While recently looking through an old notebook I found a list I had kept of which shops I had worked in during my apprenticeship from 1960 to 1964, together with my clock number. The following describes some of the activities and experiences I had over this formative part of my life. It was hard at times but overall I am well content that I had the experience and I certainly learned how to use hand tools.

A couple of things I must mention was that in the works we worked a forty-four hour week 07:42 to 12: 25, lunch break, then 13: 25 to 17:30 and that we had to clock in and out each time, being allowed two minutes grace on clocking in or we lost fifteen minutes pay. Work did not start until around 08:00 however as one had to change and apply the barrier cream.

At around 09:30 work stopped for a tea break and resumed at around 10:00 while in the afternoon there was a shorter break around 15:15. However these times were elastic depending where one was in the shop and indeed on the shop and the strictness of the foremen. At lunch time we were not supposed to be at the clock more than a couple of minutes early and could not clock in someone else, which was a serious crime.

On Fridays the previous week’s timecard was placed in the “In” side of the time rack and after clocking in this was taken as it was the means of getting paid. On Fridays we were allowed to clock off five minutes early and long lines of men marched around the shop in strict clock card number to get paid against the previous week’s card. Having the “00” number (as happened to me once) was stressful as one had to know when to approach the pay station, as all the packets were in order. Only at ‘4 shed’ this did not apply as many of the staff were, of course, out driving and firing trains so we were issued a brass tally that allowed us to go at any time.

I started in the works on the 19th September 1960, and on my first day I had to go into Derby to find the Employment Office as I did not have a “social insurance number”, without which I could not be paid. The training school was split into various sections where we were taught the basics of each skill. We learned how to file and saw with blunt tools making a pair of hand clamps, which I still use, and a hammer. During this time we also learned basic turning, tinsmithing and electrical.

As always among apprentices practical jokes abounded and a favourite was to get an unsuspecting lad to hold two leads while out of sight someone wound vigorously on a 1000V megger.

One benefit of being an apprentice was that both the works and, unofficially, the Motive Power Depot were open to us. As Engineering Apprentices we wore normal blue boiler suits unlike the trade apprentices who wore green boiler suits, so we did not stand out. We therefore used to go over to ‘4 Shed’ (the local name of the Motive Power Department) to sit on the footplate of a locomotive in steam where we would eat our sandwiches, and more importantly a slice of the most delicious apple pie I have ever had. It was made by the proprietor of the ‘4 Shed’ canteen, a tall Fijian lady, and cost 6d a slice.

Sitting in the cab of a locomotive in steam was a great way of getting to understand the controls; the steam raiser (the man detailed to look after the engines in steam) would visit us from time to time. We learnt how to check the water level in the boiler and we also learned how an injector worked. More importantly we learnt to never open the fire hole door unless the jet or blower was on the create a positive draught. At the end of 1960 the Engineering Apprentices were sent out into the works while the trade apprentices that had started at the same time were allocated to trades that suited their interests and proficiencies, staying in the Training School for a full year. As there were three intakes of apprentices we were accompanied by a group of more experienced trade apprentices.

On January 1 I found myself looking at some milling machines bearing the name ‘Cincinnati’ and wondered why there were American machines in the works (I later found out that they had been imported during World War 2 for war work). I was drafted to a section appropriately called “Apprentice Turning” where a Ward No 2A Capstan Lathe became my home for the next three months. I had to make precisely 108, 3/8th inch set bolts a day to meet the piecework quota. The bolts were for securing the nose skin on the “Peak” class diesel locos then under construction.

At least I got a day a week away from the smell of cutting oil as we were required to attend Technical College one day a week as well as two evenings, so free time was restricted. We had a kindly chargehand who helped us settle into workshop life and more practical jokes abounded. The Bay Foreman, Ralph Brough, was the butt of these as he had a strong personality, one particularly clever one was a syringe that looked like a regular 1’’ bolt that could spray coolant quite a long way but was undetectable in the piles of normal bolts. At the end of three months I went to brass fitting where we undertook a variety of component maintenance tasks, including testing various components in a steam test house. While it was interesting at times it seemed apprentices were simply cheap labour.

