It always gives me great pleasure to receive offers of pictures and stories of life on the railways none less that the experiences of Ian Bunnett who for quite a short time worked on the Somerset & Dorset quickly gaining a position on the footplate as fireman, something we’d all like to have done.
Ian says :- “I started work at the age of sixteen on 4th June 1962. They took me on as a cleaner and then I became a fireman.
March 7th 1966 is a date I remember well says Ian. My eldest son was born on that day so it’s a day I’ll never forget. It was also a quiet day on the S & D – it had died, the last trains, enthusiasts specials, had run on Sunday the 6th March and the last public trains on the 5th. (March the 7th is the day after the last trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset, the final public service day had been on March 5th)
During those almost four years working on the S & D Ian had a lifetimes experience which many of us would envy. He was teamed up with Driver John Stamp and had a very great respect for this gentleman who passed away a few years ago.
After Green Park station had shed closed Ian got a job on the permanent way which he suffered for a time but nothing could replace the footplate for Ian and sadly he left the railways in 1969. One of his jobs was as a Newspaper packer travelling on the 02.15 from Paddington to Bristol (most days he’d finished packing and was able to get off at Bath) and it was through this contact that he struck up friendships with drivers from Old Oak Common. With these contacts he somehow secreted himself on to the footplate of a high speed train and during the journey the driver (Now it can be said) offered him a go!
This is also a tribute to Ian’s mentor, the late, John Stamp who was not only an excellent driver, but also a fine friend and a keen and expert photographer. Most of the rare photographs you will see added to this site are the work of the late John Stamp. We are most grateful to Ian for passing on his memories and allowing his collection of photographs to be used.
Over the next few weeks Ian’s photos and stories will be added to the website.
We continue in the Features Section with a collection with some snow scenes in the winter of 1963
Ian says :- “I started work at the age of sixteen on 4th June 1962. They took me on as a cleaner and then I became a fireman.
March 7th 1966 is a date I remember well says Ian. My eldest son was born on that day so it’s a day I’ll never forget. It was also a quiet day on the S & D – it had died, the last trains, enthusiasts specials, had run on Sunday the 6th March and the last public trains on the 5th. (March the 7th is the day after the last trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset, the final public service day had been on March 5th)
During those almost four years working on the S & D Ian had a lifetimes experience which many of us would envy. He was teamed up with Driver John Stamp and had a very great respect for this gentleman who passed away a few years ago.
After Green Park station had shed closed Ian got a job on the permanent way which he suffered for a time but nothing could replace the footplate for Ian and sadly he left the railways in 1969. One of his jobs was as a Newspaper packer travelling on the 02.15 from Paddington to Bristol (most days he’d finished packing and was able to get off at Bath) and it was through this contact that he struck up friendships with drivers from Old Oak Common. With these contacts he somehow secreted himself on to the footplate of a high speed train and during the journey the driver (Now it can be said) offered him a go!
This is also a tribute to Ian’s mentor, the late, John Stamp who was not only an excellent driver, but also a fine friend and a keen and expert photographer. Most of the rare photographs you will see added to this site are the work of the late John Stamp. We are most grateful to Ian for passing on his memories and allowing his collection of photographs to be used.
Over the next few weeks Ian’s photos and stories will be added to the website.
We continue in the Features Section with a collection with some snow scenes in the winter of 1963
It's four o'clock in the afternoon at Bath Green Park and Ian Bunnett leans from the cab of 80041 on his last day of duty on the Somerset and Dorset. Sadly he was to miss the last two days of the S & D - see above. This picture copyright of the late John Stamp
A photograph which fortunately somebody had the foresight to take of Ian accepting the token at Bath Junction at the start of the long climb out of Bath to Devonshire tunnel. He's on the S & D proper now and looking forward to the run to Templecombe and Bournemouth West.
We cannot start off our collection of Ian's pictures without this one from his collection, taken by Driver John Stamp's camera of 34057 Biggin Hill. The two gentlemen are Driver, the late John Stamp, teamed up for the day with fireman T. Davis. The late John Stamp was Ian's driver from whom he learnt a lot during his short time on the footplate. John was also an expert cameraman who developed his own pictures. Copyright Driver, the late John Stamp