Comments
Arthur McGugan interviews George Bird, Sam Renouf, Joe Shenton and Don Pallot, four men who worked on the old Jersey Railway from the 1920s onward. Includes: working conditions; details of their jobs and tasks performed; wages were low - Sam Renouf paid 3/9 for working a 52 hour week; apprentices weren't allowed to work unless they brought a towel and big bar of soap; workshops; maintenance of locomotives; checking the line for faults on a Sunday morning; coaling; lighting of carriages and locomotives; rolling stock used - 4 engines, various cars, carriages and vans; gauges used; 60 - 70 people employed by the railway; Mr Philip Dixon was the managing director, George Todd was the foreman, Ben Shenton and Tom le Brun also worked there; carpenters - Jack Vilton and Walter de la Course; no ticket collectors; porters - Bert Hafey, Winter de Veulle, Jock Chaney; office workers - Mr Bonaster?, Edwin Gibaut, Raymond le Brocq - secretary, Mr Poinchester - became MD when Mr Dixon retired; passengers, in 1925 - 1926 carried over a million passengers; mainly tourists in the summer, in the winter just a few locals; buses were taking over; fares from St Helier - 6d return to St Aubins, 1/9 return to Corbiere; timetables and frequency of trains; own telephone system for communication; two engines used if there were a lot of passengers; 'La Moye' engine very powerful; track was mostly a single railway line with a couple of passing loops; details of stations, platforms, level crossings; very busy on holidays and race days - engineering staff came out onto the line to help open gates etc; details of freight carried, especially from quarries and gravel pits; during the First World War German prisoners of war carried from camp at Les Blanches Banques to the harbour to work; transporting the Jersey Militia c1910; railway workers were exempt from militia service; first and second class carriages existed; details of various accidents involving trains including suicides and attempted suicides; anecdotes - Mr Fisher and his false leg, a blind man called Wally Bagnel who played the barrel organ; in 1924 competition was introduced from the new bus company; gradual decline of the railway service; minimal washing facilities provided for workers. Recorded 25/03/1992. Good sound quality throughout, but drops dramatically at end. Running time 46 minutes.
Reference | R/03/C/1 |
Date | 23 March 1992 |
Names | Bird, George Renouf, Sam Shenton, Joe Pallot, Don McGugan, Arthur Dixon, Philip Todd, George Shenton, Ben Le Brun, Tom Vilton, Jack de la Course, Walter Hafey, Bert de Veulle, Winter Chaney, Jock Gibaut, Edwin Le Brocq, Raymond Bagnel, Wally Poinchester, Mr Bonaster, Mr Fisher, Mr |
Keywords | oral history | sound | Railways | trains | Railway lines | wages | work | employment | freight | Prisoners of war | Militia | accidents | bus services | steam engines |
Category | R-Sound Recording |
Places | Les Blanches Banques, Corbière |
Dimensions | 1 audio cassette |
Language | English |
Level of description | File |