End of the line for EWS?

[Pom Liner]

Originally Posted by 25250

Ermm, did you know that my company (London Midland) are allowing EWS/DB Schenker drivers that are surplus drive the Watford - St. Albans service and also certain e.c.s. workings Euston - Camden sidings. We're short of drivers in spite of being told from day one that we were surplus!

The story goes that London Midland are HIRING drivers from DB to cover for shortages. Ive passed a few familliar ex-colleagues during my sporadic forays down the West Coast. I suggest, that with the current turmoil and uncertainty, LM would be grateful to acquire a set of fully trained drivers and certain drivers currently of DB would be grateful to depart for pastures more secure. Win Win situation all round then.

But going on from this, the answer to the question that is this thread: End of the line for EWS?

Yes, it most certainly the end of a chapter in Britains colourful railway heritage. The only question now is should we mourn its loss, or say like many customers and staff "The king is dead, Long live the King".

Originally Posted by LesG

To the best of my knowledge, Ayr is now only a traincrew depot only maint depots in Scotland are Mossend and Millerhill, although EWS does have two fitters at Fort Bill.

Les

les what about motherwell tmd ?
is it still going

[geoff ayre]

hi i was a passed cleaner at thornaby from 1961 to 1965 plenty of steamers but quickly dieselised after 1963 the year of frost only the steam engines coped the diesel freezing

[Sou-West]

The end is nigh for Ayr depot and Falkland yard. Both to close, and planning permission has been sought for housing on Ayr sheds. Doubt it will be given but just goes to show that no matter the size of a company, asset stripping is not taboo subject. A real lack of forward thinking by management when you consider Prestwick Airport (freight) is 3 miles away and Ayr harbour is as busy now as it has ever been. A shame and a disgrace.

[ccmmick]

Originally Posted by Sou-West

The end is nigh for Ayr depot and Falkland yard. Both to close, and planning permission has been sought for housing on Ayr sheds. Doubt it will be given but just goes to show that no matter the size of a company, asset stripping is not taboo subject. A real lack of forward thinking by management when you consider Prestwick Airport (freight) is 3 miles away and Ayr harbour is as busy now as it has ever been. A shame and a disgrace.

Hi Sou-West
And welcome to the forum i hope you like it
I used to work at St Blazey depot in Cornwall and i dont think it will be long before the same happens there they have very little work there now it is a shame i suppose its a sign of the times
Cheers
ccmmick.

[wyvern]

Originally Posted by Sou-West

The end is nigh for Ayr depot and Falkland yard. Both to close, and planning permission has been sought for housing on Ayr sheds. Doubt it will be given but just goes to show that no matter the size of a company, asset stripping is not taboo subject. A real lack of forward thinking by management when you consider Prestwick Airport (freight) is 3 miles away and Ayr harbour is as busy now as it has ever been. A shame and a disgrace.

Looking on other forums (fora?) it seems closure is not particularly imminent for Ayr depot and Falkland yard and someone is guilty of making up malicious stories.

[ccmmick]

Originally Posted by wyvern

Looking on other forums (fora?) it seems closure is not particularly imminent and someone is guilty of making up malicious stories.

I cant say for any other depots but i do know that St Blazey doesn't have much work now and there aint all that many drivers there, in years to come i can see houses there.
When i was there it was a busy depot the clay was thriving and
we used to flood Fowey docks with train after train load, boats would come in on the high tide and go out on the next high tide

ccmmick.

[Max Webster]

For all the talk of there being some big percentage or other increase in railfreight since privatisation, I get the impression this is mostly down to coal being shipped further and the actual tonnage of freight carried had barely risen (and will have fallen now in the recession). I commute between Cheltenham and Bristol and while the M5 (like most motorways) is awash with lorries, I pass next-to-no freight on the railway. The few freight terminals that remain in the west country seem to be slowly shutting (Bristol East Steel, Bath waste, Quidhampton china clay just a few in the last year or so); the Enterprise network seems to barely exist; Advenza Freight has gone belly-up. It would be interesting to hear from current freight company employees what their 'take' is on what the future holds?

[control-manager]

Hi,
At 71 years old and have worked on the od British Rail,I still like Trainspotting EWS locomotives with there large Numbers helped,but DB Schenker's numbered Locomotives don't help old people to get the numbers.

[Dave Rowland]

Originally Posted by control-manager

Hi,
At 71 years old and have worked on the od British Rail,I still like Trainspotting EWS locomotives with there large Numbers helped,but DB Schenker's numbered Locomotives don't help old people to get the numbers.

I'm all for that! When I was a kid in Reading in the 50's, it was nearly impossible to read the cast brass GWR numberplates at any distance, it was great whwn I went home from school, there was always a SR loco with an inter-regional passenger service crossing Scours Lane bridge (if I was quick), and the numbers could easily be read at about 350 yards. After doing a lot of spotting in France, I strayed upon a couple of Belgian (SNCB) locos - they had huge numbers at both ends! I spent a lot of time in Belgium after that - AND Holland, where loco numbers were equally large. And all that was BEFORE my eyesight started to go downhill!