NEW SEPTEMBER 2017.  Locomotive driving by contract, as practiced on parts of the Eastern Counties Railway, entailed paying a driver a fixed price per mile. Out of this he had to find the money for such things as his coke (as it then was) and oil, and for an assisting engine up a bank if he should need it.

This system was described in the Locomotive Magazine of 1903. It was followed by three short articles of early railway reminiscences relating to the ECR, with a glance at happenings on the LTSR as well. Naturally drivers were very keen to use as little fuel as possible, and these articles give anecdotes of dodges they got up to in order to achieve that.

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