the newsletter for railway pensioners
Page 4
2015 increase
to pensions
Page 11
Pension news
SPRING/ SUMMER 2015
Page 16
Staff travel
updates
02
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Trustee’s
message...
Contents
Bridging your pension gap............... 03
I hope you have all enjoyed a good start to 2015
and this edition of Penfriend finds you well.
2015 increase to pensions ............... 04
I would like to draw your attention to a couple of key
articles in this newsletter.
Life after retirement.......................... 06
One is the update on the Trustee’s new package for
members who chose the Level Pension option when
they retired. The winter newsletter outlined how
Scheme benefits for these members might be affected
by recent increases to the State Pension age, and this
article provides a further update.
Reader Discussion Group.................. 07
If you are affected, the article on page 3 provides
more details about the Trustee’s solution, which will
allow you to receive your current Scheme pension
up to your new State Pension age. The article also
provides guidance on how to opt in to the new
package if you have not already done so.
The other main item of interest, on page 9, is making
sure that RPMI has your correct address and bank
details as, if these are not correct, there will be
problems in paying your benefits. Again, contact
details for RPMI are provided so that you can confirm
a change in circumstances as quickly and easily as
possible.
And finally, please don’t forget that you can share
your thoughts about Penfriend and the railways
pension schemes at any time. Write to Penfriend (full
details on the back page) or complete the survey
online at www.railwayspensions.co.uk, in the
Retired section under Newsletters.
The Unknown Warrior...................... 08
Great Rail Journeys........................... 10
Pension news.................................... 11
BRSF valuation 2013......................... 12
Saving the pennies............................ 13
Your letters....................................... 14
Staff travel updates........................... 16
Penfriend photo album..................... 18
Competition..................................... 20
Contact details.................................. 20
JOHN CHILMAN, Trustee Chairman
Penfriend is also available
in audio format.
Front cover:
Pictured is the front of the
Unknown Warrior locomotive.
Read the full story about its
build on page 8.
Pic credit: Keith Langston
If you have difficulty reading and would like
to receive a copy of Penfriend as an audio CD,
please write to Penfriend, RPMI, Stooperdale
Offices, Brinkburn Road, Darlington, DL3 6EH,
or email [email protected].
Don’t forget to include your pension
reference number.
03
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Bridging your
pension gap
Advertisement
As mentioned in the autumn/winter 2014
Penfriend, the Trustee has agreed a solution
for pensioners who selected the Level Pension
option and whose Scheme pension will convert
to a lower amount before their State Pension
becomes payable.
If you chose the Level Pension option when you retired, there
may be a gap between the dates when your Scheme Pension
will reduce under the Level Pension option and when your
State Pension will come into payment.
If there is, this may be because your State Pension age has
increased since you retired or because, under the law and the
Scheme Rules at the date you retired, your Scheme pension
could not be reduced after age 65.
The law has now been changed to allow pension schemes to
reduce a pension that is being paid to a member who is over
age 65 in circumstances such as this.
The Trustee has also agreed to amend the Scheme Rules to
allow members the option to ‘re-package’ their Level Pension
terms to bring them into line with their State Pension age.
If you are affected, you are receiving a letter from RPMI, which
may give you the option to retain your current benefit package
or select a new package.
Under the new package, you will receive your current Scheme
Pension until your State Pension age and a larger reduction will
be applied to your Scheme Pension after State Pension age (at
which time you will start to receive a pension from the State).
As with the original Level Pension option, the new package
has been designed to be ‘cost-neutral’. Therefore, if you
choose this option, the overall value of your Scheme benefits
will be broadly unchanged.
You may be concerned that there will be a period
when your total pension income (from the State and
the Scheme) will be lower than its current level and
lower than planned when you took your benefits. If
you haven’t done so already, you can opt for the new
benefits package by writing to Paul Faulkner, Director
of Administration at RPMI, at the address given on the
back page.
If you have already selected the new package, then we will
write to you soon to confirm the pension that you will receive
before and after your State Pension age. (These pension figures
will include your recent pension increase).
The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
04
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
2015 increase to pensions
Penfriend explains the increase in your pension
for the 2015/2016 tax year.
The 2015 increase, officially published in March 2015,
reflects the CPI figure from September 2014, which was
1.2%. This will be effective from 6 April 2015.
If you took your benefits, or became a preserved
pensioner, before 22 April 2014, your pension increase
this year is 1.2%. For those of you who have taken your
benefits, some of the increase may be paid with your
railway pension and some with your State Pension. Table
(a), below, shows how the increase will be paid. This is
because you may have a guaranteed minimum pension
(GMP) as part of your railway pension.
What is a GMP?
You may have a GMP if you were a member of a railways
pension scheme between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 1997.
As a member of a railways pension scheme, you may
have been ‘contracted-out’ of the State Earnings Related
Pension Scheme (SERPS).
This means that while you were a member of the railways
pension scheme, during this period, you paid a lower
rate of National Insurance contributions. In return, your
railways pension scheme had to provide you with a
‘guaranteed minimum pension’ which was roughly the
same as the pension you would have received in SERPS.
The GMP is then subtracted from your SERPS pension
when your State Pension becomes payable.
Table (a)
Category in which you belong
Why is the payment of my increase shared between
my railway pension and my State Pension?
As a current pensioner, when you reach age 65 you
still receive the increase to your pension, but it may
be worked out differently if your pension includes some
GMP. Some of the increase on the GMP may be paid
to you with your State Pension and some paid with
your railways pension. Together, the overall increase
will add up to the total percentage increase you are due
in 2015 (see Table (a) for this total), unless you were a
married woman who paid reduced National Insurance
contributions, and certain pensioners who worked or
live abroad.
How is the GMP increased?
