My Grandfather's Career with Railways, Based in Darlington.

[Skippy1959]

Since he worked in the offices, I assume his Union was Transport Salaried Staff Association. His eventual job was Railway Chief Works Clerk in about 1962 before Beeching changes to the infrastructure. Can Anyone suggest where I can start looking for confirmation of the few facts I know and hopefully find more? Does anyone know which Union Records I should start looking in?
Cheers.

[Redroger]

Union records are with Warwick University. Whether there are any TSSA records, my own union incidentally, I am afraid I don't know. Prior to 1955 TSSA was the RCA (Railway Clerks Association)
If he was in a wages grade job before salaried service he is very likely to have been a member of the Great Northern Railway Friendly Society (open to all LNER staff from Jan 1st 1923). If his entire service was salaried he is less likely to have been. The big attraction was there was no sick pay for non salaried staff before the 1970s. Records are held by Doncaster Borough Archives.
There MAY be some records at the National Railway Museum York, who certainly have a n archive of the Staff Magazine. One that subject he might have had a write-up in the TSSA journal on retirement. Worth contacting their HQ.

[GrahamSimons]

This guide might help:

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/railway-workers/

[barryd]

While we are on this subject how about the late (great) Driver Joseph Duddington of Mallard fame. ASLEF or NUR.

I was a very astute teenager. Myself, first carriage heading north from Kings Cross. By myself. Sliding window at the top open. Going through the troughs. Soaking wet but happy. Another time. Whitby heading towards York. Don't tell Dr. Beeching but four of us on the train. The Driver, The Fireman, The Guard and ME.

Its got me going. I see that Delta Airlines is loading its passengers first to the back of the plane. Corona Virus. Having flown on the Douglas DC-3 from time to time that is the way the DC-3 is always loaded.

[Redroger]

Duddington ASLEF. I worked at Carr Loco Doncaster, and though  he was long gone I knew the grandson of his fireman Bray, himself a driver at Doncaster, the third generation in the profession at that time. He will now be on the verge of if not actually retired. I assume the troughs you refer to were those at Werrington preparing for the big climb up to Stoke summit, Mallard's record line, but uphill heading north.

[Skippy1959]

Thanks Graham and Redroger, I've contacted TSSA and looking at the National Archives guide.

[Redroger]

I was a very astute teenager. Myself, first carriage heading north from Kings Cross. By myself. Sliding window at the top open. Going through the troughs. Soaking wet but happy. Another time. Whitby heading towards York. Don't tell Dr. Beeching but four of us on the train. The Driver, The Fireman, The Guard and ME.

September 1968, attending my uncles funeral in Cambridge. Caught 05.50 from Doncaster, expecting to change at Ely, Guard came through train asking if anyone for Cambridge. Train extended from Ely to Cambridge, Driver, Assistant driver, guard and myself.
Investigation by me next day at work showed cost Zero, train had to go on to Cambridge as empty stock to start a later service Cambridge to York! But it saved me a wait and a change, and I as in CAmbridge an hour early!

[iluleah]

Railway Clerks Association of TSSA is at Warwick uni https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/TSS/P/2

[Redroger]

Unfortunately the holding of early journals is incomplete.It might be worthwhile acquiring a copy of the centenary history of the association Single or return (pub 1997) to see if there is any mention of Darlington in there