The Romantic on the Railway SIR,—Canon Lloyd's reference to "one
of the cleanest footplates I have ever seen" would suggest that a clean footplate is today the exception. As a pupil on the G.W.R. I had some experience of footplates on all classes of engines over fifty years ago, and in those days (also more recently) a dirty footplate, cab or boiler-front were almost unknown, certainly on main-line goods or passenger engines, and the rest of the engine was equally clean. After every firing the footplate and tender- fronts were hosed down under pressure from the injector, and dust was unknown. Both driver and fireman took an intense pride in their cmn engine, and pooling was, of course, a thing undreamed of. The "lodging turn" trouble was but a storm in a tea-cup compared with the tempest that would have been,arciused had such a thing as pooling been ever so much as suggested. An engineman in the days I speak of was paid m proportion to his great responsibilities as compared with all other "crafts- men," and a cleaner had something to look forward to.
A year ago I was on Paddington platform, and I remarked to an cold G.W. guard that "I never expected to live long enough to see the G.W.R. comc down to this." "No, Sir, neither did I," was his laconic reply.— I am, Sir, yours, &c., J. H. Powraa. Chrit Church Vicarage, Nailsea, Nr. Bristol.
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