The Friends of Goostrey station are thrilled that a former station porter – who worked at the station before WW1 – has had his story recorded and shared on the Great Rail Trails podcast. This national audio project forms part of the year-long celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway and is available for all to listen to via the website.
The four-minute recording tells the story of Joseph Harrop who worked as a porter at Goostrey station before training as a signalman and taking jobs at several stations on the Crewe-Manchester line.
During WW1, Joseph served as a Royal Marine and in WW2 he was an active member of the Home Guard.
The Friends of Goostrey station learnt of Joseph’s story when his granddaughter, Lynn Gerber, contacted the group in 2024 to share a photo she had of Joseph at the station (see below – Joseph is far right).
The photo was taken in 1911, when the station had been open for 20 years. At that time, Goostrey station was a busy place with extensive sidings, a goods yard, a weigh-bridge and a crane.
Lynn describes her grandfather as a lovely man who was well respected. In addition to his war service and his work on the railways, Joseph was an active member of the Labour party and, as a keen gardener, was also secretary of the Allotment Association and the Gooseberry Society.
Lynn is equally delighted that her grandfather’s story has been shared as part of the podcast. She said “it’s a really nice feeling to know that my grandfather’s story is still being remembered.”
Listen to Joseph’s story and many more fascinating ‘tales from the rails’ on the Railway 200 website: https://railway200.co.uk/stories/great-rail-tales/