Malcolm H

Malcolm started in March 1946. He left school and wanted to go into the Post Office Engineering, but due to servicemen coming back from war all jobs where taken up. So he decided to try the Railway Traffic Department, but his father (District Inspector Bob Hale) suggested the Signal & Telegraph Department at West Ealing. As a Great Western Man in the Telegraph Gang, Malcolm learned to climb telegraph poles, etc. His first job was night relaying at Portobello. After spending a few years in the gang he was asked to go out relieving at places like Paddington, Old Oak Common, Kensington, Neasden, Marylebone, Slough and Reading.

Malcolm applied for the Assistant Lineman's job at Southall, and very soon after was promoted to Lineman. After a while he was asked to assist with testing jobs with Henry Nightingale (who doesn't remember Henry), working on Old Oak Common, Slough, Reading and Oxford. Malcolm was also involved in testing OOC Loco Panel when it was put in, before moving to Reading in charge of one of the installation gangs.

Malcolm then went to Westbury on an Inspectors course, after which he became Signal Works Inspector with Ken Crook. Ken covered London and Malcolm the country end. During his long career he worked on all the panels including Reading and helped with the installation of Banbury South Panel (Aynho Jnc). After 48 years he finally retired in 1994. Not that he has finished yet - he enjoyed his time on the  railway very much, and is now involved in PC railway simulations.