LAST TRAIN FROM EVERCREECH JUNCTION
Memories of the S&D
with Ian Bunnett #1
March 7th 1966 is a date I remember well says Ian. My eldest son was born on that day so it’s a day I’ll never forget. It was also a quiet day on the S&D – it had died, the last trains, enthusiasts specials, had run on Sunday the 6th March and the last public trains on the 5th. (March the 7th is the day after the last trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset, the final public service day had been on March 5th).
During those almost four years working on the S&D Ian had a lifetimes experience which many of us would envy. He was teamed up with Driver John Stamp and had a very great respect for this gentleman who passed away a few years ago.
After Green Park station shed had closed Ian got a job on the permanent way which he suffered for a time but nothing could replace the footplate for Ian and sadly he left the railways in 1969. One of his jobs was as a Newspaper packer travelling on the 02.15 from Paddington to Bristol (most days he’d finished packing and was able to get off at Bath) and it was through this contact that he struck up friendships with drivers from Old Oak Common. With these contacts he somehow secreted himself on to the footplate of a high speed train and during the journey the driver (Now it can be said) offered him a go !”
This is also a tribute to Ian’s mentor, the late - John Stamp who was not only an excellent driver, but also a fine friend and a keen and expert photographer. Most of the rare photographs you will see added to this site are the work of the late John Stamp. We are most grateful to Ian for passing on his memories and allowing his collection of photographs to be used."
“It always gives me great pleasure to receive offers of pictures and stories of life on the railways none less that the experiences of Ian Bunnett who for quite a short time worked on the Somerset & Dorset quickly gaining a position on the footplate as fireman, something we’d all like to have done. Ian says :- “I started work at the age of sixteen on 4th June 1962. They took me on as a cleaner and then I became a fireman.
Fireman Ian Bunnett leans cheerfully from the cab of 80041 at Green Park. It's 4 O'clock on the afternoon of the 4th March 1966. Nobody would think it was Ian's last day working on the S&D and that the line had just two days more to run. Copyright the late John Stamp
My First Experience on the Plate:- Devonshire Tunnel
There were stories of going through Combe Down & Devonshire tunnels which I thought were to impress/scare us new young firemen. Stories of the ‘backdraft’ when you entered the tunnels at speed. We were told to put a damp cloth round your mouth and curl up in a corner. I thought it was the usual scary stories to impress us new boys. When we got our jobs as firemen we were sent out to get an idea of firing and the job in general. It was called 3rd manning. The usual job we went on was the 09:55 passenger to Bournemouth and we (the crew/driver/fireman/ and 3rd man) got relieved at Templecombe. My turn came and I went 3rd man with Ray Adams and John Tooze on Monday. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday it was Ted Smith and Ken Cobb. We only 3rd manned three days. Monday I got on the engine a Midland 5. I can’t remember the number, it may have been my favourite 73054 ? We started away from Bath and at the junction took the tablet with the "Catcher" (Whitaker apparatus). As we come up to the tunnels I see Ray and John start putting damp wipers round their mouths and getting down as close to the floor as possible Ray went behind the AWS. I was 16 years old and not afraid of anything and I thought you’re wasting your time! I’m stood up laughing , that was for about two seconds, then as we went into the tunnel and dust and heat came into the air. I stopped laughing and gasping for air I dived down to the floor. As we came out the other side they said “Serves you right so get ready for the next tunnel up round the corner”. I had learnt to listen to experience!
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Mushrooms on the Shovel
I was a fireman at Bath Green Park from 1962 to 1966, and I have a lot of memories. The S&D was like a family concern for example. John Stamp and I were going to Templecombe engine and brake van at approximately 06:00 to pick up some empty wagons (special). Between Evercreech and Cole we stopped and our guard ‘Farmer’ Frapwell got off, nipped into a field coming back about twenty minutes later with some mushrooms (I don’t like them) but John and ‘Farmer’ did and had them at Templecombe in a fry up on the shed. That morning we stopped the ‘Bobby’ at Templecombe who was given had a few mushrooms and covered for us. Reminds me, yes, we did have shovel fry ups from time to time.
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Boiled Milk!
