More about gas

It was a comment mde to me by my American friend that got me thinking. He had never had gas in his home.
 Now I had gas until I was about 10 years old but it didn't end there.
 As readerts will know I worked on the railway. To be on the footplate you had to start at the bottom, that was to be a cleaner. Cleaned of locomotives that means, however each person had to take turn to work in the Time Office. This was where the hub of the work was organised. the running Foreman was there and the man in charge of repairs also the Time clerk. It was his job to see that the men signed in on time for duty. Anyway we all had to work there from time to time and noe of the jobs was to turn on the lights when it got dusk. In the summer, they didn't bother it was only during the winter months.
 You had to find where each light was, some were electric and a switch might turn 6 or so lights but many were gas. I was issued with a metal pole with a hook on it so I could pull the gas lever on the lights to turn them on. This by the way was in the 1950s.
 What we had also were the old fashioned telephones, the ones you would see in the 1920s. they were only used for communications to the signalbox. There was a hearing piece which was connected to flex so you could hold it to your ear. There was a sort of speaking area in front of the box. To get the signalman's attention you would turn a handle fast for a few seconds. This was on the side of the box.
 When I think of it I laugh because this was the sort of telephone that was in use in the 20s.
 Believe it or not they were still in use right up to the time when the Loco was closed, that would have been in the late 60s.
 I wonder what my American friend will make of that.
I shouln't think he knows what a gas mantle is. Anyone who went holidaying in a caravan in the 50, and 60s will certainly know what they were. I wonder how many people ruined the mantle trying to light them. You certainly had to take care when lighting the gas mantle. To be honest though, they certainly gave out a good light. They were happy days. More soon.