Railway horse driver

[kazdel]

Hi

could anyone please enlighten me on this role : Railyway horse driver

A relative on the 1891 census .. living in durham and working on the NE railway..

Also there are several plate/layer ?

Does any one know of a web site that will help with the NE Railyway co

Thanks
K

[ricky1]

Hi Kazdel
A platelayer laid and maintained railway tracks, my grandfather and his father were platelayers living in lincolnshre. They laid the tracks and then afterwards there would be gangs of workers who would walk the tracks looking for faulty rails and sleepers, then these would be replaced with new rails or sleepers.A lot of this work was done while the trains were still running, and had to be done after one train had gone bu and before the next one came along. Now adays they close the whole track of and repair or replace faulty track,

ricky

[kazdel]

Hi Ricky

Thanks for that...sounds like a very dangerous occupation then...must have been a nightmare on a busy route..

A job a bit like the Forthe bridge..never ending

Thanks again
K

[ricky1]

Hi Kazdel
They used to use horses for shunting round goods wagon's in the rail depot's, before joining the wagons to trains, so that what be a railway horse driver.

ricky

[kazdel]

Hi Ricky

That makes perfect sense now  ...will have to try to find a website on the NE railways..

A bit safer than a platelayers job....

Thanks again
K

[Brian Wainwright]

The railways used a lot of horses. As well as for shunting they were also used for deliveries to premises!

The North Eastern Railway Association http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/m.h.ellison/nera/ may be able to help with information on the old NER.

Brian W

[kazdel]

thank you Brian

will have a look ..a lot of my peops seemed to have worked for the NER railway and is a new area too me..all info is welcome

thanks
K