the newsletter for railway pensioners
Page 4 2015 increase to pensions
Page 11 Pension news
SPRING/ SUMMER 2015
Page 16 Staff travel updates
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Trustee’s message...
Contents Bridging your pension gap............... 03
I hope you have all enjoyed a good start to 2015 and this edition of Penfriend finds you well.
2015 increase to pensions ............... 04
I would like to draw your attention to a couple of key articles in this newsletter.
Life after retirement.......................... 06
One is the update on the Trustee’s new package for members who chose the Level Pension option when they retired. The winter newsletter outlined how Scheme benefits for these members might be affected by recent increases to the State Pension age, and this article provides a further update.
Reader Discussion Group.................. 07
If you are affected, the article on page 3 provides more details about the Trustee’s solution, which will allow you to receive your current Scheme pension up to your new State Pension age. The article also provides guidance on how to opt in to the new package if you have not already done so. The other main item of interest, on page 9, is making sure that RPMI has your correct address and bank details as, if these are not correct, there will be problems in paying your benefits. Again, contact details for RPMI are provided so that you can confirm a change in circumstances as quickly and easily as possible. And finally, please don’t forget that you can share your thoughts about Penfriend and the railways pension schemes at any time. Write to Penfriend (full details on the back page) or complete the survey online at www.railwayspensions.co.uk, in the Retired section under Newsletters.
The Unknown Warrior...................... 08 Great Rail Journeys........................... 10 Pension news.................................... 11 BRSF valuation 2013......................... 12 Saving the pennies............................ 13 Your letters....................................... 14 Staff travel updates........................... 16 Penfriend photo album..................... 18 Competition..................................... 20 Contact details.................................. 20
JOHN CHILMAN, Trustee Chairman
Penfriend is also available in audio format.
Front cover: Pictured is the front of the Unknown Warrior locomotive. Read the full story about its build on page 8. Pic credit: Keith Langston
If you have difficulty reading and would like to receive a copy of Penfriend as an audio CD, please write to Penfriend, RPMI, Stooperdale Offices, Brinkburn Road, Darlington, DL3 6EH, or email
[email protected]. Don’t forget to include your pension reference number.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Bridging your pension gap
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As mentioned in the autumn/winter 2014 Penfriend, the Trustee has agreed a solution for pensioners who selected the Level Pension option and whose Scheme pension will convert to a lower amount before their State Pension becomes payable. If you chose the Level Pension option when you retired, there may be a gap between the dates when your Scheme Pension will reduce under the Level Pension option and when your State Pension will come into payment. If there is, this may be because your State Pension age has increased since you retired or because, under the law and the Scheme Rules at the date you retired, your Scheme pension could not be reduced after age 65. The law has now been changed to allow pension schemes to reduce a pension that is being paid to a member who is over age 65 in circumstances such as this. The Trustee has also agreed to amend the Scheme Rules to allow members the option to ‘re-package’ their Level Pension terms to bring them into line with their State Pension age. If you are affected, you are receiving a letter from RPMI, which may give you the option to retain your current benefit package or select a new package. Under the new package, you will receive your current Scheme Pension until your State Pension age and a larger reduction will be applied to your Scheme Pension after State Pension age (at which time you will start to receive a pension from the State). As with the original Level Pension option, the new package has been designed to be ‘cost-neutral’. Therefore, if you choose this option, the overall value of your Scheme benefits will be broadly unchanged. You may be concerned that there will be a period when your total pension income (from the State and the Scheme) will be lower than its current level and lower than planned when you took your benefits. If you haven’t done so already, you can opt for the new benefits package by writing to Paul Faulkner, Director of Administration at RPMI, at the address given on the back page. If you have already selected the new package, then we will write to you soon to confirm the pension that you will receive before and after your State Pension age. (These pension figures will include your recent pension increase).
The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
2015 increase to pensions Penfriend explains the increase in your pension for the 2015/2016 tax year. The 2015 increase, officially published in March 2015, reflects the CPI figure from September 2014, which was 1.2%. This will be effective from 6 April 2015. If you took your benefits, or became a preserved pensioner, before 22 April 2014, your pension increase this year is 1.2%. For those of you who have taken your benefits, some of the increase may be paid with your railway pension and some with your State Pension. Table (a), below, shows how the increase will be paid. This is because you may have a guaranteed minimum pension (GMP) as part of your railway pension. What is a GMP? You may have a GMP if you were a member of a railways pension scheme between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 1997. As a member of a railways pension scheme, you may have been ‘contracted-out’ of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS). This means that while you were a member of the railways pension scheme, during this period, you paid a lower rate of National Insurance contributions. In return, your railways pension scheme had to provide you with a ‘guaranteed minimum pension’ which was roughly the same as the pension you would have received in SERPS. The GMP is then subtracted from your SERPS pension when your State Pension becomes payable.
Table (a) Category in which you belong
Why is the payment of my increase shared between my railway pension and my State Pension? As a current pensioner, when you reach age 65 you still receive the increase to your pension, but it may be worked out differently if your pension includes some GMP. Some of the increase on the GMP may be paid to you with your State Pension and some paid with your railways pension. Together, the overall increase will add up to the total percentage increase you are due in 2015 (see Table (a) for this total), unless you were a married woman who paid reduced National Insurance contributions, and certain pensioners who worked or live abroad. How is the GMP increased? The GMP is split between membership up to 5 April 1988 and after that date. For your membership up to 5 April 1988, the government currently pays all the increase belonging to your GMP with your State Pension. For your membership after 5 April 1988, increases up to 3% are paid by your railways pension scheme. If inflation is more than 3%, the increase over 3% is currently paid to you by the government. Questions on GMP or increase on GMP You should have already received details about your GMP from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Any questions about your GMP, or the increase on it, should be sent to your local DWP office in the first instance. How much is your increase and how will it be paid? Use the table below to find out the percentage increase you will receive and how it will be paid to you.
