I was intrigued by the reader's photograph of the Highland Rambler steam train passing through a rural station en route from Stirling to Inverness (Picture of the Day, The Herald, June 24).
It brought back distant memories of when, as a small schoolboy during the Second World War, I lived for a period with my grandparents at Ballinluig, then the junction for the Aberfeldy branch line on the route from Perth to Inverness.
My grandfather was a railway signalman, responsible for a stretch of line up to Pitlochry and Blair Atholl. The entire route was just a single file (as it still is) with the only passing places being the stations, so it was essential that only one train at a time.
I spent many happy hours in my grandfather's signal box (probably against LMS regulations), being taught the ingenious fail-safe system that controlled each stretch of track.
Occasionally I was allowed to climb onto the wooden platform beside the track and pass to the engine driver the heavy metal tablet which gave him permission to proceed. This was contained in a leather pouch attached to a large metal ring which you held out for the driver to catch on his arm as he passed.
The tablet could only be released within the signal box when the correct levers had been pulled setting the signals ahead to stop any other train entering that stretch.
The system would seem archaic when compared to the elaborate computerised controls now in operation, but it was very effective and I don't remember there ever having been an accident on this busy main line, with heavy traffic of passenger and goods trains, including those carrying troops and munitions.
John Simpson's photograph brought back some happy though long-forgotten memories of childhood.
Iain AD Mann, 7 Kelvin Court, Glasgow.
I was catching up on features in The Herald when I spotted the Face to Face interview with Sir Tim O'Shea ("A former hippy is happy to take a hit on his pay", June 8). Two phrases leapt off the page: Bill Broderick and Royal Liberty School, Romford.
I too attended that school (RLS), probably a year behind Sir Tim from our respective ages, and took the A Level Computer Maths course under Bill Broderick, and I agree with his assessment of the teacher.
Despite its grand title the school was a local authority selective grammar school, and his achievement in persuading the council of his vision was remarkable for two reasons. First, the computer was so large that an extension to the school had to be built to house it and, secondly, the London Borough of Havering had only just come into being due to local government re-organisation in London.
My life went in a completely different direction to Sir Tim's on leaving RLS. I relocated to Glasgow to attend the School of Art and have remained in Scotland ever since. Computers were not part of my life for many years, but something of Bill Broderick's inspiration must have stuck because, in the 1980s, I got involved in introducing computer systems to my workplace and continued to be involved in that until I retired.
Some years ago I joined an online group of former RLS pupils and there was a campaign for Bill Broderick to receive some sort of recognition for his vision and inspiration in an honours list. Nothing happened then and I have no idea whether he did eventually did get his deserved recognition but I share Sir Tim's view of the importance of Bill Broderick's enlightened and far-seeing ways.
Mick Lee,
2 Brodick Close,
Kilwinning.
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