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18 Dec 2007 08:26
The Guest Book is now open again. In the constant fight against the spambots
that assume everyone in the world is interested in clicking on their porn links,
we have moved away from automatic entries. All comments will now be vetted and
inserted manually. Please understand that this could take a few days from your
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contains anything considered rude, nasty or controversial it may not appear at
all - and our decision will always be final. Please feel free to air your views
on our site...
27 Apr 2005 16:13
Great site. High standard. Keep
it professional. rail employee
27 Mar 2005 22:36
I must say your photos of my old mate Ken Jarvis and Stewart are great. a great likeness. keep up the good work. Malcolm.
19 Mar 2005 13:27
Well done on the website, just hope that Network Rail GW have a better sense of
humour than the LNE, who removed the Doncaster PSB website ... shame that ...
All the best from everyone at Doncaster PSB
16 Mar 2005 22:48
Excellent and informative site. We celebrate 45 years of Plymouth Panel this September. Beat that if you can. Chris Bellett, Signal
Maintenance Engineer, Plymouth
10 Mar 2005 15:13
Having worked and lived in this area in the early 90's, during the days of Thames and Chiltern, I found this a nice wallow in nostalgia. Well done for a great site.
07 Mar 2005 02:34
Excellent site... what ever happened to the Doncaster PSB website? Do you want some photos of Bristol (as it's also a Western Region job?)
Alex
Signalman Bristol (and still Slough IECC it seems)
06 Mar 2005 19:29
Hi Dickie, All those who new Albert Powell will be saddened to hear he has died, I
understand will be buried at Reading Thursday Great Tester sad loss.
04 Mar 2005 08:48
A very good site well presented, clearly thought out and informative. PJS NCC.
28 Feb 2005 20:37
Good site, and you sort of seem quite busy too!
will keep a watch to see how it develops, like another poster would like to see some panel pics
so we can 'compare' !
all the best
your colleagues at Colchester ASC.
26 Feb 2005 00:13
Hi, My name is Robert Davey and so far I've only had time for a quick look see. But I
will be back. (As someone famously once said).
Sorry if my only comment this time is negative, but it is MEANT to be constructive!
I found the Yellow on Brown writing none too easy to read. I assume it is meant to represent GWR Chocolate and Cream?
Best wishes, Robert
25 Feb 2005 08:49
I hope it works better than it did in 1965-8 when I worked the Fringe boxes - first at
Uffington and then at Kennington. Not hat it was the signalman's fault at the PSB but eccentric wiring
I can't say I liked the place, hated it, actually, because t replaced the proper signal boxes. My
friend Golly Collins from Didcot East Jc said to me when I was visiting him in the panel 'Every time I come n here,
everyone's got their knuckles on the panel, resting on their arms like a lot of monkeys.' So - apart from Ken Fuller who liked it I don't think it was popular with lever frame men. Nasty, stressful place. I only ever visited it twice. but I got 6 bells from it a couple of times and I sent it 6 bells as well. I recall Inspector Tom Rixon, and 'Roly Poly' Harry Englefield, Ken Morton, Ted Blackall all Special Class men whom I DID often
visit in West Main. There were some other good men in West Jcn. The Panel lost a lot of experienced men to the railway
because they would take that many on so they were soon short of experience as these older men retired.
Adrian.
23 Feb 2005 19:48
Most interesting site. Excellent photos. I work as Shift Manager in the Signalling Centre at Manchester Piccadilly, can you explain how you set up such a site and do you need to OK from Network Rail, Doncaster PSB have one and I would be interested in getting one going for us.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Allan Lewis.
23 Feb 2005 16:24
I was never on the PSB staff, but I did do some testing before it was commissioned and various other jobs there occasionally afterwards. My first site work was at the old West Main box when Eric Wilcox was chief lineman and the name "Blackall" was one to conjure with.
John R. Batts
22 Feb 2005 20:59
Chanced upon this site, so thought I'd sign in as not such a regular visitor on Saturday nightshifts as I was a year or so ago (thank goodness you'll be thinking!)
Seriously I hope in any celebration of the 40 years you'll remember to invite those of us at Lloyd's Register Rail, some of whom designed and built it originally and undertaken modifications at intervals throughout it's life. In that vein, "Mr. Reading" aka Albert Powell is currently in the hospice and all our thoughts should be with him at this difficult time.
Also many thanks for making my trainees so welcome last summer- they thoroughly enjoyed it though the thing that perhaps made the most immediate impact was the "museum smell" of the relay room downstairs. Seeing that steam special come through the station was the icing on the cake.
Peter Woodbridge, signalling tester
19 Feb 2005 17:41
Hello Dickie, I'm
Malcolm Hale ex Signal Works Supervisor Reading Works back in 93/4/5 time Did
Ken Jarvis pass on my address and Henry Nightingales as requested, Great Web
Site brings back old memories, Malcolm.
