Railways

1. Current

Except as a "passenger", I had never been into a tunnel before.

But in Februay 1963, I was given a job as a surveying assistant in the very early stages of the construction of the Victoria Line of the London Underground system.

"Turn up at this address at nine o'clock on Monday morning."

So that's what I did.  I was handed a sheet of paper, "Go to this address and collect hard hat, donkey jacket and wellies, then come back here at midnight - you're on the night shift."

So that's what I did. 

And wearing my new utfit I met the Surveyor, Doug, his assistant, and a chainman.  We collected the gear, and walked aalong Victoria Street to Victria Tube Station.  We checked in at the ticket office, then took our gear down onto the platorm.

We waited for the last passenger train of the day.  A Lonon Underground Flagman arried to safeguard us - and to make sure we didn't do anything "wrong" !

We waited for the first staff train.  And the second staff train.  And the first Works train.  And the second.

And we waited for about another half hour, then the Flagman said, "Right !  The current is off; it's now safe to go down onto the tracks."

Doug handed me the end of a steel tape, and pointed between the tracks - "Just THERE you will see a survey stud between the tracks - hold the end of the tape on it."

So that's what I did.  In my new wellies, I hopped down off the platform, stepped carefully over each rain into the "six foot" gap, found the stud, and help the end of the tape on it.

Doug took his reading, then- "O.K. !  Let go of the tape !"

FSHSHSHSHSHT ! 

Twelve feet of steel tape melted as it hit the still-live rails.