Comments by Mike King
C class 31716 has now coupled up to its train at Allhallows on 30th September 1961and the tail lamp is being transferred to the rear ready for departure. Still no passengers... One wonders what the staff thought of all this charade - a scenario repeated all over the country from the mid-1950s onwards. The writer recalls a story about the Much Wenlock branch, where a totally empty daily goods train ran for some time after passenger services ceased. The train crew were asked what they were doing - answer 'to serve the stations on the line'. The station staff were asked the same question - answer 'to deal with the train when it arrives'. It occurred to neither that there was no traffic, so both could have been dispensed with years before final closure. Or maybe they did and kept quiet, aware that turkeys do not vote for Christmas!