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

Tuesday 4 February
I have been very busy recently. I've been doing a reasonable amount of getting up early. I have had to do this in order to get down to the stations I have had to visit - Hungerford, Kintbury, Thatcham and Bedwyn. Getting up early does have advantages in that there is time to do things afterwards. One afternoon I had a trip on the old North London line from Broad Street to Richmond. This is a very interesting indeed as it goes over or close to most of the railways in North London. It starts “above” Liverpool Street (GER) and then goes over the GN, Midland, LNW, GC & Met and GW lines. From Richmond I took a train to Staines Central and then came back to Reading on the Staines West Branch to West Drayton which is under threat of closure. I have found some quite interesting old relics at some of the stations on the Berks and Hants line. eg. the petty cash book at Kintbury, which is still in use, and started in 1875. Even more interesting is a ticket issue book (not still in use) at Bedwyn which although printed in 1862 was not started until 1881 - daily takings seemed to range from 16/- to £2. Mr. Ham (SM Bedwyn) give me the two old MSW items (shown in January).

Tuesday 18 February
I have finished my six weeks at the Research/URS Section and am now at Acton Marshalling Yard.  I am finding it quite interesting although I am currently working nights.  I expect I will double back in order that I may be able to leave on Friday to go to Worksop.  It was at night in Acton Marshalling Yard that I was nearly run down by a train. I was walking along a train approaching the engine.  I didn't hear a second train creeping up on me on the line I was walking down.
I went to the Liner Train Exhibition at Marylebone a coupe of weeks ago. the idea is to run these trains to the same standard as coaching stock.

Monday 24 February
From Worksop I travelled to Derby via Mansfield and Nottingham for a two week course for Management Trainees.  We went up to Whitley Bay on the Wednesday evening via Sheffield Midland, Pontefract, York and Newcastle.  The following day we had a look at the Tyne Hump Marshalling Yard.  The yard was very interesting  They can deal with a train quickly but in terms of cost and speed  of making connections I prefer Acton Yard.

Friday 28 February
I returned from Derby to Orpington for Mum's birthday tomorrow.  A type 4 diesel failed and we only had a type 2 which lost half an hour into St. Pancras - and no heat.