hi cathy, in the days you are talking about it worked like this:- you started your career doing meniel work i.e. messenger boy, etc, then you would become a cleaner (steam engines you then became a passed cleaner, if they were short of a fiteman you could do the job, you would then become a fireman at a laer date you became a passed fireman meaning that if they were short of a driver you could stand in and drive, eventualy you would become a passed driver this didn't mean you had a job as a driver you either had to move away and live in a hostel or move altogether, if you were lucky a job would become vacant in your home depot and you could then move back as a driver, nothing was a certainty, even in the 60s i have known of passed firemen never become drivers as they didn't want to move away so had to wait for a driver to die before they got their job (sometimes never), hope this gives you an insight into the life of a railway driver, a possibility to get hold of records, you could contact aslef the drivers union, all the very best to you with your search, kali, retired railway driver., canton cardiff.
