Bringing down the wages
an inside story from
Craig Munday, Steve Curtis
an inside story from
Craig Munday, Steve Curtis
Hi Keith
I was watching a talent show recently. and an escape artist brought out a wooden trunk, complete with chains to elaborately release himself. The box looked exactly like a mysterious box that used to come down on the "Murphy" mid morning on Thursday. Nowadays PAYE is almost universally used across large organisations and most transactions cashless these days. I thought some younger readers in particular may be fascinated about this charming ritual. I caught up with Steve Curtis and we had a natter about this weekly delivery. He picked up the story...
During the1980’s/90’s when I worked on the Railways, Thursdays was a very important day. On the down ‘Murphy’, the 05:45 from Barnstable in 1986, but could have been from Bristol TM in earlier days. A heavy wooden cash box chained to the metal bars would be put on at Plymouth usually in the rear Full Brake for stations to Penzance. The trunk contain the wages for BR staff in a leather pouch placed inside the box. Each station had their own key, and at larger stations the Chargeman would go in unlock the wooden safe box and retrieve their stations bag and sign the book. Smaller Stations that had a Booking Clerk, would retrieve the bag from the box. I remember at Camborne Frank Trythall, the Booking Clerk there would meet the train on Thursdays and retrieve the wages bag from the box. Smaller stations like Hayle, where there were only two staff, one early one late, a mere Leading Railman would collect the bag. There was definitely a sense of trust in those days, as anyone could retrieve someone else's bag and pocket the money, but in those days Railwaymen were ‘Family’ and you don’t steal from Family.
The Box would return to Plymouth on the same stock working the dinner time stopper from Penzance to Plymouth. This was of course in the days on Loco Hauled trains and of course you also had to retrieve any parcels or mail bags for your station too while passengers boarded and alighted the train. BR envelopes could be circulated around the Country with OCS in the top corner (On Conditional Service).
Look out if it was worked by a DMU, you’d have to clamber over parcels and mail bags just to get to the safe box! But that was rare.
Kind regards, Craig Munday / Steve Curtis
I was watching a talent show recently. and an escape artist brought out a wooden trunk, complete with chains to elaborately release himself. The box looked exactly like a mysterious box that used to come down on the "Murphy" mid morning on Thursday. Nowadays PAYE is almost universally used across large organisations and most transactions cashless these days. I thought some younger readers in particular may be fascinated about this charming ritual. I caught up with Steve Curtis and we had a natter about this weekly delivery. He picked up the story...
During the1980’s/90’s when I worked on the Railways, Thursdays was a very important day. On the down ‘Murphy’, the 05:45 from Barnstable in 1986, but could have been from Bristol TM in earlier days. A heavy wooden cash box chained to the metal bars would be put on at Plymouth usually in the rear Full Brake for stations to Penzance. The trunk contain the wages for BR staff in a leather pouch placed inside the box. Each station had their own key, and at larger stations the Chargeman would go in unlock the wooden safe box and retrieve their stations bag and sign the book. Smaller Stations that had a Booking Clerk, would retrieve the bag from the box. I remember at Camborne Frank Trythall, the Booking Clerk there would meet the train on Thursdays and retrieve the wages bag from the box. Smaller stations like Hayle, where there were only two staff, one early one late, a mere Leading Railman would collect the bag. There was definitely a sense of trust in those days, as anyone could retrieve someone else's bag and pocket the money, but in those days Railwaymen were ‘Family’ and you don’t steal from Family.
The Box would return to Plymouth on the same stock working the dinner time stopper from Penzance to Plymouth. This was of course in the days on Loco Hauled trains and of course you also had to retrieve any parcels or mail bags for your station too while passengers boarded and alighted the train. BR envelopes could be circulated around the Country with OCS in the top corner (On Conditional Service).
Look out if it was worked by a DMU, you’d have to clamber over parcels and mail bags just to get to the safe box! But that was rare.
Kind regards, Craig Munday / Steve Curtis
50033 makes a 'Glorious;' site crossing the viaduct at Hayle with a down service, it's 1987. Copyright Craig Mjunday
Very interesting, many thanks to you both, memories (and cash) are precious. I suppose the money comes by bank transfer these days!
