You wanted to know what the life of an engine driver was like. My father drove for the LNER and later BR from 1942 until his retirement in 1964. I worked in traincrew administration for most of my working life.
There were and are stringent eyesight and medical standards to be employed on the footplate. In the steam era you started as an engine cleaner, and progressed to cleaner passed for firing (available for spare firing turns) then fireman, then fireman passed for driving (spare driving turns) and finally driver. You had to be 5feet 2inches aged 16, 5feet 4inches at 18 and over, with 6/6 vision in each eye normal colour vision and medically fit, subject to periodic medical exams on promotion and at 5 yearly intervals, annual after age 60. Additionally you had to pass technical examinations for promotion, and when passed for driving had to be thoroughly conversant with the signals and speed restrictions etc, over any route you drove over. You were rostered round the clock, with a minimum of 12 hours rest between footplate turns and medical exams, 8 hours for non footplate turns except medicals. There were generally no baths or washing facilities at the depot so you came home dirty and washed at home. Meals were eaten on the footplate, egg and bacon often fried on the shovel! For the other members of the household there was the disruption of irregular shift work. Often the cry to small boys playing outside, "Remember, Dad's in bed" After 1948, one day off per fortnight, later a weekly day off. Enhanced payments for overtime and shift allowances, but basic pay £10 per week for a driver in 1955, and £15/1/- when Dad retired in Jan 1964. Small pension 3/9 per week from BR, and no sick pay. What else would you like to know before I run out of space/
