The thrill of working with a Lizzie, the clunking of a Class 8, preparing a 3-legged Stanier,

the pleasure of having a rocker to dispose of, the dread of shunting with an old Super D!

All the memories flood back so vividly, but when I stopped and thought about it, I realised that my generation is probably the last which actually worked on steam engines for a living, as opposed to those who work on them now as enthusiasts. It would be sad if some of the stories that we have to tell didn't get told, so that is why I set up this site specifically for those who worked at Rugby MPD, no matter in what capacity.

Cast your mind back to.......... cleaning............. going to firing school............. your first time out as a Passed Cleaner.............. starting off in the Old Man's Link........ moving up to the Special Link. Did you have a good mate who let you take the controls occasionally? Share your memories with others who were there when you were there. Remind us of the characters we endured/enjoyed each day at work. There are a wealth of stories out there from those years when we used to stand on the footbridge from the shed to the station, looking at the girls walking by to and from the BTH!

I was there from 1959 - 1964, during which time I met Bill Thomas, Jason (Jasper) Blackwell, John (Sexy) Wareham, Baz Hemmings, Dick Blank, Frank Woolman, Shack Townsend, Walter Medlicott, Pete Crowe, Arthur Eaton, Joe Leeming, Twinnie Oliver (both of 'em!), Jimmy (Anything for the weekend, Sir?) Freestone, Jimmy Collis, Aubrey Wilson, Arthur Champion, Shonker Golding, oh, the list is endless.