Loade, and had got a large piece of soot in his eye. So it was more first aid, another accident form, and a slightly concerned guard as this is how reputations are formed!
Our Second down trip was going well untill Arley, where the loco's dodgey tender brake decided to act up again, costing us 8 minutes, time which we couldn't then recover, as yet again, we were delayed by the up train at Hampton Loade.
Even our last up trip could not go smoothly. Yet again, we were delayed at Hampton Loade, 7 minutes had me worrying about how well or otherwise, my trip to Devon was going to go later in the day, at least we had the railway to our self, so a few 15 second station stops later, we are rolling into Bewdley right on time, ready for a crew change. There was an evening diner out that night, and our loco was in use, so I bid farewell to John and Colin, as for my final dash up the hill to Kidder, Dave and Kian were now in charge.
At least I finally got to Kidderminster on time, to tear off downto Devon to meet my good friends Ernest and Baz, but that would be another story.

 

Interesting story of a day as a guard on the SVR.Thanks for posting.

 

not finished yet, keep reading

 

You really live in interesting times (to misquote a chinese proverb!)

Standard gauge lines do not have all the fun - some anecdotes of operations on certain 2' and 15" lines would also make interesting reading!

StoneRoad

 

Thanks StoneRoad! lol, I commented to my friend Lawrence at one point in the week, that we should write down what happens to us, but no one would belive some of it!

 

To be frank, I would encourage anyone who has such stories to write them down. This applies in particular to the early history period of the preservation movement. A lot of the pioneers have already gone beyond communication range! and we need to get the memories recorded before it is too late. This also applies to more recent events, but the urgency factor is not so great.

Stoneroad

ps, once recorded the stories need archiving, at least by the home system (ie the organisation currently controlling that line), and preferably by the NRM (or similar national system) {Perhaps that ought to apply to fora and other internet resources!}

 

agreed, or maybe if any budding authours are reading this and want an idea for a good book.....

 

Having said all that, there are some stories, that once recorded, ought to have false IDs for the main charcters! You just couldn't make some of them up.....

This has got me thinking, I am currently doing the same thing for my 91 year old father, and I shall have to put down a few more of my own memories (not that I think mine are any good)....

StoneRoad

 

lol, yeah, to quote the police squad movies, this is a true story, only the facts have been changed.

 

Yet, even with all the hassles, you seem to run a timetable with ample recovery time, looked at in terms of return trips.

And then there's the "small" compensation of spending your week travelling in a rake of Gresley teaks, plus all those wonderful loco smells drifting past every time you stick your head outside.
I'd swap places with you tomorrow!

 

There is recovery time, but it does require some liveley station work. There is a certain art to being quick without rushing people. I'd have prefered a week in a MK1, I find the van more comfortable, but i am very lucky to be allowed to play with these historical coaches, so i'll not complain.

 

Very true. Also many a tale from the trackgangs perpective but I agree there are some stories that you simply couldn't make up. Thanks olly for posting. Certainly an interesting read.
Regards
Duncan

 

Many thanks, and indeed, I'm sure they would, hopefully this tale has given a few people a smile too, it is a shame many more of the stuff that goes on can not be reproduced as while some is ammusing, a lot is too rude!

 

I've just read this, Ian, and some of it looked very familiar. Would I be right in thinking that the driver was me and the fireman, Mr. A?

John

 

It's been a few years John but I think you may be right.