% increase
How the increase will be paid
Age 65 or older on 6 April 2015 Railway pension started before 22 April 2014 1.2%
Part from the railway pension Part from the State Pension
Railway pension started on or after 22 April 2014 See Table (b)
Part from the railway pension Part from the State Pension
Under age 65 on 6 April 2015 Railway pension started before 22 April 2014
1.2%
All from the railway pension
Railway pension started on or after 22 April 2014
See Table (b)
All from the railway pension
Pension preserved before 22 April 2014
1.2%
All from the railway pension
Pension preserved on or after 22 April 2014
See Table (b)
All from the railway pension
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015 Table of increases if your pension started – or you became a preserved pensioner – on or after 22 April 2014. If you took payment of your benefits – or became a preserved pensioner – on or after 22 April 2014, you will not receive the full increase as you have been retired – or preserved – for less than a year.
05 Your pension increase is shown in Table (b). If you are receiving a railway pension and your State Pension, some of the increase may be paid with your railway pension and some with your State Pension, as explained earlier. Spouses’ pensions increase in the same way. The letter enclosed with this Penfriend tells you how much railway pension you will get.
Table (b) Date your pension started or your benefits became preserved
% increase to your pension
Up to and including 21 April 2014
1.20
22 April – 21 May 2014
1.10
22 May – 21 June 2014
1.00
22 June – 21 July 2014
0.90
22 July - 21 August 2014
0.80
22 August - 21 September 2014
0.70
22 September – 21 October 2014
0.60
22 October - 21 November 2014
0.50
22 November - 21 December 2014
0.40
22 December - 21 January 2015
0.30
22 January – 21 February 2015
0.20
22 February - 21 March 2015
0.10
On or after 22 March 2015
0.00
Your payment It is important to remember that, depending on when your pension is paid, you may receive part of your pension at the new rate and part at the old rate. Check Table (c) to see how many weeks of your pension payment will be at the new rate.
Table (c) Date of pension payment
Weeks at: Old rate New rate
10/04/2015
3 1
17/04/2015
2 2
24/04/2015
1 3
01/05/2015
0 4
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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Life after retirement Restoration man
pace, so our attention was drawn to saving one of these iconic trains.
I was a driver on the former Southern Region of British Railways for over 40 years and have worked part-time since my retirement in 2009.
The first production Cep 7105 had been re-formed with a buffet car from Bep 7014, which made it ideal for preservation. It was purchased in 2004 and used as hauled stock on the East Kent Railway until the end of 2013. It had always been the intention to restore the unit to as near original condition as possible and put it ‘back on the juice’ and agreement was reached with Arlington Fleet Services to carry out some of the work.
Bob Baines
In 1995, I helped form the EPB Preservation Group whose aim was to save 1951 and 1957 electric multiple units from extinction. Retirement from full-time driving has allowed me to devote more time to this cause. After initially buying 2 EPB unit 5759 and Motor Luggage Van S 68001, the withdrawal of the 4 Cep and Bep units built for the 1959 Kent Coast electrification was gathering
Share your thoughts… Penfriend is your magazine – so please let us know what you think about it. We would love to find out what you think Penfriend does well or if we could make improvements. Tell us your thoughts by completing the online survey at www.railwayspensions. co.uk. You can find it in the Retired section under Newsletters. You can also email us at
[email protected] or write to The Editor, Penfriend, RPMI, Stooperdale Offices, Brinkburn Road, Darlington, DL3 6EH.
The motor coaches were moved before Christmas 2013 by road from Shepherdswell to Stewarts Lane and in early January by rail to Eastleigh Works, sponsored by Bachmann Europe to whom we are extremely grateful. This was the first
step in the unit’s return to main line operation and work is steadily progressing on its restoration. Electric traction receives little support in railway preservation despite having been with us for over a century and a quarter. I am sure there are many retired railway workers who have fond memories of these trains and would like to see 7105 restored to its original splendour and running on the main line. If you would like further information, please visit www.cep7105.co.uk or write to: EPBPG, 73 Woodhurst Avenue Orpington Kent BR5 1AT
Same-sex rights ‘Survivor’ benefits are paid to dependants of members who die before or after they start claiming a scheme pension. Same-sex couples now have these rights: Civil partners Same-sex civil partners have the same rights to survivor benefits as opposite-sex couples. The law applies to pensionable service from 5 December 2005 but most sections of the RPS will take all service into account. Spouses Since last year, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry. As with civil partners, pension schemes have to provide the same survivor benefits to same-sex spouses as they would to opposite sexes, for service from 5 December 2005. Most sections of the RPS will take all service into account when calculating benefits for same-sex spouses – not just service from December 2005. In the remaining sections, survivor benefits for same- sex couples will take account of service from 5 December 2005. You will be sent a separate letter if you are in one of these sections. The Scheme Rules have been updated to ensure that survivors in opposite and same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are treated the same. If a member dies and leaves a survivor in any marriage or partnership,pensions administrator RPMI will write to them and explain what they are entitled to. Proof, such as birth, death and marriage/civil partnership certificates, will be needed.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Come and join us Penfriend hosts the ever-popular Reader Discussion Group on Friday, July 3, 2015.