Just a little story about myself & John Stamp. We had to work a freight job from Bath Green Park to Westerleigh at about 10:00 in the morning , it wasn’t far from Bath and the only hill/bank was at Bitton which wasn’t very steep. We didn’t have many coal wagons and had a Class 8F. We worked to Westerleigh (I think was only 10-12 miles from Bath). We got there, deposited the wagons and were told go back to Bath light engine. Well, me being me, decided to fill the box. John said “Don’t do it because we won’t use that much”. However, as I didn’t want to do anything going back I filled it right up. So all I’d have to do was to keep topping up the boiler. We leave and I sit down enjoying the ride. At the bottom of Bitton bank I looked into the box to find that we still had nearly a box full, it didn’t help me because when we get to the shed I would have to ‘clean’ the fire, I mentioned to John about it and he said “You were told”, then he said “Watch this” and opened the regulator wide also wound the gears down the fire flew out of the chimney and across the fields. Watching the cows run was funny. We were only about two miles from the shed and by the time we got back the fire had mostly gone. At Bath Green Park we got on the table and John got called in the office and was told the farmer had been on the phone complaining. It seems the fire had gone out of the chimney and landed on the cows, (no real damage done) just gave boiled milk! John said he had problems with the regulator sticking and had tried to "release" it from 2nd valve, he didn’t say anything about me being the cause of it and we never heard any more about it.
N.B. The line from Bath Green Park to Mangotsfield was not S&D but was operated from Bath Green Park Depot.
A Tribute to the late John Stamp
John Stamp was a brilliant driver as well as a great friend. We all had our mates that were friends as well. They looked on us young firemen as family and treated us as such. John Stamp was my regular driver. John Sawyer his driver was Ben Ford and then there was Derek Coles whose driver was Doug Holden. They took us under their wings and taught us how it was done. John Stamp - unfortunately John went to 82F in the sky a few years ago, I believe he was about 83’ish.
It's easy oiling up, preparation of an 8F on number 8 road at Bath Green Park Shed. Here is Driver John Stamp - Ian Bunnett’s favourite driver from whom he learnt a lot. Taken by Ian using John Stamps camera
Left the Banker Behind, Twice!
One Saturday John Stamp (my driver and a brilliant mate) were spare at Bath Green Park. At about 1pm the foreman came into the cabin and said that a pigeon special from Birmingham was late. We were told to get a Class 8F (48737 I believe) prepared and, when it comes in, for us to take the train on to Templecombe. It was 12 coaches long so we would need a banker. We left with the special, got the tablet at Bath Junction and the banker came on the back and off we go. By the time we got to Devonshire tunnel we had left the banker behind. 48737 was a great steamer. We got to Radstock where we picked up another banker and by the time we got to Chilcompton we had left the banker behind. We carried on over the Mendips through Binegar, down past Masbury, Shepton Mallet ,Evercreech New and arrived at Evercreech Junction. I didn’t have much to do except ‘watch the road’ and drink tea. After Evercreech Junction it was more or less flat so I didn’t have much firing to do, it was easy going. We got to Templecombe pulling into the station so that the pigeons could be released. It was already an overcast day but as soon as they started releasing the pigeons it was like night had suddenly fallen! It’s a frightening but a fascinating sight. As soon as the Templecombe crew had taken the train to the sidings we headed back to Bath light engine with no problems.
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Albert Williams
Albert Williams was a driver who wanted his foot plate kept spotless, when he got on his engine if it had been prepared he wanted to be able to eat his sandwiches in almost sanitised condition. He used to get on the plate even though it was clean go over it with an oily rag and use the slaking pipe to wash it down. He would go to work spotless and expect to go home the same. This particular night I was his fireman and we leave Bath for Westerleigh. We got as far as Mangotsfield and I went to shovel some coal and hit the firebox doors. I felt that my life was about to end, the coal went all over Albert’s shoes, his overalls, and in the general area around him. I went to pick it up apologising profusely and all he said was “Leave it, just leave it”. I picked up a few lumps and went to wash the plate down and he said “We can sort it out at Westerleigh” On arrival at Westerleigh I brushed it up put the pipe round and started apologising again - he said said “Forget it”. He never said anything about it at all after that. Albert was a real gentle quiet man but I was only about 17 expecting him to inflict some discipline.
