A recollection of the railways

Local resident, Ivan Fear, recalls his time on the railways and shares his memories with us at Egham Museum to co-inside with the current temporary exhibition, ‘The Railway Comes To Egham’ which runs until September.

Ivan began working on the railways in 1943 on the Great Western Railway (GWR), earning 15 shillings per week.  He was a signalman and worked his way up the ranks, learning the ropes from colleagues on the job.  This was at the height of the Second World War and often worked with female colleagues.  Soon after the war, GWR was amalgamated as part of the nationalisation process in 1948, into British Railways.

Ivan moved to Egham in June 1952.  The hours were long: there were 2 shifts per day, and there were lots of rules and regulations you had to memorise, for you could be tested on these at any time.

Sometimes you had to break the rules for the greater good, and Ivan remembers one occasion whilst working at Upton Scudamore crossing.  He had just lowered the safety barriers in preparation for a train to pass, when an older gentleman rushed up and asked him to raise them quickly for him to cross so he could make it to the railway station platform.  Ivan remembers the man being quite emotional and so allowed him to cross.  A few weeks later, Ivan found out that the gentleman’s son was on leave from fighting in the Korean war, and he wanted to see him before he caught the train back to his barracks.  It transpired that by breaking the rules and letting the man cross, Ivan had given the man his last moments with his son, who was killed in action not long after.

A number of years later, whilst working at Rusham crossing in Egham, Ivan recalls spotting an escapee of Holloway Sanitarium.  Sister Winifred, in her full habit flapping in the wind, was using the ‘up road’ (to London) as a route away from the confines of the Sanitarium.  Ivan called Egham Station, notifying nursing staff who quickly escorted her back.

Ivan shares more stories like this as part of our ‘Memories of War‘ documentary which can be viewed on this website.

With thanks to Ivan Fear for use of his photographs, objects and books in this article.