The GMP is split between membership up to 5 April 1988
and after that date. For your membership up to 5 April
1988, the government currently pays all the increase
belonging to your GMP with your State Pension.
For your membership after 5 April 1988, increases up to
3% are paid by your railways pension scheme. If inflation
is more than 3%, the increase over 3% is currently paid
to you by the government.
Questions on GMP or increase on GMP
You should have already received details about your GMP
from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Any
questions about your GMP, or the increase on it, should
be sent to your local DWP office in the first instance.
How much is your increase and how will it be paid?
Use the table below to find out the percentage increase
you will receive and how it will be paid to you.
% increase
How the increase will be paid
Age 65 or older on 6 April 2015
Railway pension started before 22 April 2014
1.2%
Part from the railway pension
Part from the State Pension
Railway pension started on or after 22 April 2014
See Table (b)
Part from the railway pension
Part from the State Pension
Under age 65 on 6 April 2015
Railway pension started before 22 April 2014
1.2%
All from the railway pension
Railway pension started on or after 22 April 2014
See Table (b)
All from the railway pension
Pension preserved before 22 April 2014
1.2%
All from the railway pension
Pension preserved on or after 22 April 2014
See Table (b)
All from the railway pension
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Table of increases if your pension started – or you
became a preserved pensioner – on or after 22 April
2014.
If you took payment of your benefits – or became a
preserved pensioner – on or after 22 April 2014, you will
not receive the full increase as you have been retired –
or preserved – for less than a year.
05
Your pension increase is shown in Table (b). If you are
receiving a railway pension and your State Pension, some
of the increase may be paid with your railway pension
and some with your State Pension, as explained earlier.
Spouses’ pensions increase in the same way. The letter
enclosed with this Penfriend tells you how much railway
pension you will get.
Table (b)
Date your pension started or your
benefits became preserved
% increase to your pension
Up to and including 21 April 2014
1.20
22 April – 21 May 2014
1.10
22 May – 21 June 2014
1.00
22 June – 21 July 2014
0.90
22 July - 21 August 2014
0.80
22 August - 21 September 2014
0.70
22 September – 21 October 2014
0.60
22 October - 21 November 2014
0.50
22 November - 21 December 2014
0.40
22 December - 21 January 2015
0.30
22 January – 21 February 2015
0.20
22 February - 21 March 2015
0.10
On or after 22 March 2015
0.00
Your payment
It is important to remember that, depending on when
your pension is paid, you may receive part of your
pension at the new rate and part at the old rate. Check
Table (c) to see how many weeks of your pension
payment will be at the new rate.
Table (c)
Date of pension
payment
Weeks at:
Old rate
New rate
10/04/2015
31
17/04/2015
22
24/04/2015
13
01/05/2015
04
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
06
Life after retirement
Restoration man
pace, so our attention was drawn
to saving one of these iconic trains.
I was a driver on the former
Southern Region
of British Railways
for over 40 years
and have worked
part-time since my
retirement in 2009.
The first production Cep 7105 had
been re-formed with a buffet car
from Bep 7014, which made it ideal
for preservation. It was purchased in
2004 and used as hauled stock on
the East Kent Railway until the end
of 2013. It had always been
the intention to restore the unit
to as near original condition as
possible and put it ‘back on the
juice’ and agreement was reached
with Arlington Fleet Services to
carry out some of the work.
Bob Baines
In 1995, I helped
form the EPB
Preservation Group whose aim was
to save 1951 and 1957 electric
multiple units from extinction.
Retirement from full-time driving
has allowed me to devote more
time to this cause.
After initially buying 2 EPB unit 5759
and Motor Luggage Van S 68001,
the withdrawal of the 4 Cep and
Bep units built for the 1959 Kent
Coast electrification was gathering
Share your
thoughts…
Penfriend is your
magazine – so please let
us know what you think
about it.
We would love to find out
what you think Penfriend
does well or if we could
make improvements.
Tell us your thoughts by
completing the online survey
at www.railwayspensions.
co.uk. You can find it in
the Retired section under
Newsletters.
You can also email us at
[email protected]
or write to The Editor,
Penfriend, RPMI, Stooperdale
Offices, Brinkburn Road,
Darlington, DL3 6EH.
The motor coaches were moved
before Christmas 2013 by road
from Shepherdswell to Stewarts
Lane and in early January by rail
to Eastleigh Works, sponsored by
Bachmann Europe to whom we are
extremely grateful. This was the first
step in the unit’s return to main
line operation and work is steadily
progressing on its restoration.
Electric traction receives little
support in railway preservation
despite having been with us for
over a century and a quarter.
I am sure there are many retired
railway workers who have fond
memories of these trains and would
like to see 7105 restored to its
original splendour and running
on the main line.
If you would like further
information, please visit
www.cep7105.co.uk
or write to: EPBPG,
73 Woodhurst Avenue
Orpington
Kent BR5 1AT
Same-sex rights
‘Survivor’ benefits are paid to dependants of members who die
before or after they start claiming a scheme pension. Same-sex
couples now have these rights:
Civil partners
Same-sex civil partners have the same rights to survivor benefits as
opposite-sex couples. The law applies to pensionable service from
5 December 2005 but most sections of the RPS will take all service
into account.
Spouses
Since last year, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry. As with
civil partners, pension schemes have to provide the same survivor benefits
to same-sex spouses as they would to opposite sexes, for service from
5 December 2005.
Most sections of the RPS will take all service into account when calculating
benefits for same-sex spouses – not just service from December 2005.
In the remaining sections, survivor benefits for same- sex couples will take
account of service from 5 December 2005. You will be sent a separate letter
if you are in one of these sections.
The Scheme Rules have been updated to ensure that survivors in opposite
and same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are treated the same. If a
member dies and leaves a survivor in any marriage or partnership,pensions
administrator RPMI will write to them and explain what they are entitled to.
