That reminds me of... railways, locomotives and their crews

"Hello Jeff, herewith my information with regard to the photograph of the crew and County Class locomotive, number 1020 'County of Monmouth' taking the 3.30pm Milford Haven to Gloucester express fish train on Wednesday, October 31, 1956.

"The train is about to depart Milford. Both the locomotive and crew were based at Neyland. I was aged 15 at the time, and I wish I had noted the names of the driver and fireman.

"I am hoping we will be able to track down the families of those in the picture, so that I might send them copies.

"I confess that, since the age of four, I have had a passion for steam locomotives, especially those of the former GWR. It all started when my mother took me to see one of the Milford Docks Company Peckett locomotives, which would have been driven by the late Mr Billy Pugsley. I was lifted onto the footplate and given a ride, and I was hooked!

"As a boy, the GWR station at Milford Haven became my second home. I closely observed all operations and 'comings and goings.' I was regularly invited to visit the signal box, which was very handy on wet days.

"I developed the ambition to become a locomotive design engineer at Swindon. However, that did not come to pass, but I did ultimately become a qualified steam locomotive driver in the Heritage Railway sector.

"Concerning Neyland and Milford... Neyland (or New Milford as it was once known) developed as a very important terminus of the GWR, and there were expectations that being on the Milford Haven Waterway it would become an interchange for transatlantic shipping. Why Neyland was chosen as the terminus in preference to Milford is not clear to me.

"Neyland and Milford were the starting points for most south Wales passenger express trains to London Paddington. Neyland locomotives and their crews (such as the crew pictured) played a very significant role in the movement of trains in south west Wales.

"Furthermore, Milford Haven was the fourth largest fishing port in the UK, with a thriving community absorbed in fishing from North Atlantic and Icelandic deep sea areas. Hence whilst fish express trains were going out daily, the traffic coming in comprised shipping supplies and thousands of tons of coal from the South Wales coalfield required to service a very large fishing fleet. There were no motorways and only a meandering A40 which was unsuitable for heavy goods traffic. Thus without the railway, the port could not function.

"This emphasises the contribution of these railwaymen and women to the success of Milford Haven.

"The photograph is one of the 3.50pm to Gloucester fish express train ready to depart Milford.

"These were by far the heaviest trains, and required an additional Milford based loco to be deployed to push from the rear so as to assist climbing the steep, challenging Goosepill and Steynton banks. Otherwise, the train would have had to be reduced in weight by curtailing the number of its freight cars.

"This crew were among the 'Top Link' men, these being the most able and experienced.

"The fireman would be extremely physically fit, and would be serving a long apprenticeship before qualifying as a driver.

"This was an express freight train, with every vehicle being fitted with vacuum brakes to enable express running. Each van was an 'Insulfish,' ie. a type specifically designed for the insulated transfer of iced fish.

"The duty was shared by footplatemen with locomotives from Neyland and Cardiff Canton on alternate days. Cardiff provided Castle class and BR Standard Class Seven locomotives, whereas Neyland drew from its established stable of four County Class locomotives.

"These were 1001 County of Bucks, 1009 County of Carmarthen, 1020 County of Monmouth, 1027 County of Stafford (subsequently replaced by 1029 County of Worcester).

"I have absolutely no doubt crews enjoyed much friendly banter as to whose locomotives and crews performed best!

"The counties were designed by Frederick Hawksworth and were the last express locomotives designed and built by the GWR at Swindon. They had a 4.6.0 wheel arrangement with driving wheels 6'3" in diameter and weighed 126 tons in full working order.

"In all 30 were built and were deployed throughout the GWR which became British Railway's 'Western Region' following nationalisation. No 1020 entered traffic on December 14, 1946 and completed 599,000 miles before being withdrawn on February 26, 1964."

I am extremely grateful to Gordon for getting in touch, and if anyone has any ideas about the gents in his photo, please get in touch so I can pass it on for him to send copies of the snaps.

Alongside his photo I'm adding another of a busy Neyland Railway.

Now for our teaser fans: If there are four sheep, two dogs and one herdsman, how many feet are there?

That's about it from me, except to remind us all of this quote from George Bernard Shaw: "We learn from experience that man never learns from experience."

Take care and please stay safe.