This shop gave me a wide variety of experiences ranging from high voltage testing, back to back testing of traction motors, and repair of small components. However there were five jobs that I found the most interesting. The first was wiring new locomotives, which included participating in acceptance test runs. The second was a stint in the Locomotive Works power station, which included the water pumps on the banks of the River Derwent. During my time there I had to get used to climbing vertical steel ladders while carrying tools, all at the same time suppressing my fear of heights. The third was an assignment to the Carriage and Wagon Works Power Station to assist in the overhaul of one of the turbine sets, which included testing to over speed and emergency shutdown.

The fourth was the installation of the Automatic Warning System (AWS) to steam locomotives. Due to the rugged nature of steam locomotives gas pipe was used instead of conduit and the process was concluded by testing the apparatus when the locomotive was under steam over at the motive power depot (No 4 Shed). However this work involved my first close encounter with danger. We were testing a tank locomotive and had properly flagged the engine. As I was finishing off sealing the control box in the bowels of the locomotive, while standing on the spokes of a wheel, a driver approached the locomotive through a doorway in the shed. He did not observe the flags and climbed into the cab before starting to move the locomotive. There was a lot of shouting and I hung on by wedging myself underneath, kicking my legs clear. Although we only moved a few feet it was scary, yes steam railways can be dangerous places!

The last job was when I spent a couple of weeks with the shop maintenance team where we wired up a shunter’s cabin (my first experience working with conduit). I also rewired some probes in the white metal shop, where I used an amazing product called Pyro which was a copper tube in which the bare conductors were encased in mineral powder and could stand red hot heat. We also did some work in the loft of the Midland Institute, located opposite Derby Midland station, which included another first for me as I hopped around on the joists. I also got to dig a trench to bring power to the scrap yard cabin, this was hard work as the ground was full of discarded scrap, some large some small, and it was like digging in rock scree. Amazingly some old Midland Locomotive plates were unearthed which I was allowed to buy for a shilling (a nickel). Afterwards the team that worked in the scrap yard was always friendly when I saw them.

While I was working in Number 8 shop steam locomotives were stripped at the east end of Number 1 bay. Locomotives that arrived for scrap were also stripped in the normal way, removing components that could be re-used, and then the frames were cut and taken to the scrap yard. When one of the prewar prototype diesel shunting locomotives arrived for scrapping it was placed instead at the end of Number 2 bay and dismantled. Normally a fuel gauge worked by a simple float operated device but the one on the diesel locomotive only worked when it had power so everyone assumed it was indeed empty. However it was full and when the pipes were cut there was a flood of fuel, with much excitement ensuing.

Another incident that occurred during my time in No 8 shop involved a fire. The lubricant for the final drive gears on the traction motors was a very thick lubricant known as ‘crater’. As it was very viscous the unofficial habit of heating the barrel of crater over a gas flame was adopted. One day the barrel was left on the flame far too long and the crater boiled over, catching fire. This was spotted and the gas turned off but by then the barrel was very hot and the flames continued, eventually setting fire to a fan heater strategically placed above. After the fan ignited a crowd of onlookers gathered and someone let loose with a fire extinguisher. Luckily for him he was on the intake side for a great shower of foam came out of the blower end, showering many of the rubberneckers!

I moved back to the Fitting and Machine Shop where I was allocated to the team overhauling diesel power units. There was a variety of power units from the Sulzer type 2 and type 4 locomotives and standard English Electric switchers. While there I worked on one of the English Electric prototype units, from one of the SR Bullied diesel locomotives, a small North British switcher locomotive and a Crossley unit from a switcher. Interesting precision work, as every component had to be carefully measured before re-use as well as after re-assembly to ensure that clearances and alignment were correct. While working there an object slipped, falling towards my workmate, and without thinking I tried to catch it but it was too heavy. I did however divert it at the expense of dislocating the fingers of my right hand.

I was taken to First Aid where the nurse rapidly reduced the dislocation, but my hand was sore and so I was reassigned to ‘light duties’. The first week was in the new work stores where I handed out materials to the workmen. It was interesting as every different component on a drawing had been given a unique identification number so that identical half inch nuts all had a different number. There was a large bin with hundreds of numbers on it and if someone required six differently numbered half inch nuts I would just grab six. I thought the system was silly as, for example, if a special nut was required in a particular location the chance of it being mixed up was high. My second week of light duties was in a small, outdoor area next to the brass finishing shop. I had to sort through scrap brass, removing any steel, before it was sent over to the foundry for reuse. Being on ‘light duty’ I was allowed to sort through the lighter material and discovered many locomotive builders plates which I put into a neat stack as I felt they should not be melted down. Neither of these ‘light duty’ jobs was really light but they allowed me to have insights into a part of the works life that I would not have otherwise seen.

