Bagpiper and Train Engineer

[cessna152towser]

Re-discovering this still from an old super 8 sound film sequence of the piper playing at Edinburgh Waverley prior to departure of a day excursion train to Aberdeen in August 1978 reminded me of an incident later that day. The piper accompanied the train to Aberdeen and back then after we returned to Edinburgh many of us including the piper boarded a Glasgow bound service train. Part way to Glasgow a fault developed and the train ground to a halt. At this point the piper made himself known to the train guard (conductor) as an off duty railway engineer. He then jumped down to track level, crawled under the train and freed the brakes. He rejoined the train somewhat covered in oil and muck but the train was now able to continue forward.
Somehow I could not see this happening today.
Nowadays the engineer who maintains the trains probably works for a different company than the train operator.
Health and Safety regulations would probably prevent him working on the mechanics of the train on an active railway line after dark, while off duty and wearing a kilt but no hi-vis vest.