Proof, such as birth, death and marriage/civil partnership certificates, will
be needed.
07
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Come and join us
Penfriend hosts the ever-popular Reader
Discussion Group on Friday, July 3, 2015.
The event is also a chance for our readers to meet the
editorial team and experts from pensions administrator
RPMI to chat about the newsletter and make suggestions
for future articles. Light refreshments and a buffet lunch will
be served during the day.
If you would like to be considered for a place, please email
[email protected] or fill in the attached form and return
to: Penfriend Reader Discussion Group
RPMI
Stooperdale Offices
Brinkburn Road
Darlington DL3 6EH
The closing date for applications is Monday 1 June 2015. If
you are successful, we will write to you with confirmation of
your place and arrangements for the day.
$
And now that the new Railways Pensions website has been
launched, the team is very keen to hear from readers who
would like to share their experiences of being in the railways
pension schemes. With your permission, we will use your
views as case studies on the site, to help other members plan
their retirement.
I would like to attend the Penfriend
reader discussion group, in Darlington,
on Friday, 3 July 2015.
Full name:
..............................................................
Address: ....................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
Postcode: ...................................................................
Telephone number: .................................................
Email address (optional):
....................................................................................
Pension reference number: .....................................
Advertisement
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The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
08
The Unknown Warrior
- on track for 2018
As the World War 1
Centenary commemoration
unfolds, a new steam
locomotive – The Unknown
Warrior – is taking shape,
ready for the Armistice
Day centenary in
November 2018.
The locomotive, which is pictured on
the front cover, will be the last of the
LMS Patriot class of engines, none of
which survived into preservation when
BR steam traction ended.
It will be called The Unknown Warrior
and will have a special remembrance
role honouring fallen services
personnel. This revives the tradition
of the original LMS Patriot No. 45500,
a memorial to railway employees
who fell in the 1914-1918 War.
The name was chosen after the project
was launched in 2008. It has proved
to be an inspired choice: the Royal
British Legion has endorsed the project
and The Unknown Warrior carries the
Legion’s crest above its nameplate.
A high-profile event is envisaged
around the centenary on November
11, 2018, to dedicate this new
National Memorial Engine.
The brainchild of David Bradshaw,
a life-long railway enthusiast, the
new locomotive began to take shape
in 2009. The assembly work is being
undertaken in the Llangollen Steam
Railway workshops, but a wide
range of specialist British railway and
engineering companies are involved.
Some original components are being
used, but most of the work is new
construction, harnessing traditional
engineering skills and using
original drawings.
Through the efforts of volunteers,
the project is raising money through
donations and contributions,
interest-bearing loans, legacies,
sponsorship and grant applications.
For more information, contact The
LMS–Patriot Company Ltd., 17
Eastgate Street Stafford ST16 2LZ
(tel 01785 244156) or go online to
www.lms-patriot.org.uk.
The body of the Unknown Warrior
was buried in Westminster Abbey
on November 11, 1920, having
been repatriated from France by
warship and train from Dover to
Victoria station. The Unknown
Warrior may be from any of the
three services, and represents all
those who died and who have no
other memorial or known grave.
Today, the build is well under way, and
work is in progress on the boiler, the
heart of the project.
The team behind the LMS-Patriot Project with the locomotive at a special dedication ceremony at Alrewas National
Memorial Arboretum. (Photo: Bob Sweet).
09
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Keep us posted!
RPMI looks after pension payments for
retired railways pension scheme members.
So please don’t forget to tell RPMI if you move house or have
a change in personal circumstances, such as switching bank
accounts.
We may not be able to pay pensions to eligible retired
members who may have left railway service before normal
retirement age, but have not kept their details up to date
and are thus unable to claim their benefits entitlement.
Following a review of pensioner records where no pension
had been paid, RPMI has recently located over 200 eligible
beneficiaries using a professional tracing service, and they are
now receiving their pension entitlement.
If you know of any former colleagues or their dependants,
who have a confirmed entitlement to a railways scheme
pension but have not claimed it, or if they have moved
address, please encourage them to contact RPMI.
To confirm a change in circumstances or change of contact
and payment details, email [email protected] or write to
Customer Services Team, RPMI, PO Box 300, Darlington
DL3 6YJ.
New BTPF website
on its way!
The website for the British Transport Pensioners’
Federation (BTPF) is currently being redesigned,
ready for a mid-year relaunch. Watch out for more
details in the Autumn Penfriend.
In the meantime, you can still find lots of
information about the Federation’s activities and
events on the current site at www.btpf.org
John Harrison, vice-chairman of the BTPF,
will be a guest speaker at this year’s Reader
Discussion Group. More details about the
event are on page 7.
Advertisement
The presence of this advert in Penfriend is not an endorsement by RPMI.
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
10
Hats off to ‘old guard’ Albert!
Rail pensioner Albert (‘Bert’) Atkins celebrated his
centenary birthday earlier this year.
Bert was born on March 21, 1915, and as his proud
family point out, his memory is as sharp as ever.
He left school at age 14 in 1929 and worked in the
bakery and leather trades before joining LMS in 1931
as a checker at Walsall Station. Promoted to senior
checker in 1936, he became a signal box controller
at Bloxwich until 1937 when he returned to Walsall
Bescot to control the goods yard.
Bert was seconded to Lichfield Station preparing troop trains for
D-Day 1944 before returning to Bescot as signal box controller
until 1953 when he took guard duties on freight trains to Camden
Junction London and passenger trains from Wolverhampton
Birmingham to London.
In 1962, he was appointed yard foreman at Bescot, before promotion
to traffic controller and finally traffic inspector.
Bert retired aged 65 in 1980 after 49 years’ service.
