False Starts, Near Misses and Dangerous Goods

Railwaymen's Stories about the Challenges of Running a Railway

Geoff Body, Ian Body

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2017
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• eBook ISBN:
  9780750982122
• Subtopic: Rail Transportation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Running a railway is a complex business beset with drama. The operation of heavy equipment at speed, twenty-four hours a day, across the full length of the country and using extremely technical signaling, track and mechanical engineering is no mean feat and throws up a constant stream of challenges. Fortunately, the highly professional railway staff are ready to deal with these daily obstacles using their expertise, dedication and, as is so often required, a sense of humor. Here Geoff Body and his son Ian have collated a selection of entertaining and revealing anecdotes that illustrate just how unexpected working on the railways can be.

Table of contents

• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction, Sources and Acknowledgements
• Glossary
• A Couple of Near Misses (Bill Parker)
• What’s on Next Week? (Jim Dorward)
• Course Fare (Geoff Body)
• Drama at Chester (Peter Whittaker)
• Reprieve (Philip Benham)
• Strike Service (Philip Benham)
• Off the Road – Again (Bryan Stone)
• Nocturne at Haymarket (Harry Knox)
• Less than Grand Openings (Ian Body)
• Train ‘Gapped’ (Jim Gibbons)
• The Show Must Go On (Mike Lamport)
• False Start (Geoff Body)
• North of Shaftholme Junction (Donald Heath)
• A Right Regular Royal Train (Bill Parker)
• Reward? (Geoff Body)
• The BR Representative – for Rabbits! (Jim Dorward)
• Knowing One’s Place (Ian Body)
• Polmont 1984 (Peter Whittaker)
• Joint Road and Rail Office (Geoff Body)
• Anglia Region Control Office (Chris Blackman)
• Honestly, I Want to Pay for a Train (Ian Body)
• Happy Birthday (Don Love)
• No. 1 Pump House, Sudbrook (Geoff Body)
• The Railway Inspectorate (Bill Parker)
• Railway Inspectorate Inquiries (Bill Parker)
• Lodgings and Digs (Geoff Body)
• Britannia Bridge Drama (Brian Arbon)
• Anglia Train Planners (Chris Blackman)
• A Lesson to be Remembered (Jim Dorward)
• One Way Only (Jim Dorward and Bill Parker)
• Putting on a Show (Mike Lamport)
• A Lonely Funeral (Colin Driver)
• In the Bleak Midwinter (David Barraclough)
• Back to Normal (David Barraclough)
• Seaside Summer (Geoff Body)
• Reservation Challenges (Ian Body)
• The Scottish Television Train (Jim Dorward)
• US Railroad Stations and Buildings (Theo Steel)
• New Stationmaster (Fernley Maker)
• On from Northfield (Fernley Maker)
• The Loco (Geoff Body)
• The Great East Midlands Storm (Chris Blackman)
• Scientific Services (Brian Arbon)
• Filming Gaffer (Chris Blackman)
• Quick Thinkers and Slow Thinkers (Ian Body)
• Yesterday’s Tools, Yesterday’s Skills (Bryan Stone)
• North American Interlude (Jim White)
• The Return (Jim White)
• Derailments (David Barraclough)
• More Derailments (David Barraclough)
• It Can Now Be Revealed (Philip Benham)
• The Pay Run (Ian Body)
• Winteringham and Frodingham (Bill Parker)
• Royal Moments (Philip Benham)
• Merseyside Reflections (Jan Glasscock)
• Dangerous Goods (Philip Benham)
• Sometimes Almost Fiction (David Barraclough)