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This story has been contributed by Val Potter of Age Concern, Hellifield. It was originally contributed to Age Concern in 1990.
Mr Maunders was a train driver during the war. One day, he went to collect a load of ammunition to take it back to Carlisle. The signals near Hellifield were against him and he should have stopped but, just as he got to them, the load slipped. They were going very fast and they were slipping and sliding about all over the place but they had a large engine on to slow them down and they just managed to get past a shunter. Although they were meant to be going to Carlisle, they didn't even get to Settle. It was a hairy experience! If they had crashed, there would have been a bonfire!
In Leeds one time, Mr Maunders was working on a coal train very near the sheds when there was an air raid. There was no time to get to the shelter, so they had to stay on the train throughout the raid. Luckily, they weren't hit. He was not given a promotion, although his foreman got it within two years.
He was also on the trains when the Germans bombed Long Preston and again at Doncaster -once more they couldn't get to the shelter. When they did get to the shelter, they were there many a time for 8 - 10 hours. They still got paid for it - it wsn't a bad job really!
He brought the first Royal Scot along the Carlisle line to Hellifield. There, they put another engine on and Mr. Maunders took the Royal Scot back to Carlisle. After that, he got on the wrong train out of Carlisle and found it was going to Euston. He was with a young lad and they decided they would have to get off the train at the next signals. They got off on the wrong side and were only just missed by an express train coming round the corner! It was not a dull life!

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