The day of the Teddy boys

[George Jenkins]

I'm back on the Railway again, and about the time when we had an influx of Teddy-boys whom I assume wanted to be Engine Drivers. I had a job which involved travelling to Victoria Station and relieving on an Engine and taking empty coaches to Blackheath sdgs situated just outside london.

I collected my Fireman, and what a wonderful sight he was. He'd slit the legs of his overalls and re-sewn them, and now they were skin tight right up to his bum.
We relieved on the Engine and I hooked onto my train, and I am now working Tender-first which is sometimes awkward for observing signals and looking out for men working on the line.

I noticed that young Hussey (that is his name, and I hope that he reads this) hadn't bothered to look in the firebox, to see the state of the fire and prepare for the journey. So I said to him, "only fifteen minutes to go Huss". He didn't answer and just lit up another fag.

I must tell you that he wasn't a new boy on the job, and had quite a lot of experience as a Fireman. When I told him that there was only five minutes to go he just lit up another fag. it was then that I realised what he was doing. I was a young Driver, 24 years old, and he was going to watch me panic and start shovelling coal to get steam up. He was going to watch me doing his work and probably brag to his mates how he sat smoking while I sweated.

My problem was, that I never interfered with a Fireman unless He was new to the job, or asked for my advice, and my mistake was not ordering him to start work, and if he had still refused to do his job, I should have told the Signalman not pull off my signal, and I should have called Hither Green to send another Fireman.

But I still thought that once he had seen that I had called his bluff, he would start work, and that was another mistake. I received the signal to go and was helped a little of the way by the banking Engine at the rear of the train. As soon as it stopped I started slowing up, and I crawled as far as the bridge over the Thames. There wasn't enough steam to keep the brakes off, and there is a terrible feeling of finality when the Engine sighs gently to a stop, when I should be doing 60M.P.H. miles down the road.

He still sat smoking so I finally told him that I was going to send for another Fireman, and it must have sunk into his dim brain that I wasn't going to do his job after all, because he jumped up and started work, and I could see that he knew his job and didn't need any help.
I'd shut Victoria Station up for about 30 minutes and of course I would have to answer for it.

The next day, I had to see the Shed Master and explain what happened, and he was in a very bad temper. He said, " why didn't you help him?" So I said to him, "I've told you that he didn't want help, he wanted me to do his job so that he could gloat and brag to his mates, and if you think that he needs help, YOU employ him, so YOU come out and help the little Bastard"
I watched fascinated as his face turned a beautiful puce colour as he screeched "Fuck off out of my Office"

I really learnt my lesson about that incident and I assure you it didn't happen again.