EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY
 | One of the main reasons for doing these web sites is to try and explain to everybody the history of the footplate grades, the conditions they had to work in and the creation of the A.S.L.E.F. branches within the Brighton & Sussex area. I am therefore very grateful for people sending me personal photos from their personal collection and for allowing me to display them on the web sites. But unfortunately what is missing, are the stories that accompany them. What I want to do is to try and remedy this by starting to record the remaining stories that are still out there, before they too are lost in the midst of time. I have added some information about some of the drivers that I know and the comments that have already have been sent to me. If you too have any stories about your own working life on the footplate, the people that you worked with and the conditions you had to work in please send me and I will post, on the web site. If you are interested in helping me in capturing these stories by any means possible please let me know. |
I am trying to find out the names of the A.S.L.E.F. Branch Secretaries for the Ore Branch and the dates they served between. if you have any info please can you let me know.
ORE E.M.U.T. 1935 ~ 1986
Ore motormans (E.M.U.T) depot was opened in 1935 and closed in March 1986.
The work along with many of the Ore drivers was transferred to the neighbouring St Leonard’s West Marina depot.
The Ore Branch of ASLEF was opened in 1935 and closed in March 1986
Ore Station taken in the late 1930s
Jack Hoath
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Sussex Motorman:
The Hubert Hobden Memoirs Volume Two: 1935-1961 is published by Buggleskelly Books.
For further information please send an e-mail to;
buggleskellybooks@hotmail.com.
A full range of publications can be seen at the Facebook page; Buggleskelly Books Railway Publisher. |
The last Ore ASLEF Branch meeting 02.03.1986
Back Row Left ~Right :Eddie Ball, Bob Waghorne, Neil Milligan (ASLEF), Steve Brentall, Dennis Roberts.
Front Row Left~Right: John Mould, Bill Arling, Sid Tingley, Jack Hoath.
LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
DECEMBER 2009
ERNEST SPRAY – A DAUGHTER’S TRIBUTE
It is with sadness that we report the death of Ernie Spray at the age of 84.
In April he fell and broke four ribs and went steadily downhill thereafter, dying in hospital on 25 July. Ernie worked for 48 years ‘at the front end’, starting on 10 March 1941 as an engine cleaner at St Leonards. For his 48-hour week he earned £1/7-6 – which was 10 shillings a week more than he had been earning as an errand boy!
He progressed to firing and at 21 he started firing to driver Len Griffin on the Schools Class ‘Sherborne’ 906. This was to prove ‘the happiest three years of my life on the railway’. Ernie loved to recount his steam days. One anecdote was about the ‘races’ between the 5.15pm (‘King Arthur’ to Ramsgate) and the 5.18pm (‘Sherborne’ to Hastings) departures from Cannon Street until their ways parted at Chislehurst.
Steam gave way to diesel and there were many redundancies at St Leonards. Ernie opted for electrical work (but it was never as good as his days on the steam) and so worked out of Ore for 24 years reaching the top position of Lleading Driver. Ore depot was closed in 1986 and the Ore and St Leonards depots were combined. Ernie then returned to St Leonards where he had started his railway career, to work the last 3½ years before his retirement, working both Central and South Eastern Division routes.
He was derailed once, on a cold and foggy New Year’s Eve in the early 1970’s. A crowbar had been placed on the line. A spell of bronchitis followed, the result of spending three hours out in the cold fog sorting it all out.
A lucky escape occurred on the day following the storm of 1986. He was alerted by the frantic waves of a passenger standing on the platform at Wivelsfield station (where he was not stopping) that a tree had just fallen on the line beyond the station. Thanks to this warning Ernie managed to dodge sideways in time just before the tree came through into the cab. The tree caught his hip – but it could have been so much worse.
Retirement for Ernie did not turn out as the relaxing time one expects. His beloved wife, Pamela, was in the early stages of Alzheimers and she continued to decline. Ernie cared for her devotedly, putting his own health in jeopardy, until she died in 2003 – the tragic end of a very happy 58 year marriage.
Ernie was through and through a Hastings man, born and bred. There wasn’t much about Hastings that he didn’t know. He loved gardening and spent many happy hours tending his garden. He was a life-long keen cyclist, cycling as much as he could to fit in with railway work. He continued to cycle until three hip replacements and muscle wastage in his shoulder caused him to stop – but he still kept in touch with the cycling fraternity. He was a long-serving committee member, helped out with marshalling races whenever he could and met up with the club at coffee stops when they were riding nearby.
I have written this in memory of my Dad of whom his family are very proud. We would like to thank all who ensured there was a good turnout at his funeral – testament to the fact that he was a very special gentleman, loved by all who knew him.
Fraternal Greetings to you all.
Linda Ireland - Ernie’s daughter.
Ore shed c1984
ORE DRIVERS POEM
I am try to trace a poem that tells the good fortunes of Ore motormen/drivers. The poem makes reference to the high amount of mileage turns worked at the depot.
The large amount of mileage work at Ore made them the highest paid drivers depot on the Central Division. Every time they worked a train they where on mileage payments.
A phrase that come to my mind are on the lines "Watch us smile as we clock up the miles" or on the lines of that
Other phrase that may have been used are "So If you're fed up with being poor you had better move to Ore" or it might have been,"So if you want a bit more come to Ore"
Thanks to John Mould & Bob Waghorne for your help on this subject.
Somebody out there will be able to recall this poem line by line.
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5BEL NO. 3053 seen at Ore on a R.C.T.S. on Saturday 1st March 1972.
After making the shunt at Ore the train departed to Eastbourne, Newhaven Harbour, Brighton & London Victoria
Ore Shed in 1990
St Leonards West Marina
St Leonard’s (known as Hastings) locomotive shed was opened in November 1845 by L.B.S.C.R.
(Shed Code (H until 1903 & from 1903 onwards StL).
With the formation of the Southern Railway the locomotive shed transfered from being a sub shed of Brighton and become a sub shed of Ashord, with a shed code of 74E.
The South Eastern Railway opened a locomotive shed at Hastings on the 13th February 1851.
The Crowhurst, Sidley and Bexhill Railway opened a locomotive shed at Bexhill West on 1st June 1902.
This shed was later taken over by the South Eastern Railway and closed in 1936.
The St Leonards Branch of ASLEF was opened on 18th March 1906.
For more information about the St Leonards Branch of A.S.L.E.F. click on icon below left.
Above is a list of all the engine men that where employed at Hastings (St Leonards) L.B.S.C.R.) Locomotive Department in 1877. It is not know if this is list was compiled in seniority order or not. However, the list does clearly indicates the difference in the ages of both drivers & fireman at that period of time.
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The history of St. Leonards & Hastings Branches of A.S.L.E.F. web site |
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Above the St. Leonard's Branch 1982 A.S.L.E.F. strike badges.
The badge on the left was one of the first A.S.L.E.F. loyalty badges to be made after the 1982 strike.
The loyal A.S.L.E.F. members of the St Leonards branch felt they needed to be recognised, when meeting other loyal A.S.L.E.F. members from other branches/depots. This was due to the high level of non loyal A.S.L.E.F. members at their branch.
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