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A typical 1960 Signalman roster? 30/06/2017 at 20:15 #96086 | |
BoxBoyKit
![]() 166 posts |
Hi all, Wondering if anyone could give an example of a "typical" Signalman roster for around 1960, for a small three man box. I'm aware they'd do a week of earlies, lates then nights, and Sunday was just days and nights but who from the previous six days did which Sunday shift and who had the day off, and what did they go onto the following week? I've managed to find out that the late man went into days on the Sunday, but that's about it... Any help of any kind would be greatly appreciated! Log in to reply |
A typical 1960 Signalman roster? 30/06/2017 at 22:09 #96089 | |
jc92
![]() 3649 posts |
Dont forget some shifts would be covered by a relief as well
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply |
A typical 1960 Signalman roster? 01/07/2017 at 14:31 #96096 | |
kbarber
![]() 1723 posts |
I can give an example from 1978, I suspect little had changed from 1960 (except possibly that there were more Rest Day Relief signalmen in 1960). The example was typical of the London Midland Region in the London Division; I think it was also true of the Eastern Region and I've no reason to think it didn't apply on the Southern & Western as well. It's possible power box rosters were different, as they were of a sufficiently high grade to attract & keep enough signalmen to cover rest days etc. Anyhow, to the roster. Week 1: starting Monday, 22:00 - 06:00 nights. Saturday night/Sunday morning would usually be 22:00 - 08:00 Sunday night/Monday morning was then 18:00 - 06:00 Week 2: 'double back' Monday to work 14:00 - 22:00 Sunday 08:00 - 18:00 ('Long Sunday', very lucrative.) Week 3: from Monday 06:00 - 14:00 finish Saturday at 14:00 for the 'long weekend off', starting again Monday 22:00. Weeks 4 - 6 followed the same pattern. There were normally no rest days rostered on nights. Weeks 2 & 3 would include a rest day each week. By the time I was working this roster it was invariably 'rest day worked' (another useful source of beer vouchers). Weeks 5 & 6 would each have a double rest day, again normally worked given the number of vacancies. Week 6 could be very good for the bank balance, with a long Sunday and double rest day worked, especially if one was a Saturday rest day. Twelve hours was common at the time, to cover a vacancy in a box. Week 1 would be 18:00 - 06:00. The weekend would consist of two double-backs, first to 14:00 - 22:00 then to 06:00 - 18:00 to start week 2. At the end of week 2 it would be a short day 06:00 - 14:00 then a double back to 22:00 - 06:00 followed by a return to nights. No 'weekend off' at all. There were some blokes who did that for nigh on 5 years at a stretch, with their only time off being for annual leave (and the huge amount of lieu leave they also accumulated) Log in to reply |
A typical 1960 Signalman roster? 01/07/2017 at 16:20 #96097 | |
Danny252
![]() 1461 posts |
kbarber in post 96096 said:I can give an example from 1978, I suspect little had changed from 1960 (except possibly that there were more Rest Day Relief signalmen in 1960). The example was typical of the London Midland Region in the London Division; I think it was also true of the Eastern Region and I've no reason to think it didn't apply on the Southern & Western as well.The pattern matches what I've read about WR rostering in the 60s/70s. Log in to reply |