19 Feb 2005 08:14
Hi chaps! Well I thought it a bit usual website but it is nice to put a name to a voice .Maybe you can get other boxes to do
it. I work for gbrf as groundstaff .So it in east Anglia so I will never speak to any of you chaps so keep the southern region moving. From Denni
16 Feb 2005 09:40
Top notch site..
Maxi still looks like a trainee spiv and where oh where is big Dick' chin hair ? ? Gaz P
14 Feb 2005 16:55
fantastic site. well done.
FGW Driver Bristol.
10 Feb 2005 04:26
Hello people, was directed to your site by Steady Eddie.
As a FGW HST driver, I can honestly say that you're one of the best panels we work under, never been wrong routed or had a road go back by you guys and long may it continue ;-)
10 Feb 2005 00:33
Great site.
Please could you go into more detail about how you change points as I am curious. Thanks!
09 Feb 2005 00:49
Excellent site thanks enjoyed the old pics especially Reading West keep up the good work Russell and the team
Colchester PSB
08 Feb 2005 22:55
Great site, thanks for doing it.
08 Feb 2005 16:37
Great site, smashing to see how another panel box does it. Keep it up it does you all proud.
Andy M. Colchester P S B.
07 Feb 2005 16:10
Although I'm not a "Western" man, I thoroughly enjoyed your website - keep up the good work.
Alan Roberts
FP5 Relief Signaller,
Llandudno Junction.
04 Feb 2005 17:44
Excellent site boys. Keep up the good work!
Greg, Bristol.
04 Feb 2005 02:14
Great site - any of you remember some of my old buddies who worked in the area:
John Webb (ex T.O. at Millerhill, later supervisor), John Kennedy (former tech at Cowlairs, last heard of as maintenance manager for Paisley), Ronnie Bowes (ex Dumbarton tech) and Jim O'Neill (ex Cowlairs tech)?
03 Feb 2005 18:41
Absoulutly terrific site, well done. Ian Hughes - ex BR employee Cardiff now living in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
01 Feb 2005 20:32
hi guys i really am enjoying the website soo far keep all the hard work up and remember you are the best train service that i have been on?
29 Jan 2005 22:30
Hey Dickie, Great site. Don't show Hodge the 31 off the road.!!. Keep up the good work. Greg (Swindon Control)
27 Jan 2005 20:54
excellent site my first visit
i am ex-signalman north london
living in swansea
keep up the good work.
keith
26 Jan 2005 19:35
good work keep up the good work.....
UUU
24 Jan 2005 17:46
Gentlemen
The project of "doing" your box & the area you cover onto the american Train Dispatcher 3 programme proceeds with alarm and interest. Alarm because I've got to enter ALL trains that pass through (after building the track). I've just done mon-fri on the down, no Basing or Gatwick services yet. 380+ trains. Interest in that I have a much better idea what you do there, the amount of trains you run and the problems that can cause.
Respect is due to you all.
Shed Man Charlie
19 Jan 2005 01:15
Dick
I suppose its up to me to say well done from your neighbours. I'll get you some decent pictures of Slough when its finished being a building site.
Matt
23 Dec 2004 21:26
Good to see some old faces, shame there aren't many older photos of when I
was in the panel with the other announcers, people like Golly "Help yerself kid"
Collins and Jer "Any tea in this corner" Paulin.
Still, I have had the "pleasure" of working with most of the current incumbent,
many's the day when Ferdy would discreetly swap an HST from 5 to 8 and claim
that it isn't actually a platform change! (I see the years haven't been kind to
him!)
So really just wanted to say hi, and keep up the good work. As you probably know
I left the railway in May and am now plying my trade as an IT contractor so
those little reminders of the good old days are always appreciated.
Richard W
12 Dec 2004 19:19
great site its good to be able to put faces to names, now i will know who i am talking to when i ring from colthrop. keep up the excellent work. dennis colthrop crossing.
12 Dec 2004 00:00
Lovely site. I see that some of the WR turn and push interlockings are still going strong. More reliable in some respects, as a push button ring circuit fault on conventional NX can snarl up the whole interlocking. BR(ER) tried out the turn & push concept for Project EROS schemes like Barnsley & Castleford.
Best wishes
Paul Hepworth
Signal Engineer (ex BR) Halcrow, York.
hepworthp@halcrow.com
11 Dec 2004 21:03
Hi all nice site it brought back a lot of memories as i used to work up the road at slough psb in the early 80's keep up the good work.
rob ex slough psb and south wales vally line reliefman
06 Dec 2004 22:50
lovely to be back in the fold ,memories galore ,will look out photo's, and send ,remembering the good old day's! what is that photo home page? call that a train,is that progress,calling old mates get your comment's in ,chris vere 1972-1987
06 Dec 2004 22:50
Since this site is updated every few days, please can we have a list of "What's new" on the home page please? Save looking through the whole site to find what's new. Thanks. From Danny at Causeway.
05 Dec 2004 23:56
I be one of the few that say 'hello depot ere got a few diverts forya'
Nice site... known most of you for years. Will see if I can find some old fotos of Dougie Bell etc
All the best
The Dog
01 Dec 2004 05:14
Excellent site!
