SMJ number-takers book - The SMJ Society2024-03-29T00:28:49Zhttps://thesmjr.ning.com/forum/topics/smj-numbertakers-book?commentId=3138568%3AComment%3A9554&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThanks for this interesting u…tag:thesmjr.ning.com,2010-12-14:3138568:Comment:95542010-12-14T21:15:35.000ZJohn Evanshttps://thesmjr.ning.com/profile/JohnEvans
<p><br></br>Thanks for this interesting update, Dick. It's a real piece of history! Bill Steel had beautiful handwriting.<br></br><cite>Dick said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://thesmjr.ning.com/forum/topics/smj-numbertakers-book?commentId=3138568%3AComment%3A9537&xg_source=msg_com_forum#3138568Comment9537"><div><div class="description">John</div>
<div class="description">I've been in touch with Rex Partridge ( Byfield & Woodford railway historian) concerning your books. He knew W J Steel…</div>
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<p><br/>Thanks for this interesting update, Dick. It's a real piece of history! Bill Steel had beautiful handwriting.<br/><cite>Dick said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://thesmjr.ning.com/forum/topics/smj-numbertakers-book?commentId=3138568%3AComment%3A9537&xg_source=msg_com_forum#3138568Comment9537"><div><div class="description">John</div>
<div class="description">I've been in touch with Rex Partridge ( Byfield & Woodford railway historian) concerning your books. He knew W J Steel quite well. W J was better known as Bill Steel. Apparently he started his railway career as a SMJ number taker at Woodford West, then later became a signalman, serving mainly at Woodford West but also at Burton Dassett for a short time. He was working as Byfield signalman almost until the line finally closed. So the SMJ number book and the rules book both belonged to him. Bill had various relations who worked mainly on the GC line railway from Woodford Halse shed. Tragically Bill's son, Dennis, died after receiving injuries caused by a blowback when he was firing a L1 tank from Woodford. A distant view of Bill at Byfield can be seen on Page 127of Jordan. Other Byfield signalmen included Bill Gubb and Ted Jones.</div>
<div class="description">( This is an updated reply following further conversation with Rex, I got some of the details wrong in the original reply which I've now deleted)</div>
<div class="description"> Dick</div>
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</blockquote> John
I've been in touch with…tag:thesmjr.ning.com,2010-12-13:3138568:Comment:95372010-12-13T13:14:10.000ZDick Bodilyhttps://thesmjr.ning.com/profile/Dick
<div class="description">John</div>
<div class="description">I've been in touch with Rex Partridge ( Byfield & Woodford railway historian) concerning your books. He knew W J Steel quite well. W J was better known as Bill Steel. Apparently he started his railway career as a SMJ number taker at Woodford West, then later became a signalman, serving mainly at Woodford West but also at Burton Dassett for a short time. He was working as Byfield signalman almost until the line finally closed. So…</div>
<div class="description">John</div>
<div class="description">I've been in touch with Rex Partridge ( Byfield & Woodford railway historian) concerning your books. He knew W J Steel quite well. W J was better known as Bill Steel. Apparently he started his railway career as a SMJ number taker at Woodford West, then later became a signalman, serving mainly at Woodford West but also at Burton Dassett for a short time. He was working as Byfield signalman almost until the line finally closed. So the SMJ number book and the rules book both belonged to him. Bill had various relations who worked mainly on the GC line railway from Woodford Halse shed. Tragically Bill's son, Dennis, died after receiving injuries caused by a blowback when he was firing a L1 tank from Woodford. A distant view of Bill at Byfield can be seen on Page 127of Jordan. Other Byfield signalmen included Bill Gubb and Ted Jones.</div>
<div class="description">( This is an updated reply following further conversation with Rex, I got some of the details wrong in the original reply which I've now deleted)</div>
<div class="description"> Dick</div> Lloyd
