STEPPING UP TO THE FOOTPLATE
Much to my father’s horror I started as an engine cleaner on August 14 1961. He had visions of me going into his butchers shop, but I had other ideas.
The process of joining the Railway had been swift and painless. I had visited the BR recruitment centre at Queen’s Drive, the thoroughfare that separated the LNWR side from the Midland side of Birmingham New Street station, I was told, after filling in a form with my personal details, to obtain three references and send them in. This done, after a couple of weeks I was told to report to Queens Drive at 9am for a medical check and interview. The medical was to check my eyesight, colour vision, blood pressure and sugar levels. Next, I was told to report back at 2pm. I spent an hour train spotting at New Street and at 2.05pm I was sitting in front of an imposing man with a gold chain and fob across his waistcoat.
He asked me why I wished to be an engine cleaner. I told him it was so that I could become an Engine Driver. A brief smile passed across his face. He then informed me that a cleaner’s job was dirty and carried out in a poor working environment. If and when I progressed to being a fireman, the work would be physically very demanding and the hours of duty were very unsocial. He asked if I still wished to carry on with my application. I answered in the affirmative. “Good, he said, I will now give you a couple of small tests, one on writing and spelling and the other on comprehension.” The material
