Work on Christmas

Stuart describes how railway life can affect the family.

Stuart Harvey: “I would work 16 hour days, 16 hour days, 16 hour days, three or four in a row and all I would be doing is coming home and sleeping and showering and then turning around and going back. I said earlier that all of the people I started with at the railway, I was the only one who made it to the finish line. Of all the people I trained with in signals when we brought in formal training, I was the only one who didn’t get divorced. While doing all this stuff, we’re missing every holiday, every baptismal, every graduation, the wife is carrying the load. And smart railroaders realize that, and I don’t want to say smart railroaders, that’s the wrong way of phrasing it. You have to be cognisant of that to keep your marriage intact because they’re carrying everything at home. Yes you’re having a tough day at work but they have the kid at home with the flu and homework and housework and you’re not going to be there for Christmas. I remember getting called at 6 o’clock Christmas morning when the kids were little ‘you have to work today.’ Okay, I worked most Christmases and most Easters, it was just a given that I wasn’t going to be around.”