Great Western Coffee Shop

Anybody on ? the first question of the old bus line phones that used to run down the line from signalbox to signalbox.

Hello, I'm new on here. I work for Network Rail on the crossing at Kintbury.
Thirty five years in the industry, TOC Controller, Manager, Signaller at Wokingham, Reading and Oxford. Retired in 2011, came back in 2014 as a crossing keeper as a little retirement job, and finally retiring in September for the fourth time in an illustrious career of good servce and not getting caught. I have a medal to prove it ! 

You can take the man out of the railway, but not the railway out of the man !

I might be able to help out with some questions re the crossings at Kintbury and Colthrop as I can work both places. My views are mine and not of my employers !

A very warm welcome to the forum Billhere.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm lucky enough to have had official visits to Kintbury, Wokingham and Reading and an unofficial one to Colthrop.

Shame I never got to Minety before it went.

I saw first hand the job the Wokingham signaller had with the crossing gates, not sure if it is easier now since the road layout was changed.

Look forward to hearing more of your tales from the railway, even if the best ones have to wait until you have finally retired.  ;D

Yes, welcome indeed.

I say that as a neighbour of Wokingham SB for over 20 years (I can see it now, at least if I bother to get up). So I can say yes, it must be easier to manage now - the traffic lights go red when the wig-wags start, so with the yellow box too the crossing should always be clear when the barriers come down (and I've not seen that not to be true). So no more threatening the drivers with the barriers to get them to move.

But that gives me an idea - how would I set about getting to visit, before its impending closure (2017 last I heard)?

Seconded! (In fact, fourthed). You have eyes here eager for your words!

Thanks for the welcome.

I had a good time at Wokingham, I was there for a year in 2004-5. A younger colleague at Kintbury moved there last year on my suggestion, and he enjoys it. He tells me the proposed closure has been put off for an indefinite period along with a lot of other closures.

I am quite prepared to receive visitors to see how we work. That is not an open invitation, but we had five open evenings for the villagers just over a year ago and had seventy six visitors in total. I have also entertained some of the local Magistrates about a fortnight ago.

My Manager fully supports these visits so I can go ahead when I like to arrange these things, subject to having a second man on to work the crossings while we are chatting.

As for stories I suppose there are a million. I was the Duty Control Manager / Fleet Controller for Thames Trains until they got swallowed up by FGW, at which stage I left and joined NetWork Rail.

Happy days with Thames, they were a capable company, well led, and sadly missed by former employees. Small and beautiful I had a number of ties made especially to mark the end of TT when FGW took over. I sold a large number and they were worn with pride by former staff and in the end FGW issued an order that they were not to be worn.           

One story that came up recently was one night the Padd to Stratford on Avon failed on arrival at SOA. It was due back at 2315 after the theatre closed and there wasn't enough time to get another unit down there so we had to organise buses. Very difficult at 2100 at night. I eventually got one from some obscure company and it did the job to Banbury where we had another unit waiting.

Two nights later I was talking to the staff at Banbury and they asked if I had arranged that bus. When I said yes they asked if I knew it had been a Guide Friday open-top ! Luckily it was a balmy Summers evening, and must have been quite nice up on the top deck.

I'd like to add my welcome to you here as well..I would love the chance to see inside the Colthrop or Kintbury crossings not just because I am interested but I live in Thatcham and have family in Kintbury.

How do we go about finding out about these opportunities?

Have you ever been on duty when the steam specials have come through? I'm guessing you must have done...laws of probability etc

I used to do that. To a lesser extent, I also entertained a number of local "rough diamonds". It entertained me, too.

I was one of the 76 - although not a villager.  Came away with a very good understanding of the work involved with controlling the three sets of gates with a mixture of HSTs, turbos and freights and their different speeds.  Also a Network Rail supermarket trolley token as a momento.  All followed by a couple of pints and a meal in the Dundas Arms - remembering to get back to the station for an up train before the barriers came down.  Cut it too fine and the barriers come down for the train and with no footbridge nine times out of ten you miss the train by the time the barriers go up.

Well worth a visit if you get the chance.