ENGINEMEN S.R.

The annual 'Nine Elms Enginemen's Reunion', which started in 1999, that was initiated after the late Bert Hooker's sad funeral, is now a continued successful gathering of many associated loco-men. A calculation of the combined footplate service of those attending this year event at the Bluebell Railway came to a meagre 5,400 years! Below are some photographs of our dedicated 'Nine Elms Enginemen' headboard that we have been proud to place on the smoke-box front of various locomotives in memory of all these men.

So in conclusion look carefully my friends at the faces of these 'Enginemen', for they are the very last of a footplate profession dating back to the year 1838.

James (Jim) Lester - 70A Engineman

Here are some photos and notes describing Nine Elms enginemen:
This section is now in two parts - this page is in alphabetical order A - K.

Click here - Nine Elms enginemen with names L - Y.

Brian Aynsley says: The fireman in the picture looks familiar but I think he came from 'down the road' somewhere. The unknown guest is also familiar, could it be Inspector Bill Neal?

Bob Cartwright writes: The stoker with Tim and Bill looks like the same one in the previous picture of 35008 (Eastleigh fireman Bob Flood as identified via Josh Jenner). To me the driver on 35008 looks like a young Dave Davis. If you look carefully you will see that he is wearing one of the green diesel uniform caps that were on issue at that time.

Roy Gould has added: The mystery fireman in the line up may just be a very young John Gaffney. The chap on the right is familiar, but I can't remember his name. I think he may have ended up at Wimbledon.

Tim Crowley has confirmed that the gentleman on the right was definitely NOT Inspector Bill Neal, but someone from Shell Oil.

Here is photo puzzle, this time thanks to Nigel Kendall. Nigel has told us his photograph was taken back in summer 1967, and thinks it shows a Nine Elms crew on a non-stop down working through New Milton. There was a 40mph restriction at the time. Any names please? © copyright Nigel Kendall 1967/2011.
Email the Shedmaster with your suggestions.
Nigel Kendall has now emailed:
That shot of 35008 I sent you is indeed crewed by Tom Dodge and Bob Flood. The information was already on my website, but I had incorrectly said that they were Eastleigh men. They were, in fact, Nine Elms men.

Dave Mortlock says I think the driver of 35008 is (my boy jim) JIM ROBINSON, he had one of the green hats.He was the son of a real character Jim Robinson.

Josh Jenner has commented that the crew have been named on another website as driver Tom Dodge and firemen Bob Flood of Eastleigh top link.

Tim Crowley writes: The fireman in the New Milton photo is, without doubt, Bill Harrington's fireman, but as suggested, he was not from "Down the Road" but very much "Up the Road". Nine Elms lads will remember that in the late fifties and possibly early sixties, we had a number of firemen from Glasgow Polmadie and as far as my memory serves me, the young man in question was a Glaswegian. This comment might open the means whereby someone in the period can supply "a name"...

Jim Rowe has sent this comment: I knew both Tom Dodge and Bob Flood when they were a regular crew together and I don't think it's them. Tom was a big man with hands the size of shovels. I also believe that was too old to have been issued with the green uniform, retiring as a steam man. Bob was always very smartly turned out, no matter what the duty. Whist the haircut matches, Bob always wore a hat. He would never be seen in grubby overalls as shown. I'd be interested to hear what web site is referred to and who named them. What does Bob (Ben) Cartwright think?

FINAL FAREWELL - An interesting story concerning the late David Duncan Davis of Nine Elms depot recounted by Peter Roberts who regularly drives steam specials and charter trains in the South of England.

Three weeks earlier to the following event I was asked if I would put the ashes of an old railwayman in the firebox of our locomotive at a specified place as requested by the relatives of the deceased. This wasn't an unusual request at all and of course I agreed. So, on the day in question Black '5', 4-6-0, No. 45231 ran into Salisbury on time and I duly relieved my colleague who had brought the train from Bristol. While the loco support crew were taking water from a bowser and were pushing some coal forward the ashes of the deceased was given to me with the request to sound the whistle and put them in the firebox London side of Esher station. We left on time and my fireman, Geoff Bailey of the Mid Hants, performed well so all went according to plan. After passing Esher on the up slow and under caution we came to the designated spot so Geoff put the ashes in the firebox and I blew a lament on the whistle. Below an over-bridge there was a large waving crowd. We felt that we had done what was required and with as much dignity as possible, so onwards to Waterloo. On arrival there was the normal large crowd gathered around the engine when a young lady came up to the cab with tears in her eyes and said "Thank you very, very much for giving my grandfather a good send off, it's what he wanted", both Geoff and I felt very humble and pleased to have been of service. Soon the crowd dispersed and a South West train came into the opposite platform, the driver got out and it happened to Bob Parker (ex-Nine Elms fireman), who came over for a chat. In the course of the conversation he informed me that Dave Davis had died and that he was going to have his ashes put in the firebox of a steam engine. You can imagine my surprise because I'm sure that those ashes were those of our old colleague D. D. (Blondie) Davis.

Lower left photo is of Jim, 8th May 1967 on 34052 with 1709 Waterloo to Basingstoke. (Photo Don Benn collection)

Lower right photo shows Bert on 80145 at Clapham Junction (Central side) with the "Kenny Belle".
(Photo Jim Rowe collection)

Nine Elms enginemen (in alphabetical order L - Y)