Albert, pictured right in LMS uniform.
Great Rail
Journeys of
the world
If you have been lucky enough to go
on a Great Rail Journey anywhere
in the world, why not share your
experiences with fellow readers.
Send your pictures and stories to:
Penfriend
RPMI
Stooperdale Offices
Brinkburn Road
Darlington
DL3 6EH
Email: [email protected]
Pictured: The Glasgow to Maillaig route is considered to be one of the
world’s great railway journeys.
(Pic credits: N McNab)
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
11
Pension news: in summary
This regular feature looks at pension
developments which may affect you.
In this edition, we look at the new pension flexibilities
being introduced from April 2015. Although these will
not affect your railway pension, you – or other members
of your family – may have other pension savings that are
impacted by the significant changes.
We also look briefly at the possible impact of Scottish
devolution for pensioners living in Scotland.
Pension flexibilities from 6 April 2015
Major changes to how benefits from defined
contribution schemes can be taken were announced in
the government’s Budget in March 2014.
Unlike most of the benefits from the railways pension
schemes, which are linked to service and salary
(referred to as defined benefit schemes), benefits from
defined contribution (DC) schemes are based on the
contributions paid for each member and the investment
returns on those contributions.
Until March 2014, most members from these schemes
had to purchase an annuity when taking their benefits.
The cost of annuities has increased in recent years due to
low interest rates and longer life expectancies.
However, the government announced in last year’s
Budget that it would no longer be a requirement for
anybody in a DC scheme to purchase an annuity.
Instead, from April 2015, such members will be able to
access and use their pension pot in a number of new
ways after the age of 55. This means that up to 25% of
the funds can be taken as a tax-free lump sum and one,
or a combination, of the following options can be used
for the remaining funds:
•They can be used to buy an annuity; or
•They can be withdrawn in full, with income tax
deducted from the part of the lump sum that is not
tax-free; or
•They can be used as a flexible source of retirement
income via a drawdown arrangement.
Alternatively, funds can remain invested and be passed
on to a nominated beneficiary on a member’s death.
Although these new flexibilities are not relevant to your
railways pension, as you are already in receipt of your
Scheme benefits, they may impact how you are able
to take benefits from any other defined contribution
pension scheme that you are a member of, including any
you are contributing to if you are still in employment.
The new flexibilities may also apply to pension
arrangements your friends or family have.
The government has launched a guidance service called
Pension Wise to help those with defined contribution
funds understand the various choices and how
they work. The service is available at www.gov.uk/
pensionwise.
Even if the new pension flexibilities do not affect you,
it may be possible for you to utilise them. For example,
if you are under age 75, you are entitled to pay into
a personal pension scheme and get some tax relief
on contributions, even if you have no earnings from
employment.
In this scenario, you could benefit from basic rate
tax relief (20%) on the first £2,880 a year you put in
to a personal pension, which means that if you pay
£2,880 the government would effectively top up your
contribution to make it £3,600. The benefits could then
be taken independently from your railway pension and
can benefit from the new pension flexibilities.
Such an investment might suit some railway pensioners,
although you should get advice if you are considering
any investment. You can find a list of independent
financial advisers at www.unbiased.co.uk.
There is also useful information on pensions
in general and the new flexibilities at
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk and
www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
Scottish devolution
In the autumn/winter 2014 Penfriend, we wrote about
the possible impact on pension benefits of a ‘yes’ vote
for Scottish independence. Although the referendum
on 18 September 2014 did not result in a vote for
independence, there are various measures now being
introduced as part of the devolution of additional powers
to Scotland. These have not been finalised, although the
most significant of these in terms of the pension income
for Scottish pensioners are expected to be:
•The Scottish Parliament will have powers to set income
tax rates and thresholds for Scottish taxpayers; and
•Devolution of some welfare powers but no change
to the State Pension for those in Scotland.
The changes in the law to bring in the various devolved
powers will be progressed after the general election
in May 2015 and we will monitor developments
in this area.
12
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Tales from
down the line
Reading holiday memories in Penfriend reminded
me of the holiday I took with a friend to Tossa de
Mar in the early Sixties, which was organised by the
British Transport Travel Club.
The cost was £13 for seven nights half-board in
a small hotel. At this time, the train from Boulogne
to Amiens (where the Paris portion joined) was
steam hauled.
When the train arrived at Port Bou on the Spanish
border, all sleeping passengers were woken for
a passport check. With General Franco in complete
control in Spain, topless sunbathing was out
of the question and men could not leave the beach
wearing swim trunks. But alcohol was
freely available.
Martin Rooks was another company organising
holidays to the continent by rail.
I remember posters on display in the pay
lobbies in the Sixties advertising flights
to New York with Freddie Laker’s new airline.
I think the price was £30. Do any readers
remember these?
British Railways
Superannuation Fund
Actuarial valuation as at 31
December 2013
A full valuation of the Fund is undertaken every three years.
The valuation as at 31 December 2013 has now been
finalised and comparing the assets against the liabilities
going forward, the results have indicated a funding level of
93% (a funding shortfall of £20.1 million). This was broadly
comparable to the shortfall at the 2010 valuation. These
results were reported to the membership at the Triennial
General Meeting of the Fund held on 30 September 2014
at the National Railway Museum in York.
Members need have no concern as to their existing benefits
as these are fully protected by the Government guarantee
enjoyed by the Fund.
There will be another opportunity to consider the
performance of the Fund at the next Triennial General
Meeting of members in the autumn of 2017, when the
results of the full valuation as at 31 December 2016 will be
available.
Committee news
Following Michael Middleton’s resignation from the
Committee, Derrick Codling was nominated by the TSSA
and joined the Committee from 25 February 2015.
Following a nomination and ballot exercise, Frank Brindle
and David Hesford were both re-elected to the Committee
until September 2017.
