Sometimes I had to attend a signalling engineers occupation [of the track] in order to act as 'groundsman' or 'hand signalman'. One such occupation, which lasted continuously from Sunday, 9 February to Sunday, 23 February 1958, took place at Kensington. At Kensington South, which was quite a large signalbox, the London and North Western type of lever frame of many levers was completely taken out and replaced with a new Great Western type of lever frame, together with completely new instrument shelf with new British Rail block instruments. While the big job was being carried out there were over twenty relief signalmen and signalmen required for hand signalling and the setting of points by hand. Each time the points were set for the necessary routes for a train they were clipped and pad-locked, which is the normal procedure when points are disconnected from a signalbox. Half of us worked twelve hours days and the other half worked twelve hours nights. I was on twelve hours days, 8 am to 8 pm for every day until the job was finished. I was situated at Kensington South Down Main Home Signal and was provided with a hut to protect from weather. Trains would stop at the signal and I would get in touch with the person in charge, to ascertain when I could show the green handsignal to the driver so that he could proceed. Temporary telephones were provided to enable handsignalmen and those at points to be in touch with those in charge. The persons in charge, one on nights and one on days, were in the Kensington South signalbox and were, I think, relief signalmen, 'special class'. During this period, two signalboxes were done away with, Kensington Middle and Earls Court Junction, so the layout, points and signals, in the Kensington area had to be rearranged.
In April 1958, a signal engineers occupation of the locking frame at the Southall East Station signalbox took place throughout one weekend, when signalmen and relief signalmen had to attend as groundsmen and handsignalmen. About seventeen worked on the Saturday night to Sunday morning and from the Sunday night to Monday morning, and about seventeen, including me, worked for twelve hours on the Sunday. Most of us were groundsmen looking after points, discs and signals, while a few were hand signalmen. A selected relief signalman was in charge at night and one on days.
Another signal engineers occupation between Acton and Friars Junction took place on 31 January/1 February 1959. From 9.00 pm Saturday, 31 January to 9.00 am Sunday, 1 February forty-three relief signalmen and signalmen were allocated, while thirty-four were allocated from 9.00 am Sunday, 1 February until completion of the work by the signal engineers. I was allocated for the Saturday/Sunday twelve hours night as a handsignalman in the Acton Middle signalbox area. The Acton East signalbox and the Acton Middle signalbox were both made redundant. The signal engineers occupation was in connection with the introduction of multiple-aspect colour light signalling.
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