The event is also a chance for our readers to meet the editorial team and experts from pensions administrator RPMI to chat about the newsletter and make suggestions for future articles. Light refreshments and a buffet lunch will be served during the day. If you would like to be considered for a place, please email
[email protected] or fill in the attached form and return to: Penfriend Reader Discussion Group RPMI Stooperdale Offices Brinkburn Road Darlington DL3 6EH The closing date for applications is Monday 1 June 2015. If you are successful, we will write to you with confirmation of your place and arrangements for the day.
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And now that the new Railways Pensions website has been launched, the team is very keen to hear from readers who would like to share their experiences of being in the railways pension schemes. With your permission, we will use your views as case studies on the site, to help other members plan their retirement.
I would like to attend the Penfriend reader discussion group, in Darlington, on Friday, 3 July 2015. Full name:
..............................................................
Address: .................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... Postcode: ................................................................... Telephone number: ................................................. Email address (optional): .................................................................................... Pension reference number: .....................................
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Set within 4 acres of beautiful gardens, at Bridge House nothing is too much trouble and we pride ourselves on providing a period of rest that is often needed for a gradual return to health and strength after illness or operation. We also provide much needed breaks for those in need of recuperation - including those having undergone hospital treatment, operations / trauma or bereavement and those such as full time carers simply needing to get away from the stresses and strains of everyday life. All our guests have peace of mind that a Nurse is on the premises 24/7. All rooms are furnished to a high standard with en suite facilities for your comfort. Food is freshly prepared and home cooked and there is a licensed bar located in the Main Lounge. Our weekly activity programmes and popular day trips mean you are free to do as little or as much as you like during your stay. Come along, relax and unwind. Why not take advantage of our special Winter/Spring break rates from November to April. Call our booking line number below for further details and to check availability. We look forward to welcoming you.
The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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The Unknown Warrior - on track for 2018 As the World War 1 Centenary commemoration unfolds, a new steam locomotive – The Unknown Warrior – is taking shape, ready for the Armistice Day centenary in November 2018. The locomotive, which is pictured on the front cover, will be the last of the LMS Patriot class of engines, none of which survived into preservation when BR steam traction ended. It will be called The Unknown Warrior and will have a special remembrance role honouring fallen services personnel. This revives the tradition of the original LMS Patriot No. 45500, a memorial to railway employees who fell in the 1914-1918 War. The name was chosen after the project was launched in 2008. It has proved
to be an inspired choice: the Royal British Legion has endorsed the project and The Unknown Warrior carries the Legion’s crest above its nameplate. A high-profile event is envisaged around the centenary on November 11, 2018, to dedicate this new National Memorial Engine. The brainchild of David Bradshaw, a life-long railway enthusiast, the new locomotive began to take shape in 2009. The assembly work is being undertaken in the Llangollen Steam Railway workshops, but a wide range of specialist British railway and engineering companies are involved. Some original components are being used, but most of the work is new construction, harnessing traditional engineering skills and using original drawings.
Through the efforts of volunteers, the project is raising money through donations and contributions, interest-bearing loans, legacies, sponsorship and grant applications. For more information, contact The LMS–Patriot Company Ltd., 17 Eastgate Street Stafford ST16 2LZ (tel 01785 244156) or go online to www.lms-patriot.org.uk. The body of the Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey on November 11, 1920, having been repatriated from France by warship and train from Dover to Victoria station. The Unknown Warrior may be from any of the three services, and represents all those who died and who have no other memorial or known grave.
Today, the build is well under way, and work is in progress on the boiler, the heart of the project.
The team behind the LMS-Patriot Project with the locomotive at a special dedication ceremony at Alrewas National Memorial Arboretum. (Photo: Bob Sweet).
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Keep us posted! RPMI looks after pension payments for retired railways pension scheme members. So please don’t forget to tell RPMI if you move house or have a change in personal circumstances, such as switching bank accounts. We may not be able to pay pensions to eligible retired members who may have left railway service before normal retirement age, but have not kept their details up to date and are thus unable to claim their benefits entitlement. Following a review of pensioner records where no pension had been paid, RPMI has recently located over 200 eligible beneficiaries using a professional tracing service, and they are now receiving their pension entitlement. If you know of any former colleagues or their dependants, who have a confirmed entitlement to a railways scheme pension but have not claimed it, or if they have moved address, please encourage them to contact RPMI. To confirm a change in circumstances or change of contact and payment details, email
[email protected] or write to Customer Services Team, RPMI, PO Box 300, Darlington DL3 6YJ.
New BTPF website on its way! The website for the British Transport Pensioners’ Federation (BTPF) is currently being redesigned, ready for a mid-year relaunch. Watch out for more details in the Autumn Penfriend. In the meantime, you can still find lots of information about the Federation’s activities and events on the current site at www.btpf.org
John Harrison, vice-chairman of the BTPF, will be a guest speaker at this year’s Reader Discussion Group. More details about the event are on page 7.
