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Panel 7: The Delicias railway workers

The life and soul of the station

T

hroughout its active life, Madrid-Delicias Station was the workplace for thousands of railway workers, whose professional life took place within its walls.

At the end of the Spanish Civil War, there were around 1,100 workers in Madrid-Delicias Station, with women accounting for barely fifty. Madrid-Delicias featured personnel from all the different services, the most numerous being that of Material and Traction (with three hundred employees), followed by the Operation Service, which was in charge of regulating and controlling railway traffic (with two hundred and eighty). The third most numerous group was auditing (with one hundred and forty-seven), followed by track and facility maintenance (with one hundred and seventeen employees). The rest were mainly administrative staff.

The memory of some of these workers, with names and surnames, still remains since their photographs, due to different circumstances, appeared in several publications.


Fernando Flores, Stationmaster. 1911. <i>¡Adelante! magazine</i>, 15-Mar-1911. <i>Biblioteca Nacional de España</i>

Fernando Flores, Stationmaster. 1911. ¡Adelante! magazine, 15-Mar-1911. Biblioteca Nacional de España

Loading and unloading work at station bay. Jun-1941. Photo: Archivo ADC. <i>AHF-MFM</i>

Loading and unloading work at station bay. Jun-1941. Photo: Archivo ADC. AHF-MFM

Melitón Díaz Pérez (engineer) and Francisco Moreno Marcos (stoker) with personnel from the Madrid-Delicias engine shed. 1952. <i>Vía Libre magazine</i>. Sep-2001. <i>AHF-MFM</i>

Melitón Díaz Pérez (engineer) and Francisco Moreno Marcos (stoker) with personnel from the Madrid-Delicias engine shed. 1952. Vía Libre magazine. Sep-2001. AHF-MFM


Railway workers filling the locomotive´s water tank using a spigot arm. Abr-1953. Photo: K. Wyrsch. <i>AHF-MFM</i>

Railway workers filling the locomotive´s water tank using a spigot arm. Abr-1953. Photo: K. Wyrsch. AHF-MFM

Working in the inspection pit at the station locomotive´s shed. 1954. Photo: Vicente Garrido. <i>AHF-MFM</i>

Working in the inspection pit at the station locomotive´s shed. 1954. Photo: Vicente Garrido. AHF-MFM

Elías Laguna Muela, lamp manager. 1967. <i>Vía Libre magazine</i>. Oct-1967. <i>AHF-MFM</i>

Elías Laguna Muela, lamp manager. 1967. Vía Libre magazine. Oct-1967. AHF-MFM


The last day of passenger traffic in Madrid-Delicias Station. In the centre, the rolling stock inspector and a security guard. 30-Jun-1969. Photo: Delapeña. <i>BF-MFM</i>

The last day of passenger traffic in Madrid-Delicias Station. In the centre, the rolling stock inspector and a security guard. 30-Jun-1969. Photo: Delapeña. BF-MFM

Reoyo Vegas, Delicias Stationmaster, retired the same day the station was closed. 1969. <i>La vie du rail</i>, 12-Oct-1969. <i>BF-MFM</i>

Reoyo Vegas, Delicias Stationmaster, retired the same day the station was closed. 1969. La vie du rail, 12-Oct-1969. BF-MFM

Delicias-Empalme Stationmaster together with his dog and a sheep, the pet of the station. Mar-1988. <i>Archivo Adif</i>

Delicias-Empalme Stationmaster together with his dog and a sheep, the pet of the station. Mar-1988. Archivo Adif