Hi Mike:

There are many publications aimed at improving performance of staff of all 
grades, almost all of them written by staff of the main railways. This 
surely demonstrates the companies' commitment to improving the performance 
of its staff.



Most of the following references are post your date-line but all are based 
upon earlier similar documents.



The importance of Mutual Improvement Classes is implied in many of the 
early railway books and is explicitly stated in the BR Book "Handbook for 
Railway Steam Locomotive Enginemen" published in 1957 but closely based on 
the LMSR book of 1941 (Which was of the "Questions for enginemen etc" type 
format).

Referring to your specific point concerning "correct firing"; this is well 
covered in the 1957 document and also specialist small books such as 
"Controlled Firing" by the MPD superintendent of LM region



Detailed publications such as "Locomotive Management; 
cleaning-driving-maintenance" published in 1908 and regularly revised until 
the 10th edition in 1954 contains many Q&A sections aimed at assisting the 
Cleaner, Fireman etc to prepare for promotion.



There are a series of booklets was published to support the MIC's such as

'The Railwayman's Yearbook' by Jno.Aitken; a district inspector who was a 
member of the "Federation of Mutual Improvement Classes"; an organisation 
which might be recorded at NRM

'Catechism of Railway Locomotives' (actually basic operation) and 
'Locomotive Valve Gears' by A. Oliver who was a lecturer "to 
Locomotivemen's Mutual Improvement Classes"





Signalling was covered in the general MIC books and there was also a series 
of almost annual publications from the GWR entitled "Synopsis of Course of 
Instruction - Safe Working of Railways" that ran from at least the 1920 to 
1964. If you wish to add colour to this area I suggest you contact Adrian 
Vaughan who has published widely on his experiences as a signalman.



Permanent way was covered, particularly safety aspects. There are notes on 
'Shovel packing'. Copies of more detailed works such as the 1964 issue of 
British Railways Track by the Permanent Way Institute, were "issued to 
Supervisors and Relaying Gangers by the British Railways Board so that full 
advantage may be taken of the excellent material in this volume."



Safety has always been dominant and resulted in a series of booklets by the 
companies and also the creation of local groups who practiced first aid and 
then competed for prizes in competitions organised by the company. The 
company usually thought these activities well worth while and hence you 
will find many references to them in the house magazines, such as The Great 
Western Railway Magazine, throughout the period.



References to the training of tradesmen can also be found in the 
proceedings of the Institute of Locomotive Engineers however I suspect they 
are outside your direct interest as are the journals of the 'GWR (London) 
Debating Society'  and the 'GWR Swindon Engineering Society, Transactions' 
both of which ran throughout the period of your interest.



I trust this is helpful; if a bit oblique.

I would also like to hear the outcome of your research if at all possible.



As a closer the concept of MIC's is very much alive in its original form on 
Britain's Heritage Railways!


At 16:56 09/06/2005, Mike Esbester wrote:

>Dear all,
>
><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>I am currently researching occupational safety on the railways between 
>1913 and 1939.  Part of my work has led me to consider how workplace 
>skills are transmitted.  I am interested in how much influence companies 
>had over what their manual employees were actually doing (as opposed to 
>what they should have been doing) on a day-to-day basis.  I am not 
>thinking so much of being AWOL or drinking on the job or similar; more I 
>am thinking of ways in which the companies tried to tell their manual 
>employees how to perform their jobs (for example, the 'correct' way of 
>firing an engine, packing a sleeper, operating a lathe etc).
>
>
>
>I would imagine that Mutual Improvement Classes played a role in this (at 
>least for the enginemen; did anything similar exist for the other 
>grades?).  If anyone could point me in the direction of primary or 
>secondary sources relating to Mutual Improvement Classes or educational 
>facilities aimed at the workers (particularly the manual grades), I would 
>be most grateful.
>
>
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>
>
>Mike Esbester

regards

Bill Hillier