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The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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Hats off to ‘old guard’ Albert! Rail pensioner Albert (‘Bert’) Atkins celebrated his centenary birthday earlier this year. Bert was born on March 21, 1915, and as his proud family point out, his memory is as sharp as ever. He left school at age 14 in 1929 and worked in the bakery and leather trades before joining LMS in 1931 as a checker at Walsall Station. Promoted to senior checker in 1936, he became a signal box controller at Bloxwich until 1937 when he returned to Walsall Bescot to control the goods yard. Bert was seconded to Lichfield Station preparing troop trains for D-Day 1944 before returning to Bescot as signal box controller until 1953 when he took guard duties on freight trains to Camden Junction London and passenger trains from Wolverhampton Birmingham to London. In 1962, he was appointed yard foreman at Bescot, before promotion to traffic controller and finally traffic inspector. Bert retired aged 65 in 1980 after 49 years’ service.
Albert, pictured right in LMS uniform.
Great Rail Journeys of the world If you have been lucky enough to go on a Great Rail Journey anywhere in the world, why not share your experiences with fellow readers. Send your pictures and stories to: Penfriend RPMI Stooperdale Offices Brinkburn Road Darlington DL3 6EH Email:
[email protected]
Pictured: The Glasgow to Maillaig route is considered to be one of the world’s great railway journeys. (Pic credits: N McNab)
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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Pension news: in summary This regular feature looks at pension developments which may affect you. In this edition, we look at the new pension flexibilities being introduced from April 2015. Although these will not affect your railway pension, you – or other members of your family – may have other pension savings that are impacted by the significant changes. We also look briefly at the possible impact of Scottish devolution for pensioners living in Scotland. Pension flexibilities from 6 April 2015 Major changes to how benefits from defined contribution schemes can be taken were announced in the government’s Budget in March 2014. Unlike most of the benefits from the railways pension schemes, which are linked to service and salary (referred to as defined benefit schemes), benefits from defined contribution (DC) schemes are based on the contributions paid for each member and the investment returns on those contributions. Until March 2014, most members from these schemes had to purchase an annuity when taking their benefits. The cost of annuities has increased in recent years due to low interest rates and longer life expectancies. However, the government announced in last year’s Budget that it would no longer be a requirement for anybody in a DC scheme to purchase an annuity. Instead, from April 2015, such members will be able to access and use their pension pot in a number of new ways after the age of 55. This means that up to 25% of the funds can be taken as a tax-free lump sum and one, or a combination, of the following options can be used for the remaining funds: • They can be used to buy an annuity; or • They can be withdrawn in full, with income tax deducted from the part of the lump sum that is not tax-free; or • They can be used as a flexible source of retirement income via a drawdown arrangement. Alternatively, funds can remain invested and be passed on to a nominated beneficiary on a member’s death. Although these new flexibilities are not relevant to your railways pension, as you are already in receipt of your Scheme benefits, they may impact how you are able to take benefits from any other defined contribution pension scheme that you are a member of, including any you are contributing to if you are still in employment. The new flexibilities may also apply to pension arrangements your friends or family have.
The government has launched a guidance service called Pension Wise to help those with defined contribution funds understand the various choices and how they work. The service is available at www.gov.uk/ pensionwise. Even if the new pension flexibilities do not affect you, it may be possible for you to utilise them. For example, if you are under age 75, you are entitled to pay into a personal pension scheme and get some tax relief on contributions, even if you have no earnings from employment. In this scenario, you could benefit from basic rate tax relief (20%) on the first £2,880 a year you put in to a personal pension, which means that if you pay £2,880 the government would effectively top up your contribution to make it £3,600. The benefits could then be taken independently from your railway pension and can benefit from the new pension flexibilities. Such an investment might suit some railway pensioners, although you should get advice if you are considering any investment. You can find a list of independent financial advisers at www.unbiased.co.uk. There is also useful information on pensions in general and the new flexibilities at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk and www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk Scottish devolution In the autumn/winter 2014 Penfriend, we wrote about the possible impact on pension benefits of a ‘yes’ vote for Scottish independence. Although the referendum on 18 September 2014 did not result in a vote for independence, there are various measures now being introduced as part of the devolution of additional powers to Scotland. These have not been finalised, although the most significant of these in terms of the pension income for Scottish pensioners are expected to be: • The Scottish Parliament will have powers to set income tax rates and thresholds for Scottish taxpayers; and • Devolution of some welfare powers but no change to the State Pension for those in Scotland. The changes in the law to bring in the various devolved powers will be progressed after the general election in May 2015 and we will monitor developments in this area.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Tales from down the line Reading holiday memories in Penfriend reminded me of the holiday I took with a friend to Tossa de Mar in the early Sixties, which was organised by the British Transport Travel Club. The cost was £13 for seven nights half-board in a small hotel. At this time, the train from Boulogne to Amiens (where the Paris portion joined) was steam hauled. When the train arrived at Port Bou on the Spanish border, all sleeping passengers were woken for a passport check. With General Franco in complete control in Spain, topless sunbathing was out of the question and men could not leave the beach wearing swim trunks. But alcohol was freely available. Martin Rooks was another company organising holidays to the continent by rail. I remember posters on display in the pay lobbies in the Sixties advertising flights to New York with Freddie Laker’s new airline. I think the price was £30. Do any readers remember these?
