[HM181]

I am a new member Of this forum.
I am retired from the railway, after serving 27 years as a goods guard at Healey mills.
During this 27 years, I have worked all the trains its possible for a guard to work, apart from the Royal Train.
In the 1980's we worked into the many pits in the Yorkshire Coal Fields with class 9 trains complete with the BV.
After the miners strike I had route knowledge into 20 pits in my area.
When DOO came on the scene, the role of the guard was done away with. That was in 1988.
From 1995, we had the Gas Tanks from Humber Oil to Ellesemere Port and back again till 2002 when EWS lost the contract.
In the end the guards were use as mobile shunters and still are.
When I went to HM there was 144 guards and now there is about 3 left.
HM181 is the signal on the up main line at Healey Mills, where crews relieved west bound trains.