Dismissed for being drunk - 1899

These chaps were dismissed by Great Northern Railway in 1899 for having a bit too much...

Pallender, J.W. - Parcels Porter, Peterboro' Passenger [station], for being asleep and under the influence of drink when on duty.

Thorndike, Geo. Wm. - Superior Foreman Prorter, Manchester Goods [station], for being under the influence of drink, and asleep in a wagon whilst on duty.

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Source: The National Archives, RAIL 236/160, Traffic Committee Minute Book, 5/10/1899, p.257

How to Leave Railway Employment - 1864

There is a lot of talk about how railway workers in the Victorian period stayed with companies for their entire working lives. Nevertheless, many individuals did leave the service, hence the above rule from an 1864 London and South Western Railway rule book. I have written on the Turnip Rail Blog about how individuals left the L&SWR's employment in the period and found that out of 300 L&SWR staff records, covering surnames beginning A to C (roughly), 69 died (23.00%), 97 resigned (32.33%), 51 were superannuated (25.33%), 2 had unknown exits (0.66%) and 10 lost their jobs for unknown reasons or incompetence (3.33%). Forty-six (15.33%) of the salaried staff members went astray or were dismissed for infringing the rule book or criminal activity. However, as I mention in the post, this is only a case study on one railway, an more work needs to be done.