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Author Topic: 60 years a signalling engineer  (Read 1607 times)
grahame
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« on: June 15, 2020, 17:02:39 »

From the York Press

Quote
A SIGNALLING engineer from York has chalked up a remarkable 60 YEARS working in the railway industry.

Rod Price joined British Rail as a 16-year-old in 1960, when most of the trains were steam and there were semaphore signals.

Now at 76 - when most people have long since retired and put their feet up - he’s still working, having adapted to a raft of dramatic technological changes in the industry over the decades.

Although he now works part time, Rod, now of Hungate but formerly of Appletree Village, is still out in the signal boxes most weekends, supporting less experienced staff.  ...

Congratulations, Rod.   

Reminds me ... of 'old times'.  My Dad joined a company from School and retired from that company a lifetime later - though with retirement generously before state pension age to give him and my mum a very, very long and active retirement.  Mind, each to their own career; it sounds like Rod has remained in the same field for 60 years where Dad move through roles to end up in a position that wouldn't have even been dreamed of when he started.
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« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2020, 17:45:30 »

Makes my 45 years look part time  Grin
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« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2020, 18:15:04 »

A very appropriate name too, for someone who joined in the era when semaphores were common place.  I wonder what name relating to modern signalling equipment a new joiner might have?
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rower40
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« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2020, 18:25:42 »

A very appropriate name too, for someone who joined in the era when semaphores were common place.  I wonder what name relating to modern signalling equipment a new joiner might have?
Terence Edward Gram.  Known to his colleagues as Tel E. Gram.
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2020, 19:07:30 »

A very appropriate name too, for someone who joined in the era when semaphores were common place.  I wonder what name relating to modern signalling equipment a new joiner might have?
Terence Edward Gram.  Known to his colleagues as Tel E. Gram.


John Bull's daughter Kay was delighted that gender equality arrived and she could join in the electronic age.
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« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2020, 08:28:42 »

Our own S&T (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer must have clocked up a few years as well?
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« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2020, 14:36:15 »

Our own S&T (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer must have clocked up a few years as well?

I'm only a youngster in comparison.  Fifty-one years for me this coming August Cheesy

I worked with Rod Price when I was Tester-in-Charge of the signalling for the new Eurostar depot at North Pole International in 1992 (now the Hitachi IET (Intercity Express Train) depot).
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« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2020, 13:47:29 »

Congratulations S&T (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer; well survived so far!
Good to see not all knowledge has been lost by all the changes over the years  Grin
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« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2020, 10:09:36 »

I joined BR (British Rail(ways))(WR) in 1973.  47 years ago.

I didn't stay long - the invitation to join the West Somerset Railway as its first Operating Superintendent in February 1976 was an interesting challenge and I knew that the Divisional management at Bristol were already scheming to abolish all the mechanical signalling in the Westbury area and that I'd likely be redundant soon anyway, being a recent joiner.

I just got the grant of my Railway Pension from Avivia.  I can have a taxable £47 lump sum, or can take £2.70 per year guaranteed for five years.  Riches I'd not even dreamed of back in the 1970s
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« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2020, 10:43:40 »

I joined BR (British Rail(ways))(WR) in 1973.  47 years ago.

I didn't stay long - the invitation to join the West Somerset Railway as its first Operating Superintendent in February 1976 was an interesting challenge and I knew that the Divisional management at Bristol were already scheming to abolish all the mechanical signalling in the Westbury area and that I'd likely be redundant soon anyway, being a recent joiner.

I just got the grant of my Railway Pension from Avivia.  I can have a taxable £47 lump sum, or can take £2.70 per year guaranteed for five years.  Riches I'd not even dreamed of back in the 1970s
Don't spend it all at once!  I would take the £2.70 a year, as unless you are in poor health it should be worth more. And more to the point, it must cost them much more than the amount paid to administer and pay the pension, so it's quite likely they will make you a significantly better offer to get shot of the thing some time in the future.
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TonyK
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« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2020, 16:53:49 »

I joined BR (British Rail(ways))(WR) in 1973.  47 years ago.

I didn't stay long - the invitation to join the West Somerset Railway as its first Operating Superintendent in February 1976 was an interesting challenge and I knew that the Divisional management at Bristol were already scheming to abolish all the mechanical signalling in the Westbury area and that I'd likely be redundant soon anyway, being a recent joiner.

I just got the grant of my Railway Pension from Avivia.  I can have a taxable £47 lump sum, or can take £2.70 per year guaranteed for five years.  Riches I'd not even dreamed of back in the 1970s

I know a financial adviser, who will give you his advice for a mere £48.
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