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Thread ID: 87160	2008-02-10 22:17:00	Any 1940s, 1950s, 1960s railway workers about?	Roscoe (6288)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
639326	2008-02-10 22:17:00	Did you used to work on the railways in the steam (or later) era? Engine drivers, firemen and guards in particular. I am interested in railway history in NZ. I have heard conflicting stories of the method of despatching a passenger train. My recollection is (the stationmaster?) ringing the station bell, the guard showing the driver his little green flag, the driver acknowledging with his whistle and away they went. I have worked for a government department myself and the practice in the Post Office was to have everything carried out in a standard fashion so any worker could be transferred to any town from any town and find the way of doing things was the same. I assume the railways did that too. NZR being a government department at the time would (I imagine) have the same practice all over the country. If that is the case, I would have thought that there would be no difference despatching a train anywhere from Opua to Bluff. My recollection is from riding the railcars and mixed trains (behind an Ab) up and down the Kaikoura Coast in the early 1960s. Is my recollection correct, missing something or completely incorrect? Thanks, people.:thumbs:	Roscoe (6288)
639327	2008-02-11 08:08:00	Your procedure for dispatching a train is pretty right except the use of a station bell was not common. The railways were and are a very rule bound organisation and there are quite heavy penalties for rule breaches. In fact up to the 1970's any offenders had their name and punishment published and circulated around the Dept. It used to amount to 60 or so names a month. The principle document which governs the behaviour of all employee's was the rule book, from memory about 200 pages thick and consisted of 150+ rules and a like number of Signalling regulations. In addition each branch of the railway service, ie traffic, engine staff and ways and works branch had its own code governing its members again about the same thickness as the rule book. Engine and traffic staff had to know the documents affecting them pretty much by heart and had to pass exams in the rules to get promotion. The other document governing train running is the working time table, about 300 pages for the North Island and 200 for the South, and apart from the timetable about half of that document covered special conditions and instructions that applied to a specific train or station or situation.	tutaenui (1724)
639328	2008-02-11 08:52:00	Both my father and grandfather worked for NZR, my father up to the late 80's early 90's. I lived my first 10 years in railway settlement in ngaio. This thread has just brought back some great childhood memories. But as for your question I wouldn't have a clue.	plod (107)
639329	2008-02-11 19:45:00	Is it true that heavy steam-powered trains started their trip by actually reversing the train, thereby unloading all the couplings, so that when they then moved forward the load was picked up one carriage at a time? I heard this theory many years ago, and always wondered if it's true. Has a certain logic though doesn't it.	Richard (739)
639330	2008-02-11 19:49:00	Thanks so much Tutaenui. I thought that my recollection was correct. The reason that I asked is that there is an organisation that call themselves "All Aboard" and are organising the centenary of the opening of the Main Trunk. It will take place in Feilding Labour Weekend. I hope to be there. http://www.allaboard.org.nz/ I asked them why they called themselves "All Aboard" as I did not think it was a NZ term but an American one. I had never heard anyone use that term and have only heard it used in American stories, but definitely not in NZ. The reply was: 'All Aboard' is what the guards called out after they blew their whistles to let passengers know the train was about to depart and they should get on board. Very common practice around NZ, even remember it well myself as a child in the South island. Cheers Helen Worboys Manager Feilding Promotion Inc Do you think that sounds correct? I don't. I have travelled trains in both islands up to the mid 1960s and never heard that term at all. I would have thought that if the guard called "All Aboard" after they blew their whistle, the call might be a bit late for any tardy passenger. But I don't think that it was a very common practice, in fact I don't think it was used at all, a fact that seems to be borne out by what you said. Any departure from procedure would have been frowned upon and possibly punished. Does that sound right? So I would think, from what you have said, that any guard who called out "All Aboard" may have been censured and have his misdemeanor published. Thanks so much for your comments. Most appreciated. Plod: I used to live in Wellington many years back and know just where you mean. I imagine the old red units have disappeared from Ngaio these days.	Roscoe (6288)