Good to see you contrib…tag:thesmjr.ning.com,2010-10-21:3138568:Comment:88162010-10-21T15:22:01.000ZDick Bodilyhttps://thesmjr.ning.com/profile/Dick
<br></br>Lloyd
Good to see you contributing again. This could well be the same man except that Bill Steel was working up until 1963 at least, which would have made him about 70 when he retired. There were a lot of Steels in Byfield and Woodford, many of them worked on the Central, so its remotely possible that this isn't him.<br />
Dick<br />
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<cite>Lloyd Penfold said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://thesmjr.ning.com/forum/topics/smj-numbertakers-book?xg_source=activity#3138568Comment8812"><div>The 1911…</div>
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<br/>Lloyd
Good to see you contributing again. This could well be the same man except that Bill Steel was working up until 1963 at least, which would have made him about 70 when he retired. There were a lot of Steels in Byfield and Woodford, many of them worked on the Central, so its remotely possible that this isn't him.<br />
Dick<br />
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<cite>Lloyd Penfold said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://thesmjr.ning.com/forum/topics/smj-numbertakers-book?xg_source=activity#3138568Comment8812"><div>The 1911 census has William John Steel aged 18 ( so born c.1893) living with widowed mother Ann Maria Steel and younger siblings Anne Maria (14), Harry Thomas (12), Luke Bejamin (8), Albert James (5), and Ernest Stephen (3) at 10 Sidney Road Woodford Halse. William is an "Engine Cleaner", employed by "Railway Co".<br/><br/>John James Steel (b.c.1861) and Anne Maria Maycock (b.1866)had married in Daventry in 1892.<br/><br/>The house today can be seen on Google streetview <u><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=10+Sidney+Road+Woodford+Halse&sll=52.19155,-1.701735&sspn=0.00688,0.016544&g=stratford+upon+avon+tramway&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=10+Sidney+Rd,+Woodford+Halse,+Daventry+NN11+3RR,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.169977,-1.209569&spn=0.003441,0.008272&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.169882,-1.209627&panoid=lfVsXdzK5X8RLhCk9K8naA&cbp=12,322,,0,4.68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></u> (second house from left).</div>
</blockquote> The 1911 census has William J…tag:thesmjr.ning.com,2010-10-21:3138568:Comment:88122010-10-21T03:25:44.000ZLloyd Penfoldhttps://thesmjr.ning.com/profile/LloydPenfold
The 1911 census has William John Steel aged 18 ( so born c.1893) living with widowed mother Ann Maria Steel and younger siblings Anne Maria (14), Harry Thomas (12), Luke Bejamin (8), Albert James (5), and Ernest Stephen (3) at 10 Sidney Road Woodford Halse. William is an "Engine Cleaner", employed by "Railway Co".<br />
<br />
John James Steel (b.c.1861) and Anne Maria Maycock (b.1866)had married in Daventry in 1892.<br />
<br />
The house today can be seen on Google streetview…
The 1911 census has William John Steel aged 18 ( so born c.1893) living with widowed mother Ann Maria Steel and younger siblings Anne Maria (14), Harry Thomas (12), Luke Bejamin (8), Albert James (5), and Ernest Stephen (3) at 10 Sidney Road Woodford Halse. William is an "Engine Cleaner", employed by "Railway Co".<br />
<br />
John James Steel (b.c.1861) and Anne Maria Maycock (b.1866)had married in Daventry in 1892.<br />
<br />
The house today can be seen on Google streetview <u><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=10+Sidney+Road+Woodford+Halse&sll=52.19155,-1.701735&sspn=0.00688,0.016544&g=stratford+upon+avon+tramway&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=10+Sidney+Rd,+Woodford+Halse,+Daventry+NN11+3RR,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.169977,-1.209569&spn=0.003441,0.008272&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.169882,-1.209627&panoid=lfVsXdzK5X8RLhCk9K8naA&cbp=12,322,,0,4.68" target="_blank">here</a></u> (second house from left). tag:thesmjr.ning.com,2010-10-08:3138568:Comment:87362010-10-08T17:28:39.000ZAndy Thompsonhttps://thesmjr.ning.com/profile/Andy
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