sources for railway employees

[ainslie]

I am looking for sources of employment history for someone who came to Liverpool after the 1911 census but was listed in a local directory dated 1914.  His occupation was then 'porter', but he became a 'railway goods checker'.  So far as we know he was not in railway service before coming here from Cheltenham.
Are staff records available anywhere please?  He may have worked for LNWR/LMS but other companies also operated locally.

Ainslie

[KGarrad]

Ancestry have some records, from some Railway companies.

Otherwise, you'll need to get a look-up at Kew (The National Archives).

My Gt Grandfather worked on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - but there's nothing online, so I had to pay a researcher to do the look-up at Kew.

[ainslie]

Thanks very much.  This is a new area for  me!
A

[Redroger]

Speaking generally the staff records of the LMS and its constituent railways are the most complete holding at Kew. I realise it is a different company, but there were almost certainly similar records to that mentioned below from other companies. The railway companies paid neither pensions nor sick pay to their staff, but that did set up Friendly Societies that their staff could join e.g. The Great Northern Railway Friendly Society records held in Doncaster archives represent a virtual staff census as a result. When the Railway companies were "Grouped" in 1923 i.e the many dozen companies were compulsorily merged by Government order into 4 companies membership of the society was extended to companies now part of the LNER, meaning that the society records from 1923 to after nationalization now apply to the much wider company, North Eastern and Great Eastern Railways plus others.
  A search for  example "London North Western Railway Friendly society records" may well be very useful to your research.

[ainslie]

Thanks for that, too.  It looks as if I shall have to get to Kew -  a long haul from here.
A

[KGarrad]

Or, you could do what I did!

I found (on the TNA website) a specialist Railway researcher, and got a quote from them for the necessary research.

It was a fair quote, so I up, and received details of my Gt Grandfather's railway career.

[Redroger]

Yes, You will need to take all the costs into account. Remember though that if you book 3 months in advance you can get a rail ticket for a very low cost. Lonjourney though on what is still a relatively slow line.

[ainslie]

Good advice, thanks.  The researcher sounds the best bet if I do not find a way through Ancestry!
A

[Primrose11]

 Did you get anywhere with this, Ainslie?
I am also interested in researching a Liverpool railway employee, circa 1900.
P