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Great Western Railway

Refreshment Rooms and carts were a welcome sight to travellers particularly Servicemen. You must have ate in too many 'rough joints', Pete.
 
According to former rail caterer Myrna Tuddenham, the poor reputation of the sandwiches likely derived from the practice of keeping the sandwiches "under glass domes on the counter....."Historian Keith Lovegrove wrote that it was "a sandwich of contradictions; it could be cold and soggy, or stale and hard, and the corners of the triangle-shaped bread would often curl up like the pages of a well-thumbed paperback":grinning:
 
mw0njm. said:
According to former rail caterer Myrna Tuddenham, the poor reputation of the sandwiches likely derived from the practice of keeping the sandwiches "under glass domes on the counter....."
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I can believe that. The dome had enough air to encourage the sandwich to dry out, causing the curling. Today, sandwiches are packed in small boxes and even with thin plastic film windows, there is little room fo air to cause the evaporation. Today they are usually kept in chilled display cabinets, again reducing the water evaporation. The glass domes' sole use was to keep the flies off!
 
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mw0njm. said:
According to former rail caterer Myrna Tuddenham, the poor reputation of the sandwiches likely derived from the practice of keeping the sandwiches "under glass domes on the counter....."Historian Keith Lovegrove wrote that it was "a sandwich of contradictions; it could be cold and soggy, or stale and hard, and the corners of the triangle-shaped bread would often curl up like the pages of a well-thumbed paperback":grinning:
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I had too many triangular sandwiches stale with turned up corners.
 
norfolk brummie said:
I looked for a thread dedicated to the GWR, but surprisingly could not find one, although there are other ancillary threads about the GWR., i.e stations, lines et-cetera.

I understand that the GWR always built their locomotives, with the steam engine driver to be located on the right side of the footplate, and the fireman on the left. Indeed, the GWR track system was also laid out with a right hand view of all signals, speed signs and other safety restrictions, in mind.

Yet the other 'big three'...L.M.S, L.N.E.R., AND S.R, used the system in reverse. Driver on left, fireman on right. Can anyone tell me why this was, and did it make a great deal of difference, when locomotives, and crews, worked on rivals tracks?

A friend and I left school together, in the forties. My school friend went to work at Tyseley. First as a 'knocker up', then fireman, and finally, steam engine driver, and later a diesel driver. On one occasion, he also worked on the Royall Train, for which he received a small bonus. John Clayton also fired for the legendary Dick Potts at Tyseley. Sadly John passed away a few years ago, although I once asked him whether it made a difference firing from the left or right, and he said that he never had any problems with it. However, on certain routes, away from the old Great Western rail system, he did have to help the driver with signals et-cetera.

I do not think that this subject has been previously discussed, so it would be nice to hear from some old footplate men that may still be around.

Eddie
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Hi there

I know its been a few years since this message thread but I was so excited to see my Uncle Dick Potts' name mentioned! As kids we loved visiting our Uncle Dick and listening to his tales of steam trains and of course his fabulous paintings of the same. Dick's father (my grandad) Sidney Potts was also a steam driver (at Saltley I think?) as was my maternal Grandad George Adams. My Uncle Dick is still going strong and a wonderful character at 95 years old, although I don't see him often as I have lived in the North West for the last 25 years.

Warm Regards
Mandy
 
lancashirereefers said:
Hi there

I know its been a few years since this message thread but I was so excited to see my Uncle Dick Potts' name mentioned! As kids we loved visiting our Uncle Dick and listening to his tales of steam trains and of course his fabulous paintings of the same. Dick's father (my grandad) Sidney Potts was also a steam driver (at Saltley I think?) as was my maternal Grandad George Adams. My Uncle Dick is still going strong and a wonderful character at 95 years old, although I don't see him often as I have lived in the North West for the last 25 years.

Warm Regards
Mandy
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The photo is of my Grandad Sidney Potts with my brother about the late 1960s
 

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