LSW railway- help /advice needed new member

[genealogymad]

my great great grandfather george harding worked on the railway and according to a sons marr cert in 1895 it was the LSW railway (London South West?) i would like to trace his work record if possible and have looked at NRO site but couldnt see much for the LSW but i know railways merged with others.

From 1861 he certainly lived in the kennington area of Surrey and in 1861 he was described as a labourer for a fitter living at 7 bond st, clapham.
1862 he was an engine driver
1871 also engine driver living 13 stewarts lane, battersea
1881 loc boiler man of 73 sterndale rd, battersea
1891 foreman loco works living 26 studley rd, kennington
1895 railway inspector LSW railway
1901 retired loco inspector 26 studley rd,kennington

does anyone know about the LSW railway and perhaps advise me on the best course of action. all censuses suggest george was born bristol and i presume this fits in with the location of the LSW railway?

any help/advise very much appreicated as i have not had any experience of railway records
louise

[Alan Welsford]

It's the London and South Western Railway you are referring to (LSWR).

This Wikipedia article will give you the basics, such as history, and areas it served.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_and_South_Western_Railway

When the grouping of the railways in 1923 forced the creation of the "big four" railways, the LSWR became part of the Southern Railway.

Several LSWR locomotives have survived into preservation, and whilst it's statisically unlike that any he drove survive, it is not impossible that a member of the same class might have done.

I'm afraid I don't know where LSWR records in particular will be lodged. I would assume your strongest chances might be with the National Railway Museum at York, but it is possible what you are after is elsewhere.

One thing about your detailed notes worries me a little though.

You have him going from a "labourer for a fitter" to "engine driver" in immediately following years. This sounds wrong to me. Throughout the days of steam, right up to it's finish with British Railways, the footplate career path went something like...

Cleaner
Passed cleaner (i.e. could act as fireman but not yet a full fireman)
Fireman
Passed fireman (i.e. could act as driver but not yet a full driver)
Driver

This progression, I believe would normally take years rather than months.

So I'm not a little surprised to seeing him apparently not climbing the rungs in the usual manner.

Alan

[Alan Welsford]

Actually having had a quick look at the National Archives, to my untrained eye there seems to be quite a bit there associated with the LSWR
Try this link

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=124&j=1

and go down to "London and South Western Railway"

[genealogymad]

hello alan,
many thnaks for your help. i did think the jump from fitter tp driver very odd. thanks for your detailed help. i will set about trying to find more information on the railway from NRO.

louise

[Alan Welsford]

Erm :o

I think I could have raised false hopes about records at TNA.

On looking again, the limited information on what they have looks to contain things only relating to specific locations.

There may be hope, as one says "Nine Elms" which I believe was both a major workshop and locomotive depot.

Looking at what he did, and his location, you may after all get lucky, but unfortunately the information in TNA's online catalogue seems to give very little detail on what's in the records.

Alan

[genealogymad]

hi alan
seems to be only 3 items listed there but worth pursueing- nothing in this game is easy!
thanks for your help

louise