Girls in the loco shed!
Recently a woman visitor told us of a clandestine visit to a busy loco shed. When she was a child her father was a loco driver and at that time engine crews were allowed, and probably encouraged, to bring their sons to see the locomotives and experience something of the life of the railway family. Only boys though.
Our visitor told how she and her sister had their hair tied atop their heads and covered with caps, put on trousers and jackets and, thus disguised, were taken by their proud father to see the locos. They both loved it.
Give a friendly wave
In the past it was not uncommon for passengers to give a wave of thanks to the crew as they walked past the loco on leaving the platform at the end of their journey. In fact, the late Queen Mother, unfailingly, after a train journey, walked up to the loco to thank the crew.
Recently a visitor who had been driving modern passenger trains became disillusioned by what he saw as a lack of courtesy from his passengers. His solution was to move to hauling freight traffic.
