Railway Signal Men

Elizabetha

Does anyone know much about Railway Signal Men in late 1800's early 1900's? Was it a good job to have and did it require specialised skills? Would it involve traveling and living in various houses along the line with their young families? And would there be any reason for a signal man to cease from being one to be a 'Caretaker'.......

nuffsaid

Hi ElizabethA,

My wife's family were working for the railway in the late 19th - early 20th century.

We visted the Irish Railway Record Society near Heuston station Dublin where we were able to get to see the original ledgers recording her ancestors railway careers.

The society's website is :- http://www.irrs.ie/

I think the archives are open to the public on Tuesday evenings.

Elizabetha

Thanks for that nuffsaid!

annieoburns

Don't get you hopes up over the Railway Archives! Huge chunks missing. But it is an interesting place to visit at the back of Heuston Station in an old redbrick two story building that you pass on the way to the big public car park there and which is handy as empty in evening. Access to same is just before the bridge that goes over Liffey towards Phoenix Park.

Alun

I too have been to the IRSS on behalf of my brother-in-law in England who is researching his Irish roots. His father is down in the records for the station he was at first as a 'lad porter' and then as just 'porter', but on the census his profession is down as 'signalman'. Maybe he was just playing up his position to sound more important I don't know, or maybe railway staff then were more multi-tasking than they are today.

There's a load of information there, but it can depend a lot on who you get to assist you how helpful they are.

annieoburns

Seeing as this subject is current thought some might be interested in lecture in Genealogical Society as follows

Tuesday 14th August -" The Records of the Irish Railway Records Society" by Norman E. Gamble

Venue is Cumberland Street, Dun Laoire and at 8 pm and 3 euro contribution