639331	2008-02-11 21:19:00	Thanks so much Tutaenui. I thought that my recollection was correct. The reason that I asked is that there is an organisation that call themselves "All Aboard" and are organising the centenary of the opening of the Main Trunk. It will take place in Feilding Labour Weekend. I hope to be there. http://www.allaboard.org.nz/ I asked them why they called themselves "All Aboard" as I did not think it was a NZ term but an American one. I had never heard anyone use that term and have only heard it used in American stories, but definitely not in NZ. The reply was: 'All Aboard' is what the guards called out after they blew their whistles to let passengers know the train was about to depart and they should get on board. Very common practice around NZ, even remember it well myself as a child in the South island. Cheers Helen Worboys Manager Feilding Promotion Inc Do you think that sounds correct? I don't. I have travelled trains in both islands up to the mid 1960s and never heard that term at all. I would have thought that if the guard called "All Aboard" after they blew their whistle, the call might be a bit late for any tardy passenger. But I don't think that it was a very common practice, in fact I don't think it was used at all, a fact that seems to be borne out by what you said. Any departure from procedure would have been frowned upon and possibly punished. Does that sound right? So I would think, from what you have said, that any guard who called out "All Aboard" may have been censured and have his misdemeanor published. Thanks so much for your comments. Most appreciated. Plod: I used to live in Wellington many years back and know just where you mean. I imagine the old red units have disappeared from Ngaio these days. the all aboard I can remember being called when on the johnsonville line. The red units are still going I think, but they might of had a paint job. They are due to be replaced shortly (stuff.co.nz)	plod (107)
639332	2008-02-12 06:26:00	They are due to be replaced shortlyshortly (stuff.co.nz) Replaced shortly??? They should have been replaced many years ago. They were shipped to NZ at the beginning of WW2, some not arriving as the ship they were on was sunk by enemy action. On the other hand, it does show you the reliability of electric traction. The body can be falling off but in most cases the electrics are still in good shape. I wonder what year you were travelling the Johnsonville line? The article is interesting. I understand the main reason for keeping the old units for Johnsonville is that some of the tunnels are too tight for the Hungarian units. Perhaps with the new work being done, all that will change. Were you aware that the Johnsonville line is the original line out of Wellington? There was a wooden trestle just past the Johnsonville station, but the grade was too steep for steam and the corners too tight, hence the Tawa Deviation although I don't know if the tunnels go by that name now. The government started building the line but then the Wellington-Manawatu Railway took over the job and ran a private railway to Palmerston North. They were a very innovative company and were eventually taken over by NZR. You might find their story interesting. Thanks for your input, Plod.:)	Roscoe (6288)
639333	2008-02-12 06:45:00	daily from 84-86 on my to and from primary school.	plod (107)
639334	2008-02-12 07:05:00	I have travelled the Johnsonville line every work day for the last 30 years and I have never heard All aboard shouted, indeed I have never heard it called in NZ. If you think about it, its pretty pointless calling all aboard from the end of a 10 coach train, you would never hear it in the front carriages. When the guard gives the right of way signal to the driver he is saying all passengers are aboard,the platform is clear, the train is safe to depart and that he (the guard) is on board. The method of starting a train by bunching up the slack in the couplings would only be used on a long heavy goods train, never on a passenger train as the ride would be very jerky in the rear carriages. I have experienced this in a guards van on a long goods train and going from 0 mph to 5 mph in a split second is not very pleasant if you are not hanging on. Yes the old red turkeys (now painted blue) are still in use and yes the tunnels are too tight for the Ganz units, but also the Ganz units may be a tad underpowered for Johnsonville.	tutaenui (1724)
639335	2008-02-12 08:10:00	All that is most interesting. Thanks, Tutainui. I am aware that your information is possibly available online but I think it is much more interesting and credible when from the horses mouth, if you will excuse the expression. The fact that you said it was never used has vindicated my thoughts. Although my experience does not match yours at all, I was fairly confident that it was not used here. Thanks so much for that. Chuff! Chuff!:)	Roscoe (6288)
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