The image above was recently donated to Largo Heritage Group. It features a group of staff at Largo Railway Station. The fact that the London and North East Railway (L&NER) name is emblazoned at the top of the image suggests that the photograph was taken soon after this railway company took over the line. The L&NER arose from the merger of six major and 27 smaller railway companies on 1 January 1923. Largo had previously been part of the North British Railway (and before that part of the Leven and East of Fife Railway prior to 1877).
The absorption of the North British Railway into the L&NER in 1923 would likely have required staff to adapt to more standardised working practices. I wonder how those pictured found the transition. The station master at the time was James Hope Young, who was in charge at Largo between 1920 and 1928. He is seated just right of centre (below the letter E) with the peaked cap featuring a flat, sloping crown.
James Young is pictured above (from the 7 November 1928 Courier), when he was preparing to leave Largo for Tillicoultry after nine years as Largo station master. The Young family lived in the Station House adjacent to Largo Station. Also recognisable in the Largo staff group photograph is signalman James Melville, who is seated to the right of James Young with a broad smile. He resided at Downfield and would have been in his 40s at the time that the photo was taken.
The 1920s must have been a great time to work at the station as it was during this era that several prizes were won by the staff for best kept station. During the first year under L&NER, Largo won a special prize among 30 eligible stations (see 27 October 1923 Fife Free Press above). Largo Station had a well-tended garden between the signal box and the westbound station building, which once boasted a shell-encrusted Flying Scotsman and similarly decorated sundial (see piece below from 29 September 1928 Fife News). In fact Mr Young made a new centrepiece design each year.
The staff photograph was taken in front of this garden, with the photographer standing on the opposite platform. The location is highlighted with an arrow in the image below. Can you help to identify anyone else in the group photograph? Do you have an ancestor who worked at Largo Station around this time? If so, please leave a comment or get in touch.
In addition to James Young and James Melville, in the 1921 census, there were a number of men living in Lower Largo who were recorded as working for the North British Railway. Some of those may have remained in employment there when the group photo was taken post-L&NER rebranding. For example, the 1921 census included:
Samuel Gillies aged 44, Platelayer, residing at Railway Cottages
Maurice Ballingall aged 30, Railway Guard, residing at Horne's Buildings
Charles Haig aged 63, Signalman, residing at 2 Brae Cottage
Alexander Archer aged 53, Surfaceman, residing at Sunnyside
Walter Guthrie aged 58, Surfaceman, residing at Bridgend House
David Spalding aged 44, Railway Porter, residing at Defoe Place
Some of these men could potentially appear in the photograph, if they continued to be employed by the railway further into the 1920s. Note that platelayers and surfacemen would inspect and maintain the tracks, checking for wear and tear and perhaps replacing rotten sleepers, repacking the stone ballast, greasing points, and tightening bolts. The two terms were used interchangeably although traditionally the platelayer focussed on the track components while the surfacemen had a broader role in maintaining the wider surface including ballast, drains, etc. Perhaps the men in those roles would have worn overalls and flat caps rather than they types of uniforms seen in the photo. If you can shed any light on that, please comment.
The garden at Largo Station continued to be well-tended beyond the tenure of James Young. The image below appeared in the 14 September 1932 Dundee Evening Telegraph and features station master Peter Low, James Melville and Mr Wilson having won best kept station in Scotland!
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