WG Richards, Lancashire
Congratulations to Gordon Reed, of Garforth,
who won a Lifetime Achievement Award at
the Rail Staff Awards 2014.
He received the accolade for his work on the City
of Truro boiler, which led to the engine running at
the 2012 York Railfest.
The award was also in honour of Gordon’s
volunteer work on the Worth Valley Railway,
at the National Railway Museum, over the last
25 years, and his National Service as a boilersmith in
the Royal Engineers.
At 81, Gordon is Britain’s oldest
working Boilersmith and served his
apprenticeship at Stooperdale
Boiler Shop. You may
remember seeing him on
Penfriend’s cover
in spring/summer 2012.
Pictured left:
Gordon Reed
Those were the days!
Brian Lisher writes:
“As an apprentice I would go up to the canteen at Lancing
Carriage Works to put the order in for the Trimming Shop:
•
•
•
•
•
buttered rolls 1 1/2d;
cheese rolls 3d;
bacon roll 3d;
scrambled egg roll 3d;
sausage in a bread roll 3d…
then to the tea trolley...
1 1/2d per cup full, then hand
in all the tea tickets and watch
the tea pour into a big can with
a handle, then serve it out to
the men.
“Those were the days!”
Lancing Carriage Works.
13
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Saving the pennies
Penfriend shares some tips which could
help boost your bank balance.
Benefits
Despite the high-profile ‘benefit cheat’ stories in the press,
billions of pounds are left untouched by genuine claimants
every year.
Charity Age UK has a useful benefits calculator on
its website so you can check what you are entitled
to based on your age, marital status, disabilities etc.
Visit www.ageuk.org.uk or telephone
0800 169 6565 for further help or information.
Other benefits like the Winter Fuel Payment are not
connected to income at all, and are based entirely on
your age.
About 1 in 3 pensioners who are eligible for Pension
Credit have not claimed it. Find out if you are eligible
by using the online calculator at:
www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator.
If you live in a care home, contact the Pension Credit
application line on 0800 99 1234. If you or your partner are
deferring the State Pension, contact your pension centre on
0845 60 60 265 to find out more.
Council Tax
You may also be eligible for help with your Council Tax,
depending on your age, income, savings etc. Speak to your
local council about applying for a reduction.
Dealing with debt
Seek advice as soon as you can if you’re worried about debt.
It’s a good idea to avoid debt management companies who
charge a fee for their work. Organisations which offer free
impartial advice include:
Age UK - 0800 169 6565
Citizens Advice (England) - 03444 111 444
Citizens Advice (Wales) - 03444 77 20 20
National Debtline - 0808 808 4000
StepChange Debt Charity - 0800 138 1111
Taxes
Check your tax code to make sure you’re paying the right
amount of tax, particularly if you have more than one
pension. Telephone HM Revenue and Customs on 0300
200 3300 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensioners.
If you’re over 60, worried about tax and your income is less
than £20,000 gross per annum, you could get free advice
from Tax Help for Older People at 0845 601 3321 or visit
www.taxvol.org.uk. They can answer simple questions over
the phone, but face-to-face meetings can be arranged for
other problems, together with home visits for the disabled.
Pensions
If you have a few small pension pots, there may be a couple
you’ve forgotten about. Visit www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension
for details about The Pension Tracing Service.
Help with gas and electricity bills
It’s always a good idea to shop around for the best
energy deals.
However, if you’re on a low income, you might be able to
get extra help to manage your energy bills and services.
•Priority Services Register – this is run by the energy
suppliers and offers free services for pensioners such as
bills tailored to your needs - i.e. large print and Braille and help to take meter readings if you can’t do it yourself.
You need to register for this service with your suppliers, or
your carer can do so on your behalf.
•Gas safety check – you can request a free annual check if
you get a means tested benefit.
•Winter Fuel Payment – most people entitled to this
tax-free payment don’t need to make a claim; it’s done
automatically. If this doesn’t happen, you can ask for
a claim form from the Winter Fuel Payment Helpline
on 0845 915 1515 (text phone 0845 601 5613) or at
www.gov.uk.
•Warm Home Discount Scheme – many pensioners can get
an automatic rebate on their electricity bills. To be eligible,
you need to be getting the Guarantee Credit part of
Pension Credit – even if you get the Savings Credit part
as well.
Your name or your partner’s name must be on your
electricity bill, and your energy company must be taking
part in the Warm Home Discount scheme. Telephone
0345 603 9439 for details.
•Home insulation – you may be able to get help from your
energy company and the government to help pay costs.
You may even qualify for free or discounted insulation.
Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service to find out if
you’re eligible for any help on 0300 123 1234.
•Fuel debt problems – if you are struggling with bills and
face being disconnected, telephone the Citizens Advice
consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 for advice.
This feature is intended as a general guide only, and
the information may be updated or subject to change
in the future. Please note that the inclusion of services
and companies in the article does not represent an
endorsement by RPMI.
For advice about your own circumstances,
it may be best
to contact an
independent
financial adviser.
14
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
I started work at Willesden Loco...
in 1943 and eventually became a driver. Durin
g
that time I got to know two Old Oak drivers,
Colin
Lewis and Harold Rail. I believe Colin became
an inspector, and Harold lived in the same road
as me, in Harrow. I left the railway in 1964 and
consequently lost touch. It would be nice to
hear
from them or any former Willesden men. Pleas
e
email [email protected]
Tom Armstrong
Your
Letters
I am trying to find out...
if anyone recalls my deceased father Samuel
Frederick Barson, who worked as a shunter at
Toton Marshalling Yard throughout the war years
and up until about 1951.
