South Yorkshire Times — April 26, 1952

51 Years on Rail Staff

Retirement of Mr. J. Lythell

A railwayman for 51 years and Railwayman Townsman, a liaison officer between companies and public, at Mexborough since 1934, Mr. James Henry Lythell, of 29, Cowper Road, Mexborough, has retired. Mr. Lythell has been at Mexborough Goods Depot since 1922.

Mr. Lythell was born at Barnsley and started in 1901 as a clerk in the messenger dept. at Stairfoot on the old Great Central line. He served at other stations including six years at Penistone in the traffic office before he was transferred to Wath in 1913, where he stayed for six years which included three and a half years with the Royal Engineers in France and Belgium during the 1914-18 war.

He came to Mexborough in 1922 and worked in the goods depot. In 1923 the Great Central became the L.N.E.R. line and in 1934 Mr. Lythell was made Railway Townsman to handle public claims against the railway companies.

From 1927-35 Mr. Lythell was secretary of the Wesleyan Reform Church at Stairfoot. He was on the Committee of Mexborough Nursing Association for several years.

Mr. Lythell was chairman of the Mexborough branch of the Railway Clerks’ Association in 1946 for two years and was office representative for the Association, which later became the Transport Salaried Staff Association, for 18 years.