British Railways Superannuation Fund Actuarial valuation as at 31 December 2013 A full valuation of the Fund is undertaken every three years. The valuation as at 31 December 2013 has now been finalised and comparing the assets against the liabilities going forward, the results have indicated a funding level of 93% (a funding shortfall of £20.1 million). This was broadly comparable to the shortfall at the 2010 valuation. These results were reported to the membership at the Triennial General Meeting of the Fund held on 30 September 2014 at the National Railway Museum in York. Members need have no concern as to their existing benefits as these are fully protected by the Government guarantee enjoyed by the Fund. There will be another opportunity to consider the performance of the Fund at the next Triennial General Meeting of members in the autumn of 2017, when the results of the full valuation as at 31 December 2016 will be available. Committee news Following Michael Middleton’s resignation from the Committee, Derrick Codling was nominated by the TSSA and joined the Committee from 25 February 2015. Following a nomination and ballot exercise, Frank Brindle and David Hesford were both re-elected to the Committee until September 2017.
WG Richards, Lancashire
Congratulations to Gordon Reed, of Garforth, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rail Staff Awards 2014. He received the accolade for his work on the City of Truro boiler, which led to the engine running at the 2012 York Railfest. The award was also in honour of Gordon’s volunteer work on the Worth Valley Railway, at the National Railway Museum, over the last 25 years, and his National Service as a boilersmith in the Royal Engineers. At 81, Gordon is Britain’s oldest working Boilersmith and served his apprenticeship at Stooperdale Boiler Shop. You may remember seeing him on Penfriend’s cover in spring/summer 2012. Pictured left: Gordon Reed
Those were the days! Brian Lisher writes: “As an apprentice I would go up to the canteen at Lancing Carriage Works to put the order in for the Trimming Shop: • • • • •
buttered rolls 1 1/2d; cheese rolls 3d; bacon roll 3d; scrambled egg roll 3d; sausage in a bread roll 3d…
then to the tea trolley... 1 1/2d per cup full, then hand in all the tea tickets and watch the tea pour into a big can with a handle, then serve it out to the men. “Those were the days!”
Lancing Carriage Works.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Saving the pennies Penfriend shares some tips which could help boost your bank balance. Benefits Despite the high-profile ‘benefit cheat’ stories in the press, billions of pounds are left untouched by genuine claimants every year. Charity Age UK has a useful benefits calculator on its website so you can check what you are entitled to based on your age, marital status, disabilities etc. Visit www.ageuk.org.uk or telephone 0800 169 6565 for further help or information. Other benefits like the Winter Fuel Payment are not connected to income at all, and are based entirely on your age. About 1 in 3 pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit have not claimed it. Find out if you are eligible by using the online calculator at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator. If you live in a care home, contact the Pension Credit application line on 0800 99 1234. If you or your partner are deferring the State Pension, contact your pension centre on 0845 60 60 265 to find out more. Council Tax You may also be eligible for help with your Council Tax, depending on your age, income, savings etc. Speak to your local council about applying for a reduction. Dealing with debt Seek advice as soon as you can if you’re worried about debt. It’s a good idea to avoid debt management companies who charge a fee for their work. Organisations which offer free impartial advice include: Age UK - 0800 169 6565 Citizens Advice (England) - 03444 111 444 Citizens Advice (Wales) - 03444 77 20 20 National Debtline - 0808 808 4000 StepChange Debt Charity - 0800 138 1111 Taxes Check your tax code to make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax, particularly if you have more than one pension. Telephone HM Revenue and Customs on 0300 200 3300 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensioners. If you’re over 60, worried about tax and your income is less than £20,000 gross per annum, you could get free advice from Tax Help for Older People at 0845 601 3321 or visit www.taxvol.org.uk. They can answer simple questions over the phone, but face-to-face meetings can be arranged for other problems, together with home visits for the disabled. Pensions If you have a few small pension pots, there may be a couple you’ve forgotten about. Visit www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension for details about The Pension Tracing Service.
Help with gas and electricity bills It’s always a good idea to shop around for the best energy deals. However, if you’re on a low income, you might be able to get extra help to manage your energy bills and services. • Priority Services Register – this is run by the energy suppliers and offers free services for pensioners such as bills tailored to your needs - i.e. large print and Braille and help to take meter readings if you can’t do it yourself. You need to register for this service with your suppliers, or your carer can do so on your behalf. • Gas safety check – you can request a free annual check if you get a means tested benefit. • Winter Fuel Payment – most people entitled to this tax-free payment don’t need to make a claim; it’s done automatically. If this doesn’t happen, you can ask for a claim form from the Winter Fuel Payment Helpline on 0845 915 1515 (text phone 0845 601 5613) or at www.gov.uk. • Warm Home Discount Scheme – many pensioners can get an automatic rebate on their electricity bills. To be eligible, you need to be getting the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit – even if you get the Savings Credit part as well. Your name or your partner’s name must be on your electricity bill, and your energy company must be taking part in the Warm Home Discount scheme. Telephone 0345 603 9439 for details. • Home insulation – you may be able to get help from your energy company and the government to help pay costs. You may even qualify for free or discounted insulation. Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service to find out if you’re eligible for any help on 0300 123 1234. • Fuel debt problems – if you are struggling with bills and face being disconnected, telephone the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 for advice. This feature is intended as a general guide only, and the information may be updated or subject to change in the future. Please note that the inclusion of services and companies in the article does not represent an endorsement by RPMI. For advice about your own circumstances, it may be best to contact an independent financial adviser.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015 I started work at Willesden Loco... in 1943 and eventually became a driver. Durin g that time I got to know two Old Oak drivers, Colin Lewis and Harold Rail. I believe Colin became an inspector, and Harold lived in the same road as me, in Harrow. I left the railway in 1964 and consequently lost touch. It would be nice to hear from them or any former Willesden men. Pleas e email
