| Shelton
Steel Works |
I started work on the bar in the loco dept in April 1977 at that time there were at least 100 men working on the loco and at least 14 locos including 1 class 8 shunting loco on hire from British Rail.
I am proud that I was the last Driver to come up all the way through the ranks, When I started in 1977 a loco crew
consisted of 3 men, Driver, Shunter, And Undershunter.
After the closure of the Iron and Steelmaking in 1978 and the loss of so many jobs part of the restructuring of Shelton was the loss of the undershunter and a crew
consisted of just driver and shunter.
And as I was the only undershunter retained and promoted to shunter more by luck as all the others wanted the
redundancy money this meant that I would be the last to have all three jobs, after 1978 anyone starting on locos would start as a
shunter.
In 1986 my driver a Mr E Harding had to retire through ill health and I was promoted to driver a position I held
until I chose to voluntary redundancy / early retirement in 1997, of which I have no regrets, and in view of how the workforce have been sold down the river despite all their attempts to keep the bar alive is of small comfort.
Peter Cleverley
June 2000
