ANOTHER ILLICIT HITCHIN DRIVER

I read with great interest the article about John Wells (SR472/4, Imposter). Yes, it is all true; I know, because David Impey was my father. As a young child, I too would go to work with him, on the footplate, and even have a go at driving. The bosses at the Hitchin depot all knew about John Wells, as well as a few other steam enthusiasts that my father and other drivers would take onto the footplate for a journey. This carried on after steam had gone, all through the ‘Baby Deltic’ era to when diesel-electrics came into being. My father, however, was a kind of maverick in as much that he was passionate about his work. Coming from a family of railway engineers, as drivers were called back in the day (both my grandfather and great-grandfather were drivers), my dad often said he would pay the railway to do the work he did! Sadly, in the 1980s he suffered an illness that would eventually mean he could not drive (not the disciplinary hearing due to a ‘shunting accident’ as you stated in your article!) but due to his love and devotion to the railways he accepted a position on the station staff at Royston. My father was much loved and respected by many work colleagues and passengers, going over and above his duties to help people out. A surprise retirement party was held for him at Royston station and to this day we still talk about it. He passed away in 1991 at the young age of 64.

Sean Impey,

by email

MY DAD OFTEN SAID HE WOULD PAY THE RAILWAY TO DO THE WORK HE DID!

SEAN IMPEY