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’Uncle’ Williams
As it happened I stopped about half way down the shed. I felt really sick and waited until I saw my driver Roy ‘Uncle’ Williams came in. I told him that I felt unwell and was going home. (Never said about what happened). He told me he would fire and drive both ways (he was a very large man). He insisted on it and did it and also told me not to say anything. As far as I’m aware nobody until now knew/ knows about it - that is the type of footplate crews there were. Quite an amazing story – both driving and firing that driver deserved a medal!
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Having some Fun! Pranks and Leg Pulls
Along with a couple of others we got the call boys bike and tied it to the rafters. We’d got a loco and stood on the back of it and tied the bike up there then moved the engine, he wasn’t too happy!
Another time we put a detonator down the chimney of a steam raisers hut waited for the bang and panic. On another occasion we put some waste over the top of the chimney and watched them come out coughing and spluttering. What upset me over was that I got the blame for things even if I wasn’t there!
One day John Stamp and I ‘appropriated’ some cans of weedkiller and coming back to Bath we dropped them over the side and some of them burst. John, who was a keen gardener, and lived at Oldfield Park got a few of them home!
A popular pastime was when someone had prepared their loco was to go after them and ‘borrow the tools’ for our loco. Another bit of ‘fun’ was when someone was cleaning the fire (i.e.) taking the bars out we would stand by the side of the engine and ‘urinate’ on the ashes it would then make the ashes smell which would drift into the cab. Another one was to pour tea on the tray over the fire hole doors and whoever was bent over cleaning the fire would be sniffing stale tea - I may grow up one day!
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Cork Cutters (Fairies)!
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and I was booked to fire the 15:20 afternoon passenger to Templecombe with Ted Smith as my driver. While waiting at Bath Green Park to depart (I think we had an Armstrong locomotive), Ted was walking to the back of the engine and appeared to be saying something, when he came back to the cab he looked at me and smiled. He didn’t say anything so I said “What’s wrong”?, he didn’t reply. Ted was a top link driver so I didn’t argue, we got our rightaway and off we go. We got the tablet at the junction and I looked at Ted and he had his head over the side talking as he was looking back at the tender, said something then looked in front, by this time we’d almost reached Devonshire tunnel, again he looked back said something then watched the road. We came out of the tunnel and Ted looked back smiled but said nothing. Combe Down tunnel same procedure. This carried on until, when at Radstock, Ted got off walked to the tender mumbling something. I thought he must have overdone it on the cider, he was close to retiring a top link driver so I didn’t say anything. I had never seen or heard of Ted being drunk so I accepted it as age! We left Radstock, Ted was now ‘animated’, shouting at the buffer beam at the back. We got to Midsomer Norton and it happened again. At this point I got off the engine and Ted asked me where I was going, I told him I was worried about his behaviour. He said, “Can’t you see them”? “See what”? I said. It was then that I realised he had been messing about, he told me the cork cutters always rode on the buffer beam and he was making sure they were safe!
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Now a Cautionary Tale
I was meant to work the 13:20 passenger to Templecombe. Before I went to the shed I stopped off for a pint (actually I had two) we had to prepare the engine before we went up to the station. It was a Midland Class 4 tank. The idea was so you had enough water to get to Templecombe, we filled up the tank in Bath and filled up the boiler at the same time. I did this and then wanted to move the engine back into the shed. I opened the regulator but nothing happened. I looked at the pressure gauge and saw only 80lb of steam, so I opened it again - same thing, so I thought if I open the cocks it will get rid of excess steam and it will close the valve. The fly in the ointment was George Williams was in the ash pit on 3rd road and I was on the 4th road. The steam roared out George shouted not to do it (I think?) so I shut the cock and yanked the regulator open the engine flew back into the shed and I’m panicking trying to stop it. I had visions of a repeat of an incident with another fireman who went backward couldn’t stop and ended up in the cabin (no casualties) only in my case I thought the River Avon was for me. The foregoing left me shocked and feeling sick.