He died aged 40 in 1953 so I realise that in 2015
this is a very long shot. I have one treasured
photograph of a group of men, him included,
standing by a typical ‘bothy’, a converted goods
van body. Due to failing health he was transferred
to a less active job in one of the control towers
for the hump shunt before early retirement. Any
information would be gratefully received on
[email protected]
David Barson
Where are...
the girls I worked with at the BR telephone
exchange at Waterloo Station? I worked there
between 1967-1972. My maiden name was
Pauline
Goudie before I married Stewart who worked
as a
technician at the exchange in 1970.
We have now been married for 44 years and
would
both love to catch up with you all. Stewart retire
s
this year after 48 years’ service with British Rail.
Please email [email protected]
P Harkard
training school...
I went to St Pancras
my apprenticeship at
in 1962 before starting
ened
en wonder what happ
Stonebridge Park. I oft
yone help?
to the school – can an
Chris Morgan
I was a signaller...
on the Cambrian Coast line in Wales until my
retirement in 2009.
Since then I have spent a considerable time settin
g
up a free website called Golf’s Missing Links
www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. It records the histo
ry
of golf clubs and courses that have disappeare
d in
Britain, and now also Europe.
I wonder if any colleagues have any recollectio
ns of the
York Railway Institute Golf Club and their cours
e on
Hob Moor, York. It existed between the two
wars and
finally closed in the late 1940s.
I would love to hear from anyone who remember
s the
club/course and has any pictures or memories
they can
share regarding the YRIGC or any other cours
e that
appears on the website. Please email
[email protected]
John Llewellyn
15
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
I am trying to find out...
what happened to my uncle, Cyril Walton. I believe
he had just got his papers to become a signalman
when he was called up for the Great War, and
I think he was wounded twice and then killed
on the Front. Any information would be much
appreciated.
John Littler, Derby
I’d like to contact Eddie Burke..
.
and other Red Star personnel who
worked with
me in the late 1980s and early 199
0s. They might
know me as Ted and I was at Pad
dington Station,
London, at the time. Please get in
touch on
07507 316112.
Edward R Cuming, London
Your questions answered
Thank you to everyone who responded to these queries from fellow railwaymen in the Winter
2014 newsletter. Here are some of your replies:
The longest cabin
Slip coaches
The longest full-sized mechanical lever
frame was at Locomotive Yard, York,
with 295 levers in a row. This was the
largest in the world; there were foreign
frames with more levers but they
were split. The York box was on the
downside south of the station close to
the new Network Rail offices. The box
came into use in June 1911 and closed
in May 1951.
Slip coaches were first used in 1858
but were mostly discontinued by the
1940s.
There was a larger frame of 374
levers at Glasgow Central between
May 1908 and January 1961, but this
was a miniature lever frame working
semaphore signals and using electropneumatics for power.
The longest frame still in use today is
Severn Bridge Junction, Shrewsbury,
with 180 levers.
Stuart Isbister (retired signal
engineer)
I believe the longest signal box in
Britain (and at one time the world) is
Severn Bridge, in Shrewsbury.
As a signalman at Gosford on the
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line,
I visited it once. Even with a various
number of white levers (originally 180),
it was a fantastic sight.
The other item about slip coaches was
interesting as I thought these only
operated on the former GWR. This
would appear to be wrong. The guard
released the coach from the rear of the
train without it needing to stop.
K Clifford, Oxley
The GWR and BR Western Region
continued the practice for many more
years, withdrawing the last one at
Bicester North in 1960.
How did the Guard over-ride the
vacuum brake? The vehicle in front of
the slip coach had a modified brake
pipe, which could be closed by a cock
or a spring-operated device which
operated when the pipes disconnected
as the train divided. Vacuum was
therefore maintained in both portions
of the train.
Similar arrangements were in place on
railways using air brakes. The slip coach
had similar equipment but it also had
a coupling hook which was locked in a
position that held the shackle while the
train was in motion. Once the Guard
operated the slipping lever, the hook
opened and allowed the shackle to fall.
The slip coach also had an auxiliary
vacuum reservoir. When the coach
was running “free”, the Guard could
apply the brake in the normal way by
opening the pipe to atmosphere by his
brake valve. If, however, the coach was
reducing speed too rapidly, the vacuum
reservoir was large enough to recharge
the brake pipe and allow a few brake
releases. Alternatively, the Guard often
brought the slip coach to a stand by
simply using the hand brake.
The operation needed two Guards: one
in the front of the train which would
continue beyond the slipping location
and the other in the slip coach.
Once the slip had been completed the
Guard in the front gave a green hand
signal to the Driver to indicate that
that portion could go on its way. If for
any reason the slip was not successful,
the train would have to be brought to
a stand at the station and split in the
conventional way.
While this avoided time being
taken up by stopping and detaching a
vehicle, it only had a limited advantage
in that an engine then had to couple to
it for its next working. The slip coach
also had to be attached to a return
train in the normal way.
John Balaam
Send us your letters
Penfriend is always happy
to consider readers’ letters
for publication. Please include
your full name, address and
a daytime contact number
when writing to us. Due
to space constraints, your
letters may be edited.
Write to:
Penfriend Editor
RPMI
Stooperdale Offices
Brinkburn Road
Darlington, DL3 6EH
or email:
[email protected]
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
16
Staff travel updates for retired
safeguarded staff – from RSTL
Renewal of Staff Travel Cards – 2015/2016 issue
The new Staff Travel Cards were mailed to home
addresses mid to late March. If you have not received
your card(s), please contact Rail Staff Travel. Please note
that if you do not report non-receipt of your card(s)
within three months of the commencing date, i.e. by
30 June 2015, you will be charged a replacement fee
(currently £15 per card) and the card(s) will be reissued
with a pro-rata allocation of free travel (boxes).
Your Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card may also be used
to travel on TfL bus services. However, this will be at the
full public Oyster fare.
