SERVANT OF THE COMPANY
(Composed prior to 1971; from manuscript held by B. Burke)My Dad started off on the old “North Western”
My dad left school at just fourteen
My Dad got a job at the shed at Longsight
helping to keep all the engines clean.
- Helping to keep all the engines clean.
He became a fireman on the L.M.S. Railway
(The only way then that you “Got ahead”
- a fifty-hour week on a 9A Jinty
shunting up-and-down in the engine-shed)
Shunting up and down in the engine-shed.
My Dad “Passed Fireman” on the L.M.S. Railway
and graduated, in the course of time,
to working like a navvy on a 4-6-4 tank
toiling away up the Buxton line
Toiling away up the Buxton line!
The Hungry Thirties on the L.M.S. Railway
found my Daddy pretty well content
promoted up to a jolly-old Jumbo
bucketing away down to Stoke-on-Trent!
Bucketing away down to Stoke-on-Trent.
Thirty years toil on the L.M.S. Railway
Thirty years labour, hard and hot
But Daddy ended up as a “Top-Link” driver
- on London Trains with a rebuilt Scot.
London trains with a rebuilt Scot.
Thirty years work on the L.M.S. Railway
Thirty years sweat, d’you wonder why?
Well, I’ve got a photo taken Nineteen Forty-seven, oh
of Daddy on the footplate of “H.L.I.”
Daddy on the footplate of “H.L.I.”
Daddy as the Lord of the whole creation,
- Daddy as the king of his own success,
… “It’s good to be a driver on the L.M.S. Railway,
When EVERYONE’S heard of the L.M.S.!”
Everyone’s heard of the L.M.S. …?
Daddy lived and breathed for the L.M.S. Railway
long long ago. And it’s rather sad.
- It’ll shortly be forgotten, will the “L.M.S. Railway”
… And who’s ever heard of dear old Dad?
SERVANT OF THE COMPANY
(slightly different
version as remembered/supplied by Mark Dowding)
He left school at just fourteen
He got a job in the shed at Longsight
Helping to keep all the engines clean,
Helping to keep all the engines clean.
He became a fireman on the L.M.S. Railway
The only way then that you got ahead
A 50-hour week on a 9A “Jinty”
Shunting up and down in the engine-shed,
Shunting up and down in the engine-shed.
My dad passed fireman on the L.M.S. Railway
And graduated in the course of time
To working like a navvy on a 4-6-4 tank
Toiling away up the Buxton line,
Toiling away up the Buxton line.
The hungry ’Thirties on the L.M.S. Railway
Saw my dad pretty well content
Newly in the charge of a jolly old “Jumbo”
Bucketing away into Stoke-on-Trent,
Bucketing away into Stoke-on-Trent.
Thirty years’ work on the LMS Railway
Thirty years’ labour hard and hot
Daddy ended up as a top-link driver
On London trains with a “Rebuilt Scot”,
On London trains with a “Rebuilt Scot”.
Thirty years’ work on the LMS Railway
Thirty years’ toil do you wonder why
Well I’ve got a photo taken 1947
Of Daddy on the footplate of “H.L.I.”,
Of Daddy on the footplate of “H.L.I.”
Daddy as the lord of the whole Creation,
Daddy as the king of his own success,
It’s good to be a driver on the L.M.S. Railway
When everybody’s heard of the L.M.S.,
When everybody’s heard of the L.M.S.
Daddy lived and breathed for the L.M.S. Railway
Long long ago – and it’s rather sad.
It’ll shortly be forgotten, will the L.M.S. Railway,
And who’s ever heard of my dear old Dad?
And who’s ever heard of my dear old Dad?
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