[email protected] Tom Armstrong
Your Letters I am trying to find out... if anyone recalls my deceased father Samuel Frederick Barson, who worked as a shunter at Toton Marshalling Yard throughout the war years and up until about 1951. He died aged 40 in 1953 so I realise that in 2015 this is a very long shot. I have one treasured photograph of a group of men, him included, standing by a typical ‘bothy’, a converted goods van body. Due to failing health he was transferred to a less active job in one of the control towers for the hump shunt before early retirement. Any information would be gratefully received on
[email protected] David Barson
Where are... the girls I worked with at the BR telephone exchange at Waterloo Station? I worked there between 1967-1972. My maiden name was Pauline Goudie before I married Stewart who worked as a technician at the exchange in 1970. We have now been married for 44 years and would both love to catch up with you all. Stewart retire s this year after 48 years’ service with British Rail. Please email
[email protected] P Harkard
training school... I went to St Pancras my apprenticeship at in 1962 before starting ened en wonder what happ Stonebridge Park. I oft yone help? to the school – can an Chris Morgan
I was a signaller... on the Cambrian Coast line in Wales until my retirement in 2009. Since then I have spent a considerable time settin g up a free website called Golf’s Missing Links www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. It records the histo ry of golf clubs and courses that have disappeare d in Britain, and now also Europe. I wonder if any colleagues have any recollectio ns of the York Railway Institute Golf Club and their cours e on Hob Moor, York. It existed between the two wars and finally closed in the late 1940s. I would love to hear from anyone who remember s the club/course and has any pictures or memories they can share regarding the YRIGC or any other cours e that appears on the website. Please email
[email protected] John Llewellyn
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015 I am trying to find out... what happened to my uncle, Cyril Walton. I believe he had just got his papers to become a signalman when he was called up for the Great War, and I think he was wounded twice and then killed on the Front. Any information would be much appreciated. John Littler, Derby
I’d like to contact Eddie Burke.. . and other Red Star personnel who worked with me in the late 1980s and early 199 0s. They might know me as Ted and I was at Pad dington Station, London, at the time. Please get in touch on 07507 316112. Edward R Cuming, London
Your questions answered Thank you to everyone who responded to these queries from fellow railwaymen in the Winter 2014 newsletter. Here are some of your replies: The longest cabin
Slip coaches
The longest full-sized mechanical lever frame was at Locomotive Yard, York, with 295 levers in a row. This was the largest in the world; there were foreign frames with more levers but they were split. The York box was on the downside south of the station close to the new Network Rail offices. The box came into use in June 1911 and closed in May 1951.
Slip coaches were first used in 1858 but were mostly discontinued by the 1940s.
There was a larger frame of 374 levers at Glasgow Central between May 1908 and January 1961, but this was a miniature lever frame working semaphore signals and using electropneumatics for power. The longest frame still in use today is Severn Bridge Junction, Shrewsbury, with 180 levers. Stuart Isbister (retired signal engineer) I believe the longest signal box in Britain (and at one time the world) is Severn Bridge, in Shrewsbury. As a signalman at Gosford on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line, I visited it once. Even with a various number of white levers (originally 180), it was a fantastic sight. The other item about slip coaches was interesting as I thought these only operated on the former GWR. This would appear to be wrong. The guard released the coach from the rear of the train without it needing to stop. K Clifford, Oxley
The GWR and BR Western Region continued the practice for many more years, withdrawing the last one at Bicester North in 1960. How did the Guard over-ride the vacuum brake? The vehicle in front of the slip coach had a modified brake pipe, which could be closed by a cock or a spring-operated device which operated when the pipes disconnected as the train divided. Vacuum was therefore maintained in both portions of the train. Similar arrangements were in place on railways using air brakes. The slip coach had similar equipment but it also had a coupling hook which was locked in a position that held the shackle while the train was in motion. Once the Guard operated the slipping lever, the hook opened and allowed the shackle to fall. The slip coach also had an auxiliary vacuum reservoir. When the coach was running “free”, the Guard could apply the brake in the normal way by opening the pipe to atmosphere by his brake valve. If, however, the coach was reducing speed too rapidly, the vacuum reservoir was large enough to recharge the brake pipe and allow a few brake releases. Alternatively, the Guard often brought the slip coach to a stand by simply using the hand brake. The operation needed two Guards: one in the front of the train which would continue beyond the slipping location and the other in the slip coach.
Once the slip had been completed the Guard in the front gave a green hand signal to the Driver to indicate that that portion could go on its way. If for any reason the slip was not successful, the train would have to be brought to a stand at the station and split in the conventional way. While this avoided time being taken up by stopping and detaching a vehicle, it only had a limited advantage in that an engine then had to couple to it for its next working. The slip coach also had to be attached to a return train in the normal way. John Balaam
Send us your letters Penfriend is always happy to consider readers’ letters for publication. Please include your full name, address and a daytime contact number when writing to us. Due to space constraints, your letters may be edited. Write to: Penfriend Editor RPMI Stooperdale Offices Brinkburn Road Darlington, DL3 6EH or email:
[email protected]
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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Staff travel updates for retired safeguarded staff – from RSTL Renewal of Staff Travel Cards – 2015/2016 issue The new Staff Travel Cards were mailed to home addresses mid to late March. If you have not received your card(s), please contact Rail Staff Travel. Please note that if you do not report non-receipt of your card(s) within three months of the commencing date, i.e. by 30 June 2015, you will be charged a replacement fee (currently £15 per card) and the card(s) will be reissued with a pro-rata allocation of free travel (boxes).
