Page:Engines and men- the history of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. A survey of organisation of railways and railway locomotive men (IA enginesmenhistor00rayniala).pdf/96

 a danger signal, and fines equally heavy for refusing to pass a danger signal. There were fines and suspensions for running into stop-blocks, for hot axles, for bent stays, for being called off the engine, for coal falling in front of the brake, and for all sorts of things too trivial to detail. It was all very irksome, and a storm was evidently brewing.

These real grievances must not trail us from a correct sequence of the events of the years. In 1885 the first exclusively postal train had started running on the North Western, the Hull & Barnsley line had started, and the first train passed through the Mersey railway tunnel. In June of 1886 members of the Society were suggesting revisions of the rules, and the investment of funds in railway shares, along with provision for the return of a member to Parliament. The password and the oath were introduced as ritual safeguards against intrusion at branch meetings, but they were never generally observed. It was decided to secure model engines for the instruction of members, although they were not obtainable until greater efforts were made somewhat later. The formation of an agency was mooted for the assistance of members going abroad. A very curious inquiry was addressed to Swindon to ask how it was that the name of the Secretary and Treasurer did not appear in the list of members. In June of 1886 Mr. Storey accompanied the General Secretary to London to open the King's Cross branch.

October of 1886 brought a storm over the dismissal at Bow of Driver James Bowen, who was alleged to have over-run the signals set at danger. Contact was established with societies of Locomotive Engineers started in America and India, and the General Secretary was instructed to correspond "in a friendly and brotherly manner" with the general secretaries of those organisations. There are indications that even so soon the executive became reminiscent of its early years, for on October 31st of 1886 they decided to buy photographs of Mr. F. W. Webb's compound passenger engines, and of Mr. Perry, the founder, and Mr. William Ullyott, the first member of the Society, to be placed in the general office, "the