Is ‘shunter for British Rail’ a working class job?

[Correction]

Been dating a man for 7 months. He was born 1970 just FYI. His parents were both born in 1927 just for context and both long gone from this world.

I know his mum worked in a care home - but I really don’t know her level of seniority- could’ve bern a manager - could’ve had a more routine job - I haven’t asked.

Anyway - I know he was close to his Dad and seemed to be a happy family but had no clue what his Dad did for a living so asked him over the weekend and he said

‘Shunter for British Rail.

AIBU to ask if you’d class it as a working class job?

What does the pay matter? It was his dad’s
job a long time ago. Are you looking for a man with a good inheritance?

What does it matter anyway? She’s just stating a fact - her DP was born when his parents were both 43. So what? Are people suggesting this would have been impossible because clearly it isn’t? I’m not sure why it has any relevance to anything.

I think the fishplates are mainly laid by the heavy machinery now but there are still people involved in permanent way.

To add to the age and births debate, I was born in the 1940s when my mother was 42.

British Rail hasn't existed since it was privatized in 1997.

You'll struggle to find a job with them now op, no matter what status you think working there would provide...

It was not as common as it is now, but I don't think it was that rare. e.g. If I think of a certain time in my life when I lived in a house where we knew lots children around my age in the immediate area and my parents were friends with their parents. Say 12-15 children around my age, at least 2 were born to parents 40+ - one was a longed-awaited first child, one was an accident youngest child of 3. And this was in England. It definitely was not uncommon in Ireland for younger children.

I can't find anything easily now on how many children it would have actually been in England. However, I remember reading about years ago that births to older mothers were higher at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century. Many women went into service and only married and had children after they'd done a few years work. This changed after the big houses stopped having staff post wars etc.

I've got to get back to work so this is what I've found quickly now
"There is a tendency to think of this as a modern phenomenon associated with the rise of family planning, greater economic independence for women and the development of medical techniques that can increase fertility in older people. But the average age of women at first birth today (29.6) is not very different to what it was in 1938 (29.0), and fertility among women in their forties was higher at the start of WWII and during the 1940s than it was in 2010.
The average age of women at first birth was lower at the end of the 1960s than at any other point since 1938. Before the 1960s, the average age of women both at their first birth and across all births was higher, despite this being a period of higher fertility, lower life expectancy and less economic equality between the sexes."

Ok but seriously though - it IS a job I’ve seen .. does it still exist ? Im assuming so not having heard to the contrary

Absolutely not. I usually don't know what they think at all until I've talked to them and wouldn't fall out with them if we didn't agree (excluding some politicians and supporters thereof). But I do know this was the case with my great grandmother, who died just before I was born, because I knew my
grandfather well, and through my sister's extensive research into our family history, so other branches in other locations in this country.. My husband is fanatical about his family history and his research demonstrates this too. What I would say, from research and listening to others, is that historically, large families usually mean continued fertility to a later age than we now see as typical.

Totally, my mother/grandmother and great grandmother all had babies in their 40s (gt Gran finished at 52, having started at 15) I really don't think it is that unusual now and certainly wasn't a century ago.

( Edit as meant to quote @WearyAuldWumman )

It sounds like your DP has solid working class roots and will be a grounded and practical person - snap him up.

I've seen some memes along these lines https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/i17z8c/an_updated_improved_version_of_the_social_classes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button and of course it's just stereotypes but it reminded me there are positives in every level of society.

Someone’s got a Train fetish

My father worked for BR back in the day. They treated their staff well, pension, travel passes etc. It was a good place to be no matter if you were driving a train or working in the ticket office. As someone else said, being a shunter was jolly hard work and you needed your wits about you. It was probably blue collar rather than white collar work but it paid well.
I've no idea where it would be in terms of socio economic class. Skilled manual?

waves I love trains! Especially steam trains. Inherited it from my father.

I love this thanks so much for posting

It’s being renationalised as the contracts expire.

Bear in mind, if you fancy being one, that there are different types of shunters jobs. Shunter Drivers drive trains round the sidings, usually in places where there is a maintenance shed. They get paid about 40k. A Shunter (without the Driver part) doesn’t drive the trains, they are responsible for the sidings, pulling hand points, organising where the mainline drivers put the trains in the sidings, seeing service out etc. They will be in places that don’t have Shunter drivers, usually places without a maintenance shed etc. They usually get paid 30k if not a bit lower.

Had you even heard of a shunter before your boyfriend told you that his dad had been one?

Did you also post about retraining as a shunter in December under a different username?

I would say having 5 babies in your 40s was far less usual than having 5 in your teens. It’s possible both for something to be rare AND for you to know or be descended from someone who experienced it.

Yes I'd class it as working class. A good steady employment via BR but you can't compare wages. Around the time privatisation happened (just before to a little after) a lot of perks were thrown away and swapped for increases in wages.

It's a fascinating job. Did he shunt for most of his railway career, or was he a passenger/freight driver who moved onto shunting towards the end of his career (drivers often moved to this lower-stress job in the run up to retirement)?

Ok no need to quote my least favourite favourite David Bowie song at me

I would guess he shunted for most of his railway career

Actually no

Not sure what you mean, none of them had 5 babies in their 40s (which I agree would be extremely rare) Sorry if I've missed something.