On the track of memories (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

On the track of memories

This year is the 150th birthday of the Evening Advertiser and to mark the anniversary we are running a series of articles on Swindon past, present and future.

Here Kevin Shoesmith looks at what is possibly Swindon's most famous feature the Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway was created by an Act of Parliament in 1835 and the Swindon works closed in 1986 just a year short of its own 150th anniversary.

Tens of thousands of Swindon men worked on the railways, and here are the tales from a few. We will be printing many articles on all aspects of Swindon and we would love to hear your thoughts, views and memories of Swindon.

ALL railwaymen have their own tales to tell. Fred Simpson, 83, of Wavell Road, Pine-hurst, worked his way up the GWR ladder to become an engine driver.

He was made redundant in 1977 after 40 years service but for him one memory stands out.

He said: "It was November 1942 and I was a coal shoveller.

"One day as we were approaching Bristol railway station we heard loud explosions all around us. It became obvious we were in the middle of a German aid raid.

"We didn't even have time to take proper cover. The incendiaries came hurling down, sending the glass in the carriages flying.

"A 60ft section of track in front of us was ripped up. The track behind us was also damaged, which meant we were stranded."

That day Fred had started his shift at 1.30pm. As a result of the air raid he didn't get home until 11am the following morning.

"It was extremely frightening and I was certainly in need of some kip when I got home."

In 1955 he became a driver. One of his most hair-raising moments was when a coupling broke near Keynsham.

"I was driving a diesel at the time and I heard a strange noise," said Fred.

"Fortunately, I managed to put the brakes on and stop the train in time. The train had separated in two.

"They had told me that it was impossible for a coupling to break but it certainly did. It scared me to death."

Roy Blackford, 74, of Collett Avenue, Rodbourne Cheney, started his working life as a 14-year-old GWR apprentice in June 1944.

"It was D-Day for Europe and D-Day for me," he said.

He remembers why snow never settled at the railway works even though it had puzzled other people.

Mr Blackford said: "Even during the severe winter of 1947 when we had a lot of snow, the area just to the east of the present site of North Star College always remained clear.

"All the railwaymen knew it was because of the burning carriages.

"When the carriages came to be scrapped we would dump them there along with the hot ashes from the works.

"But for some strange reason the college developers never got to hear about this.

"The ground was literally on fire, and over the years the heat had built up."

Under a deal struck with management, employees were encouraged to get their sons into the industry.

After two years spent in the shop two, which was where all the sawing was done, Roy was transferred to Shop Seven, which was responsible for putting the finishing touches to the carriages.

By this time, production had been stepped up following the war years.

"People used to say that a tree trunk came in one end and a carriage came out the other," he said.

In 1962 hundreds in his department were made redundant, following a drop in demand.

But things picked up slightly in 1974 and many got their jobs back.

It was short-lived however.

In March 1986 production hit an all-time low.

Roy and a handful of others stayed for a further 15 months to wind the factories down for good.

Bill Maynard, 79, of Avenue Road, Old Town, entered the GWR in 1940 as a maintenance carpenter. He stayed there until the works shut in 1986.

For him, the GWR was a close-knit community.

"There was a real family atmosphere about the place," he said.

"Everybody had a laugh and a joke. We all used to wind up the apprentices.

"One of the favourites was to ask the young lads for some skyhooks.

"Off they'd go and eventually they'd trot back saying they couldn't find any."