It is essential that when you receive your new card(s) you
and all holders within your family read the conditions of
use printed on the reverse of the letter in which the Staff
Travel Cards are included.
You will be required to pay a refundable deposit
(currently £5) and add a minimum £5 credit to the card
at the time it is issued. When applying for this facility
for a child, you must first obtain a Zip Oyster photocard
to which the privilege entitlement can then be added.
Further information on this can be found in the FAQ
section of the RSTL website.
The free and privilege rate travel afforded by these
cards make them extremely valuable documents and as
such the penalty for misuse is severe. This may include
permanent withdrawal of the facility. RSTL has no wish
to see holders have travel facilities withdrawn. Please use
them in accordance with conditions of use.
Purchasing Privilege Rate Transport for London
(TfL) rail tickets
With effect from 2 January 2015, privilege rate paper
single and return tickets to TfL rail destinations (London
Underground (LUL), DLR and most London Overground
stations) were withdrawn from sale at London
Underground ticket offices.
Staff Travel Card holders who are entitled to purchase
these tickets can either:
• still buy TfL rail only tickets at National Rail stations
• or obtain a Privilege Rate Oyster Card from a TfL rail station (see next article).
Obtaining Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Cards
Oyster fares are considerably cheaper than cash fares.
As well as saving you money, a Pre-pay Privilege Rate
Oyster Card is more convenient than having to obtain
a privilege ticket for travel on TfL rail services. When
topped up either online or at a machine located on a TfL
rail station, the Oyster Card may be used to travel at a
quarter of the public Oyster fare.
To use your Oyster Card, touch it on the yellow card
reader located on the ticket barrier at the start and end
of your journey, and the applicable privilege rate Oyster
fare will be taken from the amount of credit you have on
the card. Please note: if you do not touch in and out at
either end of your journey, the maximum Oyster fare will
be taken.
To obtain a card, complete application form 1519, which
is available from Rail Staff Travel (or visit www.atoc.org/
about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/forms). Once completed and
authorised, take the form and your Staff Travel Card to a
TfL station ticket office.
Holders of a Staff Travel Card which has an endorsement
of 9, 10 or 11 on the face of the card (see reverse of
card for key to endorsement) are not entitled to privilege
rate travel on LUL or DLR services and cannot therefore
purchase privilege rate tickets or obtain a privilege rate
Oyster Card. The endorsement on your Staff Travel
Card was fixed at the point of retirement and can’t be
changed to permit eligibility, now or in the future.
Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card – Updating
Facility for 2015/2016
If you already hold a Pre-pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card
for leisure travel on TfL Rail services, this has to be
updated with your new Staff Travel Card number by 30
June 2015. Take the Oyster Card and your 2015/2016
Staff Travel Card to a TfL station and the Oyster Card
will be revalidated.
Please note: if you do not revalidate your Oyster Card
by 30 June, you will find that any use of the card from
1 July will be charged at the full Oyster fare instead
of privilege rate.
17
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Card clash warning
If you touch your purse or wallet containing your Oyster
card and a contactless payment card on a yellow card
reader, you could experience card clash.
Only touch one card on the reader when touching
in and out to avoid paying with a card you didn’t intend
to use. If you have experienced problems, visit the
Transport for London website at:
www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster
for advice or telephone TfL’s Customer Services team
on 0343 222 1234.
Closure of LUL ticket offices
It is understood that the majority of LUL ticket offices
will be closed by the end of 2015. However, with the
assistance of onsite LUL staff, you will still be able to
obtain a Pre-Pay Privilege Rate Oyster Card, top it up
with cash, and annually re-validate it at the machines
located on the stations concerned.
FIP international travel facilities – purchasing
privilege tickets/reservations
From 1 April 2015, Deutsche Bahn UK ceased to be
RSTL’s agent for managing the sales of European FIP fares
to holders of FIP International travel facilities. This service
is now provided by International Rail Ltd.
International Rail Ltd is based in Hampshire and has over
20 years’ experience in rail bookings in global markets.
Over that period it has developed close relationships with
many European and international rail companies and
prides itself on providing a premium service.
The company has a team of highly experienced Rail Travel
experts and is at the cutting edge of rail technology, so
will provide you with all the tools needed to plan and
book your European rail travel as smoothly and efficiently
as possible.
Enquiries and bookings can be made online at
www.railstafftravel.co.uk or by telephoning
0871 559 1075*.
Status pass holders only - renewal and the
submission of photographs
The current Gold, Silver, and Blue Status Passes will expire
on 31 December 2015. As a significant number of these
passes incorporate photographs that are very old, and in
preparation for the renewal in December 2015, we now
require all holders who have not provided an up to date
photograph since 1 January 2013 to submit a recently
taken photograph as soon as possible.
The most convenient way to do this is to upload your
passport-compliant photograph on the RSTL website at
http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/photoupload/. Please select the option ‘January 2016 Status
Pass Renewal’ from the product drop down list.
If you do not have internet access, please send your
passport-compliant photograph with a covering note
detailing forename, surname and national insurance
number to the usual RSTL address, marking the envelope
‘January 2016 Status Pass Renewal’.
Staff travel restrictions
The summer 2015 restrictions are available online (and in
hard copy format for those with no internet access who
have requested a copy).
Visit our website
While we are always happy to deal with telephone
queries, you can find answers to your travel queries
quickly and easily online at
www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel
Changes to address and family details
Please remember that RSTL and RPMI are
separate organisations. If you tell RPMI about
a change of address or death of a partner, you
should also let RSTL know. Full details can be
found in the panel below.
*Calls to this number will be charged at up to 10p per minute. Mobile
and other providers’ charges may vary.
