Uncategorised Historical inaccuracies

[Polsa999]

.....................With regard to saluting officers - we are not automatons and Police only salute their own officers. The army are ignored unless it is

a ceremonial occasion. With the Metropolitan Police - and remember we started it all - it was always ........

Mervyn

Surely you forgot that the railway police existed loooooong before 1829?

Now that comment should start something!!

Steve

[Mervyn Mitton]

Steve - are you talking of the guards who probably accompanied the early steam works engines ?

Railway Police were created for the first railways - see my book for a list of the different dates. Without signals,

their purpose was to monitor bends etc. and signal to the drivers - hence the red painted ends to the truncheons. Mervyn

[Polsa999]

Hi Mervyn

History of the railways and their police can be quite complex.

They carried out a number of functions based on the needs of the railway comany and yes they were engaged in controlling the movement of trains, hence the nicknames given to modern day signalmen of 'bobby' or 'officer'. However generally these types of duties ended around the late 1850's early 1860's when mechanical signalling was gradually introduced. There is evidence through a number of sources that railway police were undertaking law enforcement duties long before many county, borough, city and county borough forces existed, for example the LNWR police provided law enforcement to the town of Crewe upto 1884, Wolverton had railway police in the village/town in 1841, fifteen years prior to Bucks Constabulary. Interestingly the BNA has examples of railway police officers being sworn in by County Magistrates to operate throughout their County as police officers and a huge number of matters where the railway police officer was called upon to uphold the law through the areas where railways passed or were being built. A number of the officers were, like county/city officers, killed on duty, similarily many were dismissed for drunkeness and other offences.

If you are able to obtain a copy of 'The Railway Policeman' by J R Whitbread it may make interesting ready or the more recent publication by Pauline Appleby 'A Force on the Move: The story of the British Transport Police 1825-1995'

As a matter of fact, the small red painted end of a truncheon would be too small to be seen by train drivers, all early signalling was undertaken by hand signals, flag signals or mechanical signals similar to those used by police officers controlling road junctions!

You may wish to check out the British Transport Police History Group website - www.btphg.org.uk which may provide more accurate information.

Best wishes

Steve