A Fireman remembers a long wait in a siding

Dennis Mitchell tells Joan Armstrong his memories of a long delay while transporting military equipment to Glasgow by train.
"I was a fireman working out of Kingstown,Carlisle on a Black Five engine.
The train was carrying military equipment,tanks, to Stranraer.The Germans were bombing Glasgow. We were put down a loop line until the "all clear" was sounded.
The driver went to the signal box to await instructions,we waited six hours. I was left on the engine. The driver told me not to open the fire box until he returned.
When he came back, six hours later, he told me to proceed.
I said "well we can't, the fires gone out."

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