This was a fascinating place where multiple forged components were made, some from new materials and some from scrap. Items like draw hooks were made from steel blanks that were first heated in a furnace before being hammered into shape by a steam hammer. After being reheated they were placed in a drop hammer where they were shaped into hooks between two die blocks. Afterwards the excess flash was removed in a frazing machine (rather like a big cookie cutter) and the finished hooks were magnetic particle tested for flaws. Meanwhile worn hooks were fluted to restore metal to the wearing areas before also being tested. Suspension components were often made from scrap where parts were heated to white hot then hammer welded in the drop hammer, making the sparks fly. Other machines in the shop included a jumping or upsetting machine to increase diameters for threading large diameter bars, and thread rolling machines for rolling threads on forged bolts. It was a hot noisy and dirty place, particularly in August, but I worked with a great team of guys.

I moved across the road to the Die Sinking Shop (V2) and, as the name implies, this was the shop that prepared the dies that were used in the drop forging. It was fascinating to create the end result in reverse, great accuracy was necessary as removing too much metal would result in oversize stampings that would need extra machining of the forging. They also had to ensure that the two halves would meet accurately. I really learned how to use a milling machine during my time there. While I was in this shop an incident occurred that brought me to the attention of upper management. A friend, who was working on the new building section in the locomotive works, mentioned that they were missing two water tanks for the last class 46 diesel locomotive. I advised him that I thought I knew where they were and went looking. Sure enough, in the middle of a muddle of bits and pieces outside R Shop, I located the two tanks. I confirmed their location to my friend and an entourage came looking for me to point out the tanks. I was asked how I knew what they were and I explained that I was a locomotive works Privileged Apprentice, and had seen them installed. I am not sure if I got a good mark or not for that.

One bit of fun while I was there involved the toilet block, a plain rectangular building located immediately outside the shop. Inside were two rows of water closets off a corridor; however there was only a single roll of paper just inside the door which meant that upon entering you would have to estimate your needs. There were gaps under the doors, so that anyone sleeping could be detected, and I tried to avoid using them but on this one occasion nature called. While I sat there I realized I could hear a conversation and after I had finished I looked under the offending door. Spotting two pairs of legs I thought there was funny business going on so I alerted a couple of apprentices in the shop. We got buckets of water and creeping into the toilets we threw the water over the partition before running like heck back into the shop. A couple of seconds later two men emerged, one with half cut hair and a sheet round his neck while the other was holding both scissors and comb. They were both soaking wet and shouting angrily before realizing that they were in real danger of being detected, at which point they ducked back into the toilet block.

Behind the Die Sinking Shop was the wheel park. The main machine shop had multiple wheel lathes and there was a constant stream of wheels going into or coming out of that shop. The men working there pushed the wheel sets by hand and to help them the track was arranged with a small down grade so they rolled happily along. Many of the wheels were going to S shop, the Wagon Repair Shop, which was a truly fascinating place. The rather rickety tracks led across the yard with steel plates at strategic places where wheels could be diverted. As this was before the adoption of roller bearings, all the axles had plain journal bearings; skilled worker used shaped wooden poles to lift one end of the axle under the journal bearing. This would make the wheel immediately slew, due to the rotational energy, and the worker would then drop the pole, allowing the wheel to go in the appropriate direction. I could have stood and watched them in awe for the whole day. The wheel park had far too many wheels in it and some of the huge piles clearly had not been disturbed in years. There was even one pile of ‘Maunsel’ wheels with wooden centres that were formerly on things like sleeping cars to give a quiet ride.

The electric shop covered a whole load of activities and as apprentices we were trained on many of them, including how to overhaul the Wolverton type dynamos (but not the associated regulators). We spent time wiring fuses where we annoyed the charge hand by adopting production line techniques and so did two days work in less than a day. We also repaired the Railway Clearing House (RCH) train lighting control jumpers and prepared wiring harnesses for carriages. After a period in the main shop I was attached to the gang based in the Carriage Finishing Shop (G shop) fitting electric heating (dual heating) to existing steam heated carriages.

We also worked on new build vehicles which was interesting as it was a moving production line, however the cars were shunted forward at set times so one had to finish the tasks within the allotted time. Completed cars were tested and defective parts subsequently replaced. One time we incurred the wrath of a painter when we changed a regulator in the paint shop and made the coach rock while the painter was lining out.

I suffered my second industrial injury during my time in this shop. One of my workmates had put his teapot on the soldering iron fire too early for the upcoming tea break. The foreman, who had the habit of looking for such illicit activities approached with his cane in hand, ready to smash the offending can with. Upon spotting him I quickly grabbed the handle without realizing it had been in the flame and immediately felt pain. However I did not dare to cry out or drop the can and I did not let go of it until it was on the shelf. I still have the scar on my right index finger over sixty years later.

There was a one day strike during my time there but as apprentices we were expected to still go into work. I happened to be working on a dynamo overhaul that day while other apprentices goofed off and got into trouble. One apprentice stole a ‘Peak’ main line diesel locomotive D165 (class 46) from the locomotive works and tried driving it to Chaddesden sidings. However after passing a signal at danger it derailed and fell down an embankment with the result that he was fired.