RSTL’s contact details are:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
0800 652 1700
[email protected]
www.atoc.org/rst
Address:
Rail Staff Travel
PO Box 72071
London
EC1P 1JD
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
18
Penfriend photo album
Peter Mathews writes:
‘This photo was taken at Dawlish
Railway Convalescent Home where
my late father, Frank Mathews,
stayed in 1943 and 1958. At that
time the men slept in dormitories.
My wife Brenda and I have enjoyed
several spring and autumn breaks
there in recent years, but in
spacious en-suite bedrooms!’
Roy South (circled, at his leaving do)
wonders what happened to his work
colleagues at the Thornaby depot.
Roy is happy to travel and meet up
with old friends.
This photograph of the BR Apprentice Training School,
at St Pancras, in 1963, was sent in by reader Eric Gilmour,
who says: ‘The school trained lads from four BR regions and
the then Road Motor. I worked on all three divisions of the
Southern Region for 36 years, working in inspection sheds
and repair shops. I left heavy rail and joined light rail at
Croydon Tramlink.
‘I was there for almost 15 years, and achieved my ambition
of 50 years on the railway. I can say that I enjoyed most
of my time on the railway and met a lot of very interesting
people.’
19
Penfriend | Spring / Summer 2015
Wartime strife
William is pictured
on the right.
William Cottingham of Kent writes: A lot has been
reported about the role of various organisations
in the war, but little has been said about the quite
important role played by railwaymen in the Second
World War.
Even Sir Winston Churchill pleaded with us not to go on
strike as it would do immense damage to the war effort.
I entered railway service as an engine cleaner in Tonbridge
in early 1941, and due to the manpower shortage was
rapidly promoted to fireman. As this was shortly after
Dunkirk, many drivers told me about the long hours they
had worked fetching trainloads of troops from the coast
to London. One driver said he had worked for 24 hours,
with only a quick dash home for some sandwiches.
Unfortunately many drivers didn’t reach retirement age,
probably mainly due to stress. It was no fun working
very long hours, perhaps seven days a week, driving a
train loaded with passengers or perhaps a freight train,
loose coupled and weighing up to 1000 tons in complete
darkness, and with bombs dropping, hoping the railway
tracks would still be in front of you.
An explosive shift
One evening shift, my driver was told to pick up a freight
train carrying 600 tons of high explosive shells from an
ammunition depot at Sturry, near Cambridge. Darkness had
fallen as we passed through Cambridge, which was being
heavily bombed.
On arrival, the officer in charge told us not to move and to
keep the engine as quiet as possible. We waited for hours,
worrying if we would have enough water to keep the boiler
filled up.
As dawn broke, the bombers departed and we shunted the
train into the siding. We arrived back at our depot at 8am
and were told to report for work as normal that evening.
A close shave
Having worked a passenger train from Tonbridge to London,
we were relieved at London Bridge Station. With bombers
overhead, we walked in complete darkness down Old Kent
Road to the Bricklayers Arms depot. There we would get
an engine and work the last passenger train to Tonbridge
that evening. As were leaving, there was a terrific explosion
behind us and the whole engine shook. Shrapnel and debris
rained down on us. The driver, an elderly, placid man,
looked at me and said: “That was a bit close, boy.”
We heard later that the depot entrance was closed for
nearly a week because of the damage.
Tragedy strikes
One lovely sunny summer morning, we were taking an
engine to Ashford for repairs. My driver had been advised
to go slowly as the engine was damaged. When we reached
the station prior to Ashford, the signalman told us to drop
into a siding as a passenger train was behind us.
That train was crewed by two of our Tonbridge workmates
who gave us a cheery wave as they went by. Sadly, that
was the last we saw of them. As we were leaving, we heard
bombs dropping over Ashford.
We were told to go slowly as communication with Ashford
had been lost. When we arrived, we found out that the
depot had been hit by fighter bombers sneaking in under
radar and the fate of our workmates.
A bomb had exploded in the pit under the engine – the
driver was killed instantly while the fireman (who was on the
footplate) was scalded from head to foot when the boiler
burst, and died later in hospital.
n
o
i
t
i
t
e
p
m
o
C
Pension
queries
You could win £60 of high street
vouchers by naming the singing
stars behind these railway-themed
tunes.
Address:
Customer Services Team,
RPMI, PO Box 300,
Darlington, DL3 6YJ
This...
1
All-American girl group chased Chattanooga Choo Choo
Don’t forget
our website:
2
R&B band wanted to be on Midnight Train to Georgia
www.railwayspensions.co.uk
3
Little dynamo turned The Loco-Motion into a dance craze
4
Scottish songstress caught the Morning Train (9 to 5)
5
Sixties boy band hopped on Last Train to Clarkesville
6
Punk group was forever Going Underground
7
Super group booked a Ticket to Ride
8
Country music star yearned to be Wichita Linesman
Send your answers, together with your full name and
address to:
The Editor
Penfriend Competition
RPMI
Stooperdale Offices
Brinkburn Road
Darlington
DL3 6EH
or email [email protected], putting Penfriend Competition
in the subject line.
The winner will be the first correct entry drawn at random. The closing
date for entries is June 26, 2015.
Email your
queries to:
[email protected]
Helpline
0800 2 343434
If you are calling from a BT
callbox, we would advise
you to dial 01325 342 800.
Please be aware, however,
that calls would be charged
at BT rates.
If you are phoning
from outside the UK,
you will need to phone
+44 1325 342 800, which
will be charged at normal
overseas call rates.
Open:
Monday to Friday
8am - 5pm
Please note: some telephone
calls may be recorded.
Congratulations to Mrs Sue Thomas, of Croydon, who won our
Autumn/Winter 2014 crossword competition.
2213-020 / Spring/Summer 2015
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RPMI, Stooperdale Offices, Brinkburn Road, Darlington, DL3 6EH.
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