Your Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card may also be used to travel on TfL bus services. However, this will be at the full public Oyster fare.
It is essential that when you receive your new card(s) you and all holders within your family read the conditions of use printed on the reverse of the letter in which the Staff Travel Cards are included.
You will be required to pay a refundable deposit (currently £5) and add a minimum £5 credit to the card at the time it is issued. When applying for this facility for a child, you must first obtain a Zip Oyster photocard to which the privilege entitlement can then be added. Further information on this can be found in the FAQ section of the RSTL website.
The free and privilege rate travel afforded by these cards make them extremely valuable documents and as such the penalty for misuse is severe. This may include permanent withdrawal of the facility. RSTL has no wish to see holders have travel facilities withdrawn. Please use them in accordance with conditions of use. Purchasing Privilege Rate Transport for London (TfL) rail tickets With effect from 2 January 2015, privilege rate paper single and return tickets to TfL rail destinations (London Underground (LUL), DLR and most London Overground stations) were withdrawn from sale at London Underground ticket offices. Staff Travel Card holders who are entitled to purchase these tickets can either: • still buy TfL rail only tickets at National Rail stations • or obtain a Privilege Rate Oyster Card from a TfL rail station (see next article). Obtaining Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Cards Oyster fares are considerably cheaper than cash fares. As well as saving you money, a Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card is more convenient than having to obtain a privilege ticket for travel on TfL rail services. When topped up either online or at a machine located on a TfL rail station, the Oyster Card may be used to travel at a quarter of the public Oyster fare. To use your Oyster Card, touch it on the yellow card reader located on the ticket barrier at the start and end of your journey, and the applicable privilege rate Oyster fare will be taken from the amount of credit you have on the card. Please note: if you do not touch in and out at either end of your journey, the maximum Oyster fare will be taken.
To obtain a card, complete application form 1519, which is available from Rail Staff Travel (or visit www.atoc.org/ about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/forms). Once completed and authorised, take the form and your Staff Travel Card to a TfL station ticket office.
Holders of a Staff Travel Card which has an endorsement of 9, 10 or 11 on the face of the card (see reverse of card for key to endorsement) are not entitled to privilege rate travel on LUL or DLR services and cannot therefore purchase privilege rate tickets or obtain a privilege rate Oyster Card. The endorsement on your Staff Travel Card was fixed at the point of retirement and can’t be changed to permit eligibility, now or in the future. Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card – Updating Facility for 2015/2016 If you already hold a Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card for leisure travel on TfL Rail services, this has to be updated with your new Staff Travel Card number by 30 June 2015. Take the Oyster Card and your 2015/2016 Staff Travel Card to a TfL station and the Oyster Card will be revalidated. Please note: if you do not revalidate your Oyster Card by 30 June, you will find that any use of the card from 1 July will be charged at the full Oyster fare instead of privilege rate.
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Card clash warning If you touch your purse or wallet containing your Oyster card and a contactless payment card on a yellow card reader, you could experience card clash. Only touch one card on the reader when touching in and out to avoid paying with a card you didn’t intend to use. If you have experienced problems, visit the Transport for London website at: www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster for advice or telephone TfL’s Customer Services team on 0343 222 1234. Closure of LUL ticket offices It is understood that the majority of LUL ticket offices will be closed by the end of 2015. However, with the assistance of onsite LUL staff, you will still be able to obtain a Pre-Pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card, top it up with cash, and annually re-validate it at the machines located on the stations concerned. FIP international travel facilities – purchasing privilege tickets/reservations From 1 April 2015, Deutsche Bahn UK ceased to be RSTL’s agent for managing the sales of European FIP fares to holders of FIP International travel facilities. This service is now provided by International Rail Ltd. International Rail Ltd is based in Hampshire and has over 20 years’ experience in rail bookings in global markets. Over that period it has developed close relationships with many European and international rail companies and prides itself on providing a premium service. The company has a team of highly experienced Rail Travel experts and is at the cutting edge of rail technology, so will provide you with all the tools needed to plan and book your European rail travel as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Enquiries and bookings can be made online at www.railstafftravel.co.uk or by telephoning 0871 559 1075*.
Status pass holders only - renewal and the submission of photographs The current Gold, Silver, and Blue Status Passes will expire on 31 December 2015. As a significant number of these passes incorporate photographs that are very old, and in preparation for the renewal in December 2015, we now require all holders who have not provided an up to date photograph since 1 January 2013 to submit a recently taken photograph as soon as possible. The most convenient way to do this is to upload your passport-compliant photograph on the RSTL website at http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/photoupload/. Please select the option ‘January 2016 Status Pass Renewal’ from the product drop down list. If you do not have internet access, please send your passport-compliant photograph with a covering note detailing forename, surname and national insurance number to the usual RSTL address, marking the envelope ‘January 2016 Status Pass Renewal’. Staff travel restrictions The summer 2015 restrictions are available online (and in hard copy format for those with no internet access who have requested a copy). Visit our website While we are always happy to deal with telephone queries, you can find answers to your travel queries quickly and easily online at www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel Changes to address and family details Please remember that RSTL and RPMI are separate organisations. If you tell RPMI about a change of address or death of a partner, you should also let RSTL know. Full details can be found in the panel below.
