Very quiet Wednesday night apart from ATP, the thing that passes signal information to the train, crashing at BAR. Last Trains don’t leave a station until the have been given a signal, “The right”, from station staff that everyone who should be aboard is aboard, a way of trying to ensure that passengers don’t get left stranded. This is given in numerous ways, a handlamp, a baton or the simplest form, a raised arm, just as long as it is a clear indication that the train has permission to leave. ATP is restored by resetting a circuit breaker in the cab which left the SS at BAR with his hand in the air for a lot longer than normal and he was starting to look a little worried.

Thursday and the usual collection of drunken sleepers at EPP. Two woke up and got off, a young lady woke up and was not at all pleased that she had overshot her destination or that we were only going back as far as LOU. There was a lad stretched out face down on the seats, which was very nice for him except he hadn’t intended to sleep past WOO. Another bloke simply refused all attempts to wake him and as I had little time to change ends before I got the green he came with us back to LOU.

On reaching LOU while the SS was busy dealing with the other two so I tried to awaken the dead once more . I gave him a shake and his head began to lift but when I stopped shaking it descended again. So I shook some more but every time I stopped the same happened, it was like pumping up a balloon with a leak, every time you stopped pumping it deflated. In the end I just kept shaking him until his eyes opened and focused on me. I managed to get him onto the platform but then had to dissuade him from leaning on the train and get him to lean against the wall. After that the SS took over trying to herd him out of the station while I stabled the train. The whole time not one word passed his lips though I could quite believe the speech centre had been left somewhere on the system.

Lost Property is at Baker Street if anyone is interested.