In which I continue work as a Management Trainee on British Railways.

Monday 11 November
I started at Reading Goods this morning.  Mr. Cooke, the Goods Agent, is very helpful and I have spent much of the time in the yard or the shed.  He showed me an old copy book.  Before the days of carbon paper a copy of a letter in in was made by putting it in a press with a piece of thin paper above it.  This gives a back to front impression.  these sheets were bound ito a book about 2 feet wide by 3 feet high and about six inches deep.

Saturday 16 November
I visited the BTC Museum of Transport at Clapham today. Some of the exhibits were superb but I thought that some of the engines could have been polished up a bit )particularly the D class - SE&CR). Naturally the locomotives were, to me, the most interesting exhibits. These were

1. Rocket The Lion- Liverpool and Manchester Railway- replica of 1829 locomotive.

2. Furness Railway locomotive Coppernob - 0-4-0 No.3. The copper fivebox cover which gives it its name is dented from war damage and could do with a shine up.

3. Three London and Northwestern Railway 2-2 -2 No. 173 "Cornwall” of 1847. A very interesting locomotive, which needs a coat of paint and a cleanup. It is fitted with a pump to feed the boiler.

4. LNWR narrow gauge 0-4-0 “Pet”. 1865. A really small locomotive with the reversing lever outside on the frames - used at Crewe works, I believe.

5. Aveling and Porter 0-4-0 No. 807. This is a well restored locomotive painted a pleasant shade of green, the one cylinder is fixed above the boiler and the power is transmitted by means of a flywheel.

6. BSCR locomotive “Boxhill” - a Terrier class A1, 0-6-0T No. 82. In my opinion this is the most splendid locomotive in the whole exhibition. The livery is magnificent. The main color is yellow ocher (Mr Stroudley's improved engine green!) surrounded by brown. The frames and buffer beams are a wonderful dark maroon and these are lined out in a very complex manner. The whole effect is magnificent and is completed by the name emblazoned across the tanks in guilt lettering. It makes the present color scheme look very mediocre.

7. LNWR “Hardwicke” 2-4-0 No. 790. A veteran of the races to the mnorth

8. LSWR 4-4-0 No. 563. In good condition but the apple green Livery seems a bit gaudy - particularly as it is placed next to “Boxhill “

9. GER 2-4-0 No. 490. Very well preserved. The cab is very spacious and the wooden cab interior is varnished which sets it off very well. One thing that struck me was that the fireman must have had a long swing from the tender across the lengthy cab to the firebox.

10. SE&CR 4-4-0 No. 737. I was rather disappointed with this engine, it was one I was most looking forward to seeing, the brasswork and copper capped chimney could have done with a good polishing. Again, compared to Boxhill” the livery is rather poor, this is the fault of the actual colors and not the restoration. The SE&CR” on the tender axle box covers is picked out in yellow - rather gaudy. The SE&CR coat of arms is splendidly reproduced upon the splashers. In spite of my slight disappointment it is a very fine locomotive. The cab is again very roomy with good seating above the rear wheels. SE&CR steam reversing gear is fitted.

11. Midland Railway 4-4-0 No period 100, 1902. The first of the famous Midland compounds, in the Splendid Midland Railway crimson lake livery. Right hand driving but I was interested to see the standard type of LMS brake application valve.

Monday 18 November
I went up to London to a Joint Consultative meeting but was turned out because the unions objected.

Saturday 23 November
I came home from Reading to Orpington by a novel route this morning.  I caught the 09.45 steam train to Redhill.  We left Guildford three minutes late at 10.54 and were three minutes late into Redhill at 11.49.  We were hauled by a Southern 2-6-0 (I didn't get the number).  The engine seemed to cope with the two coaches quite well but I think the service could be speeded up.  The train was old Southern straight-sided coaching stock, one compartment and one saloon.  At Redhill, the train reverses and forms the 12.11 to Tonbridge.  We had another 2-6-0, a U class.  I changed to the saloon coach which was extremely comfortable.   What a difference. Before Redhill, the train was almost empty and very slow. After Redhill, it was packed with people standing and the service was much faster.  The 2-6-0 really had to work hard to maintain the schedule.  The driver was using a long cut-off and then notched her right up without any intermediate stages. This section of line is much flatter and we reached quite high speeds.  At Tonbridge I caught the 13.14 electric train to Orpington which arrived at 13.35 - extremely good service.  The weather was quite bright and I enjoyed the trip through the Surrey and Kent countryside.

Monday 25 November
I spent this week at the British Railways School of Transport at New Lodge, Windsor - a course for all Western Region Trainees.  The theme was "Movements".  I very much enjoyed the week and got quite a lot out of it.  On Tuesday, we visited the new panel signalbox at Slough and the West Drayton Coal Concentration Depot.  The signalbox was particularly interesting - it was fascinating to watch the route being set up in a row of white lights and then to see these change to red when the section was occupied.  The panel is duplicated by another panel which shows the train identification.

The School of Transport at Windsor was also used to train the restaurant and dining car kitchen and serving staff while we were the guinea pigs eating at table.  The meals were very elaborate, with many courses, lots of cutlery etc.  By Wednesday some of us were skipping courses and by Friday a couple skipped a meal.  I remember a wonderful chicken curry which was served with Bombay Duck.