*Calls to this number will be charged at up to 10p per minute. Mobile and other providers’ charges may vary.
RSTL’s contact details are:
Telephone: Email: Website: 0800 652 1700
[email protected] www.atoc.org/rst
Address: Rail Staff Travel PO Box 72071 London EC1P 1JD
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
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Penfriend photo album Peter Mathews writes: ‘This photo was taken at Dawlish Railway Convalescent Home where my late father, Frank Mathews, stayed in 1943 and 1958. At that time the men slept in dormitories. My wife Brenda and I have enjoyed several spring and autumn breaks there in recent years, but in spacious en-suite bedrooms!’
Roy South (circled, at his leaving do) wonders what happened to his work colleagues at the Thornaby depot. Roy is happy to travel and meet up with old friends.
This photograph of the BR Apprentice Training School, at St Pancras, in 1963, was sent in by reader Eric Gilmour, who says: ‘The school trained lads from four BR regions and the then Road Motor. I worked on all three divisions of the Southern Region for 36 years, working in inspection sheds and repair shops. I left heavy rail and joined light rail at Croydon Tramlink. ‘I was there for almost 15 years, and achieved my ambition of 50 years on the railway. I can say that I enjoyed most of my time on the railway and met a lot of very interesting people.’
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Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Wartime strife William is pictured on the right.
William Cottingham of Kent writes: A lot has been reported about the role of various organisations in the war, but little has been said about the quite important role played by railwaymen in the Second World War.
Even Sir Winston Churchill pleaded with us not to go on strike as it would do immense damage to the war effort. I entered railway service as an engine cleaner in Tonbridge in early 1941, and due to the manpower shortage was rapidly promoted to fireman. As this was shortly after Dunkirk, many drivers told me about the long hours they had worked fetching trainloads of troops from the coast to London. One driver said he had worked for 24 hours, with only a quick dash home for some sandwiches. Unfortunately many drivers didn’t reach retirement age, probably mainly due to stress. It was no fun working very long hours, perhaps seven days a week, driving a train loaded with passengers or perhaps a freight train, loose coupled and weighing up to 1000 tons in complete darkness, and with bombs dropping, hoping the railway tracks would still be in front of you.
An explosive shift One evening shift, my driver was told to pick up a freight train carrying 600 tons of high explosive shells from an ammunition depot at Sturry, near Cambridge. Darkness had fallen as we passed through Cambridge, which was being heavily bombed. On arrival, the officer in charge told us not to move and to keep the engine as quiet as possible. We waited for hours, worrying if we would have enough water to keep the boiler filled up. As dawn broke, the bombers departed and we shunted the train into the siding. We arrived back at our depot at 8am and were told to report for work as normal that evening.
A close shave Having worked a passenger train from Tonbridge to London, we were relieved at London Bridge Station. With bombers overhead, we walked in complete darkness down Old Kent Road to the Bricklayers Arms depot. There we would get an engine and work the last passenger train to Tonbridge that evening. As were leaving, there was a terrific explosion behind us and the whole engine shook. Shrapnel and debris rained down on us. The driver, an elderly, placid man, looked at me and said: “That was a bit close, boy.” We heard later that the depot entrance was closed for nearly a week because of the damage.
Tragedy strikes One lovely sunny summer morning, we were taking an engine to Ashford for repairs. My driver had been advised to go slowly as the engine was damaged. When we reached the station prior to Ashford, the signalman told us to drop into a siding as a passenger train was behind us. That train was crewed by two of our Tonbridge workmates who gave us a cheery wave as they went by. Sadly, that was the last we saw of them. As we were leaving, we heard bombs dropping over Ashford. We were told to go slowly as communication with Ashford had been lost. When we arrived, we found out that the depot had been hit by fighter bombers sneaking in under radar and the fate of our workmates. A bomb had exploded in the pit under the engine – the driver was killed instantly while the fireman (who was on the footplate) was scalded from head to foot when the boiler burst, and died later in hospital.
n o i t i t e p m o C
Pension queries
You could win £60 of high street vouchers by naming the singing stars behind these railway-themed tunes.
Address: Customer Services Team, RPMI, PO Box 300, Darlington, DL3 6YJ
This... 1
All-American girl group chased Chattanooga Choo Choo
Don’t forget our website:
2
R&B band wanted to be on Midnight Train to Georgia
www.railwayspensions.co.uk
3
Little dynamo turned The Loco-Motion into a dance craze
4
Scottish songstress caught the Morning Train (9 to 5)
5
Sixties boy band hopped on Last Train to Clarkesville
6
Punk group was forever Going Underground
7
Super group booked a Ticket to Ride
8
Country music star yearned to be Wichita Linesman
Send your answers, together with your full name and address to: The Editor Penfriend Competition RPMI Stooperdale Offices Brinkburn Road Darlington DL3 6EH or email
[email protected], putting Penfriend Competition in the subject line. The winner will be the first correct entry drawn at random. The closing date for entries is June 26, 2015.
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0800 2 343434 If you are calling from a BT callbox, we would advise you to dial 01325 342 800. Please be aware, however, that calls would be charged at BT rates. If you are phoning from outside the UK, you will need to phone +44 1325 342 800, which will be charged at normal overseas call rates.
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Congratulations to Mrs Sue Thomas, of Croydon, who won our Autumn/Winter 2014 crossword competition. 2213-020 / Spring/Summer 2015
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