This year is the bicentenary of modern railways and Friends of Goostrey Station marked the milestone by organising an event on 27th September during Goosfest.  But unexpectedly we received a request to record the story of a former rail employee as part of a national project called Great Rail Tales.

In 2024 Lynn Gerber contacted Friends of Goostrey Station because she thought that we might be interested in a photo of her grandfather Joseph Harrop.  Lynn provided FoGS with a precious glimpse into the life of someone who worked for half a century on our local railway.

In the picture, Joseph is wearing his porter’s uniform and is seated on a platform bench at Goostrey station. At that time, the station had been open for 20 years. It was a busy place with extensive sidings, a goods yard, a weigh-bridge and a crane. Later Joseph trained a a signalman and was employed at several stations on the Crewe-Manchester line. In WW1 he served as a Royal Marine and in WW2 he was an active member of the Home Guard.

Joseph Harrop’s granddaughter described him as a lovely man who was well respected. He was an active member of the Labour party and, as a keen gardener, he was also secretary of the Allotment Association and the Gooseberry Society.  She added that ’it’s a really nice feeling to know that my grandfather’s story is still being remembered’.

Friends of Goostrey Station agreed with Lynn and so we made the recording.

The 4 minute podcast can be heard on Railway 200’s website https://railway200.co.uk/stories/great-rail-tales/

Other recordings include one by the driver of one of the first trains through the recently completed Channel Tunnel and one about the significance of the iconic British Rail logo.