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Three generations of the Grant family live and work on the Severn Valley branch of the Great Western Railway, from the Victorian era to the Second World War.
1980
1860: Robbie Grant injures his leg placing explosive fuses in an embankment while working as a Navvy with his father Giant while local farmers oppose the new railway. Engineer John Fowler has high expectations of manager Henry Bridgman and low expectations of the navvies on payday. Robbie has to prove himself in the sight of the other navvies, as he gets to know their landlady Martha's niece Deborah.
Engineer of the line Mr Fowler offers Robbie a job, and Deborah teaches him to read and write. Giant plans to seek Martha's hand in marriage. Tragedy strikes and Robbie wants to leave instead of taking his job at Hampton Loade.
1980
By 1939, George has realised his ambition to become a stationmaster. Now it's the turn of his son, Andy, to follow in the family tradition-but with the outbreak of war, Andy discovers the world doesn't run on six wheels and go chuff.
With the arrival of a girl evacuee, Andy is much put out. But with the German bombers getting closer, and talk of spies, Andy still finds it exciting living on a railway station.
1980
46 years on, and in 1906, Highley Signalman Robbie has just lost his wife, Deborah. Daughter Jane persuades him to move in with her and his grandson George, overweight, innocent, clumsy and scared of his mother and his grandfather, and is about to start work as a lad porter at the station under the redoubtable Albert Jellicoe, while best friend Ted Jarvis starts as an engine cleaner.
Jane sends George with a mug of tea for Robbie, who tells him that the trouble he has had today will pass, and so will Mr Jellicoe's anger. Ted tells George that if he has any trouble with Mr Jellicoe to ask how his wife is. George meets Annie, a young lady going into service as under-kitchen maid for William Crowhurst and carries her trunk to his house. Mr Holmes asks George to cover for him for an hour, and George is asked for a special train to Shrewsbury for the King.
George runs for Mr Jellicoe, who is fishing on his day off. Mr Holmes returns in time to help George look for carpet in Mr Jellicoe's attic, and George also finds bunting from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 to decorate the station for the Royal Train which is being cleaned by Ted Jarvis. Jane tells George how pleased she is with how George handled the situation with the King, and Mr Allen, general Superintendent of the line, inspects the station to surprise Robbie with a watch for his long service for the company and the staff a bonus for their handling of the royal train. Annie breaks his heart by introducing her fiancé Walter. George is promoted as a new lad porter joins the staff and Mr Holmes catches the train to his new station, wishing him luck.
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Andrew Hughes
Andy Grant
Colin Douglas
George Grant
June Brown
Elsie Grant
Annette Ekblom
Marjerie Grant
Phillip Joseph
Geoffrey Green
Bill Dean
Ted Jarvis
Katherine Roberts
Alice Stone