A very interesting place we were supposed to work in the core shop but after a few weeks of this I asked for the chance to work on the moulding floor and this was granted. Some of the items being made were complex, the skill of both the pattern makers and moulders was amazing. Mundane items were also made and one skilled hand was busy making nameplates for English Electric Type 4 locos as well as some ‘Peak’ class locos.

In this shop we were not expected to work, but rather to observe. The piecework system was complex with the base pay rate being in two elements, the pre-war rate and the increases made since then. The bonus was paid on the old flat rate part and the minimum was 27% while the maximum was typically 125%. The bonus was earned by performing tasks with a monetary value which was theoretically set to earn 27%. Therefore, if one could perform the task more quickly the bonus increased and the bonus from every member of the group was pooled. In shops where we were expected to watch we were excluded from the pool and paid the flat rate of 27%.

Initially I worked with a man marking out complex welded items for machining, later I was sent to the hydraulic press that formed complex shapes in steel plates, all by hydraulic pressure. As only observing was tedious, I asked for a work assignment and this was accepted. I was sent to the erecting shop, working with a small gang removing and refitting firebox stays on locos under repair where the boiler was not removed (stays were removed to allow the inspectors to check the water spaces).

Working in fireboxes sorts out the people with a fear of confined spaces. In those days health and safety was primitive so for instance when riveting the stay heads we simply worked without any ear protection but in the midst of the noise you could hear conversations. One interesting aspect were the stays adjacent to the frame where there was no access to one end, which were special stays with taper threads known as steam tight stays. On one day we went into the boiler park and removed some stays then after inspection refitted and riveted them up, the boiler concerned had been in store for years which meant that in order for it to be used had it to be re-inspected. I was told a funny story about a man who was working on the dome of a boiler and when someone shouted his name he called back “yes” only to have his top denture drop into the boiler. It took three days of work to recover it!

I experienced a close call one day. Boilers were moved around the works on old tender frames, being shunted by capstans and ropes. These were treated by everyone as minor nuisances and one day while I was heading up to the Erecting Shop there was a boiler being shunted. I crossed the rope and stopped in one of the many urinals that were around the works, small lean to buildings with entrances at each end with the stalls facing out to provide a degree of privacy. While inside I heard the shunting continuing then a shout of “look out” and as I started to exit the building I saw that the rope was humming under tension. I stopped dead and started to go quickly go back inside when suddenly there was a loud noise as the hook came flying through the air, slicing through the bricks at the entrance before crashing to the floor. I was always more cautious around ropes (and moving vehicles) after that.

Seeing wheels being pressed on or off axles as well as being balanced and the journal bearings being polished was fascinating. As most of the machinery in this shop was specialized several items were quite old, the press used to press wheels on and off had a 400 ton capacity, being powered by its own small hydraulic pump that was reputed to be over 100 years old. There was also a huge wheel turning lathe that had a capacity of eight feet suitable for the old Midland singles. In one of the bays there was a flat belt driven planer that, when in operation, had squealing belts that was incredible, and it was my misfortune to do that. There were also the tyre mills that bored the tyres to fit the wheels and the gas fired hearths that heated them to fit, an interesting mix of precision measuring and heavy machining. Of great interest was the ultrasonic axle testing, which was done to ensure that the risk of broken axles was minimized. It was here that I had my first industrial accident, while greasing a rolling bearing axlebox I caught my finger on a badly fitted locking wire and cut the finger to the bone. When I wiped the grease away I saw the bone and passed out, only coming to when I was being taken to the First Aid station. As the wound was too dirty to stitch a big bandage was applied instead.

This was another working shop and there I learned a very useful skill, to file joints so they would be steam tight with no jointing. A boiler backhead needed all the old studs removing, the holes retapped, the joints faced to a faceplate, new studs fitted, and if the boiler was not to be used immediately after steam testing greased wooden blocks bolted on. I also worked on superheater element repair and testing while there. For testing there were long lengths of pipe that allowed steam from the boiler to be further heated to dry the steam, thereby increasing its energy. The testing involved using the 1000 psi works hydraulic main to ensure there were no leaks, on one occasion I mixed up the valve sequence and opened the exhaust before closing the feed. The shop was sprayed with dirty water and I was rather unpopular. At least I was fit as the elements weighed up to 180 lb each and I was expected to carry them single handed.