[petmar]

i have just picked this forum up and interested to read some of the posts regarding the Bo-Bo Electric to which i have the "Metropolitan" version which i purchased around the same time (2018). To clarify some of the info that was put out about the Destination board "Southbound", from Rickmansworth it would show either of the following " Baker street" or "Liverpool Street" or Aldgate. I was a "Signal Box Boy" at Aldgate Signal Box in 1957 when these loco were still very much part of the running timetable. The train was booked to arrive in Platform 2 at Aldgate where the Loco would "Uncouple" and another Loco from a Shunt spur would couple up to the front end and take the service away. the Loco would then travel up Platform 2 and shunt on to the Short Spur for the next "Arrival"

 

[petmar]

[QUOTE="34C, post: 655488, member: 1818"
. I can relate a number of stories of my 44 yrs on the " London Underground ". continuing my reference to " Aldgate Signal Box" there is a Video that was taken in 1987 which can be found on "Youtube" which some of the subscribers may find interesting. The "Shunt Spur" had long gone by this time and some of the other equipment on the Signal Frame had been modified, there is a "Black & White " photo taken in 1957 which shows Signalman Bill Warner and the Frame as it was then which can also be found on "Youtube". There were TWO ends to the frame " Met end to the left and District end to the right ( the Signal box also controlled "Aldgate East" } and when you view the Video one can clearly see the Signalman working both ends, during the morning and evening peak hours the Box was " Doubled Manned" Two Signalmen on early shift and Two on Late Shift and One on Nights also Two " Signal Box Boys " ( ONE AT EACH END) early and late shift ( 6am - 2pm and 2pm to 10pm).
I think that will do for starters and if subscribers wish for more than i will be happy to continue the story of my time on the railway.

 

[petmar]

I was very tempted by the Heljan Metropolitan electric loco, because I could easily rewrite history to a 'what if' scenario to make the KX - Moorgate section over the 'Metropolitan widened lines' of the inner suburban service on the ECML a much simpler operation. Why not work it using electric traction? There's a proven design for the job available, and the electrified section would probably extend North of KX to Finsbury Park for exchange to steam traction; where there is space to provide a flyunder or over to enable the locos to move between the up and down lines without interference to the main line traffic.

The additional attraction of such a scheme is that Gresely's team outlined a very handsome 2-6-4T suburban tank for the GNR using the layout of the successful K3 2-6-0; never constructed because the Metropolitan wouldn't accept it, and the 'quart in a pint pot' N2 had to suffice to operate these services for the following forty years. I may yet get around to the never-wazza Gresley 2-6-4T, a Bachmann K3 and split chassis A4 bogie, Airfix GMR N2 body and some plasticard are all ready and waiting in my project fodder bin.

following on from my first post i referred to the destinations that the Southbound board would show and i forgot to mention that occasionally trains would be diverted to Moorgate especially when there was a problem at Aldgate or Liverpool street. I had a number of rides on the front of a BO-BO and they were a health and Safety nightmare especially for your hearing as they were very noisy and how the Drivers ( some for many years) put up with it over an 8 hours shift i will never know. My very first trip took me for ONE stop from Aldgate to Liverpool Street to get my Signalman his Breakfast at the Canteen at LS . When i boarded the Cab the Driver asked me how long had i been on the railway and at that time it was a matter of a couple of months i then asked him how long had he been with the " Met railway" and he replied that he was soon to retire after 50yrs service which told me he had joined in 1907. It was quite normal to come across chaps who had spent their entire working life on the railway following the fathers and other siblings .

 

[petmar]

I can believe it. Early in my career I was exposed to some industrial plant of similar 1920s design date, and noise, vibration and harshness amelioration were clearly not priorities for the designer! Then again chaps were being sent out on open steam loco footplates for a full shift, and the mechanism could be very worn and rough riding as a result, and that persisted until 1968. I have read some footplate crew accounts of how amazing they found the new diesels in terms of their personal comfort...

Continuing with my earlier days on the " Underground" when I joined in January 1957 straight from leaving school at Xmas it was never my intention to go on to the railway as I have know family background to the industry and as I mentioned in my previous post it was common for families to follow each other on to the railway it was ment to be a " stopgap" before going into the RAF however 44 yrs later( that is another story)
A Signal Box Boy's role was to Register the trains in out of the the Station and pass info on to the next Signal Box, we also had to keep the Box clean which was done at the end of the shift and depending on the Signalman you worked with on duty he might let you work the "Frame" in the off- peak. At that time it was expected that you would be in that role until you were 20ys old , however as " National Service" was still going then most lads were released at 18 to do their 2yrs and then returned into a Adult position on their return retaining all the service history towards promotion, this all changed in 1959 when NS stopped and as LT was short of staff they allowed us Lads to take up vacancies as junior Signalmans at 18yrs old or as some did as train Guards to work ther way to Driver or as it was called then " Motorman"
I was later a " Box Lad" at Morden on the end of the Northern line and then finished my time at Leytonstone Signal Box on the Central line and as I became 18 after the NS finished I was one of the first to be offered a position as a junior Signalman . At first It felt very strange to be in a man's world it was a very exciting as you can imagine.