Blimey! The mug shots look like a who's who of
in-mates at Broadmoor! I shall muse on what voice fits what mug shot when stuck at 543 waiting for a transfer. "Sorry, Drive, Joe has at least 7 shunts, the longest freight in the world is about to pass and I've got an HST just leaving Bristol." Time for another fag then :-)
Shed Bloke Charlie, TMD Interlocking.
25 Nov 2004 04:37
Loved your picture on the Home Page!!!
I will have to come visit you there again some time.
LaMar
24 Nov 2004 22:41
Will do what I can to help out. Nice interesting site. D.E.Canning
22 Nov 2004 01:11
hey guys,
nice effort with the polo pics...
"is it safe to cross at bolney?"
hehehe
love and hugs from
The BOLNEY BABES
(in hibernation for the winter)
speak to you next season...
PS we know you all think we are a pain in the asss and richard is the only one that really loves us!!
19 Nov 2004 23:54
Great site guys. Last time I was in the PSB was 1976 ( as a Bristol division trainee gaining route knowledge) so its good to see the spirit lives on. Keep up the good work and thanks for taking care of me when I travel through the patch.
Rupert Dyer
16 Nov 2004 21:20
Nice Site, love the 'mug shots'- can we have more photos (interior/exterior/panels)?
SE Driver
16 Nov 2004 13:30
Excellent site, lads!
As a former driver for Thames Trains I probably spoke to quite a few of you over the years!
Keep up the good work!
16 Nov 2004 00:44
What wonderful memories. Great to see a couple of familiar faces in Stuart and Dickie (Still got your photo collection Dickie???!). I used to visit often as a 'cover' announcer in the days when the desk was up the panel, in the corner near the fire escape, and during the days when the usual suspects included John 'Banbury Boy', 'Slimy' Simon, and my pal from the RTS, Richard also covered (1991/2). Great site, some excellent pictures and I look forward to seeing more!
All the best,
Pete Clay (50 Ned, Spotter, etc!!! Now driving for Central Trains (or until Apr2006 anyway!!!))
15 Nov 2004 13:41
Nice site. Interesting for me to learn about the Panel, as I work at Causeway and we used to come under you. Could you include some pics of Cway / Appleford as they are linked to the history of Reading Panel? I can't see our Box getting its own site! From Danny at Causeway.
14 Nov 2004 18:13
Nice to see the faces behind the scenes and whom help get us from A to B, thanks Lads.
Jeremy
14 Nov 2004 17:34
Nice site (in develpoment). Keep up the good work, interesting to see how the WR does things.
Tim,
Signalling Tech, Derby PSB
14 Nov 2004 14:45
Hi nice site!!!
Like someones already asked, can we see some close up pics of the panels.
14 Nov 2004 13:25
Well Well I am glad you have got a web site, Reading Panel brings back memories When I was Installing and later as Signal Works Supervisor at Reading, My Name is Malcolm Hale, Some My rember My Father Bob Hale DI Many years ago in the London area, Its great to see some of the old faces and the panel that I have worked on many a time. Good luck with your new site , looking forward to seeing more of it as you progress.
14 Nov 2004 11:10
Wonderful!! Hope you keep it updated ! can we have some close up pics of the panel.
regards
Pete( x special class relief signalman left in 1965)
14 Nov 2004 03:53
Reading Panel the crucible Always RED before any other colour well boys you have always kept the job running through thick and thin i must say you could have presented yourselves better with those mug shots keep up the good work best box ive worked under.
ML
08 Nov 2004 01:22
Well the first two in the Guestbook are WV and DRD , two of my old mates , so I had better be the third. Nice to see the photo of Ron Knott who I knew well during my days as Ops Clerk at Didcot in the 70s and 80s and I recall the others in his gang. Famous names such as Jim Blackhall , Jack Humphrey , Jeff Britt , Stan Thompson , Chris Vere and , of course The General. Yes , I also remember Andy G!!! and you DRD.It is a pleasure to deal with you current guys and can I suggest the "A Days Work" heading details the Ferdie guide to set swaps. Great Site , with very best wishes Vic G FGWL Swindon.
07 Nov 2004 09:48
Dickie,
.
Nice site, like the colour scheme, what a shame Mr Ferdie has lost his youthful good looks :-)
You should have that photo of the "Professionals" that was taken by Stan Thompson back in 1990,
I'll sort out some photos of some of the old hands & send them up. EM me
your address.
Glad to see that Ron is in the first archive photo on the site.
Happy days, except when working with Andrew G !!!!
. DRD
EWS St Blazey & very soon to be back in the CSDC at Doncaster
05 Nov 2004 18:32
Here's an opportunity to leave lots of rude comments, but I will leave that to
the others. It was always a pleasure dealing with yourselves when I was
performing as Fleet Controller for Thames Trains, even though you thought I was
only doing all those swops because I was bored (well I was sometimes). Well hows
that for first in the book? Five out of ten as Ferdie put it when I tried out
the bells at my new place of abode, next door at Wokingham Box. Bill Veloz