Additional -
Sending back the takings
Dave Anthony
Sending back the takings
Dave Anthony
‘morning all,
If I could add... “ and sending away the takings”
A similar travelling safe was also used to send the stations takings, if I remember correctly, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Under BR in the mid 80’s this was to Plymouth then later I think, to Bristol Temple Meads.
In the nineties under privatisation, in Cornwall, the Plymouth and Bristol options were no longer available so all station and on train accounts except Penzance and St Erth, were sent daily, in the safes to Truro. The collated cash was then collected by a well known courier but cheques & credit card slips had to be taken down town to be paid in at the bank
Eventually commercial couriers were brought in for all delivery of wages and collection of each station’s own cash & accounts and the safes were taken out of use. This was probably a good idea as by then the newer units were being used and it was usual to find the safe chained to a passenger handrail by the door of a 150!
Cheers
Dave Anthony
If I could add... “ and sending away the takings”
A similar travelling safe was also used to send the stations takings, if I remember correctly, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Under BR in the mid 80’s this was to Plymouth then later I think, to Bristol Temple Meads.
In the nineties under privatisation, in Cornwall, the Plymouth and Bristol options were no longer available so all station and on train accounts except Penzance and St Erth, were sent daily, in the safes to Truro. The collated cash was then collected by a well known courier but cheques & credit card slips had to be taken down town to be paid in at the bank
Eventually commercial couriers were brought in for all delivery of wages and collection of each station’s own cash & accounts and the safes were taken out of use. This was probably a good idea as by then the newer units were being used and it was usual to find the safe chained to a passenger handrail by the door of a 150!
Cheers
Dave Anthony
Very useful again - inside information - many thanks Dave.
Travelling Safe /
Strong Box
(ref. Craig M’s piece 19th February 2023)
Guy Vincent
Strong Box
(ref. Craig M’s piece 19th February 2023)
Guy Vincent
Morning Keith An interesting piece by Craig this morning set me off on a quick search to find a picture of a BR Travelling Safe. I discovered the attached courtesy of ‘the antique kitchen.co.uk’ and although unfortunately (for me!) it was sold some time ago the description and photos are excellent. It was advertised at only £245, a bargain in my opinion and with a strong local connection. I hope that with due acknowledgment given to the seller you may feel able to include the safe on the site for the historic interest it holds. With my regards Guy Vincent
A very clear example of a 20thC Painted Railway Strong Box. From the catalogue of ‘the antique kitchen.co.uk’
A very clear example of a 20thC Painted Railway Strong Box. From the catalogue of ‘the antique kitchen.co.uk’. In this view bottom right it is clearly shown that the lid could only be lifted by a small amount to reveal a tray below.
The above inforamtion is obtained from a catalogue of the ‘the antique kitchen.co.uk which can be sourced at ’ - https://www.google.com/search?q=%E2%80%98the+antique+kitchen.co.uk%E2%80%99&rlz=1C1VDKB_en-GBGB990GB990&oq=%E2%80%98the+antique+kitchen.co.uk%E2%80%99&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30.11554j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 obviously an excellent site for sourcing many items of potential antique furnishing.
Goodbye old friend
Exeter
Paul Barlow
Exeter
Paul Barlow
43198 43160 leave Exeter on 05.40 Penzance to Cardiff 2U10 18th February 2023 Copyright Paul Barlow
43198 43160 on 05.40 Penzance to Cardiff wait on platform 5 while 43040 and 43122 arrive with the 0725 Bristol to Penzance Exeter St Davids 18th February 2023. Copyright Paul Barlow.
43198 43160 leave Exeter on 0540 Penzance to Cardiff 2U10 18 February 2023 This was 43160s final day in service before withdrawal in the evening. Copyright Paul Barlow.
Welcome back Paul.
He's been on a rather long holiday, we hope it all went very well.
He's been on a rather long holiday, we hope it all went very well.
Taking a flight of fancy at
Weston super Mare
Andrew Hickson
Weston super Mare
Andrew Hickson
Hello Keith. Following your features about station cats. How about station pigeons?! This attractive tame pigeon joined me today whilst I waited for my train at Weston Super Mare. It looked very much at home sitting on this nicely varnished bench.
Andrew
Andrew
Weston Super Mare - Pidgeon. 18th February 2023. Copyright Andrew Hickson
Thank you Andrew. Good job there were no felines about - it would have been a catatastrophe !!