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Row 9 Difficult to decipher this poor fellow's various Rates and Dates. Last Rate, noted under location name, looks like 1s [from] 25 October 1913, then there's a note above the Return Date cell that reads & as Signalman @ 24s. Any other suggestions?

I think - and this is very much think, I'm just saying its how I dealt with similar. It seems the rates drop for some of them over a period of time, or they get downgraded to lesser jobs. I do an entire line for each, which is a pain but helps link one to the next.
So he's getting one rate (16s) from March to April, next one (7s) from April to September then next from September to Jan etc. Hard to explain, hope this makes sense - if not, I can chuck it in when you're finished. Somewhere in my brain there lodges the eldritch horrors of manual book-keeping, where "a line for every entry" is beaten into you with a large ledger until you capitulate. But I'm not saying I'm doing it right, that's just my take on it.

And it looks like it was then all added into the one sum. Helpful, eh?

Looks like his job changed to signalman. Why the other rate changes, who knows? But the dates each link into the next. I'm explaining this terribly...

I see exactly what you mean, Polly. If you have the patience to put each rate and the relevant dates on separate rows, do please go ahead. I picked up the habit of listing them in order in the one relevant cell from Geoff and have done that in these multiple rate and date instances ever since. It would be much clearer to have each in a separate row though.

As for the Signalman rate, I see the reductions in the Guard rates as connected to the length of his absence. I wonder if the Signalman rate reflects an attempt to secure him more compensation given one foot had, ultimately, to be amputated…

And finally, it seems a sad irony, in the circs, that his name is Keen!

Why don't you finish up then, when you're happy, I'll bust in and do the book-keeping bit? It's going to need notes and explanations, so I'll do my best then you can ok it. That work for you? Prob be tomorrow tho if that's ok?

Geoff, were signalmen paid more? I think so, iirc. I'm thinking he went from Signalman to Goods Guard because he could no longer get up into the box? That's what the note seems to indicate on closer inspection. That would explain the rate drop, then the poor fella just dropped further and further down. Some of these are just so sad, tho compensation at all was a perk.

Yep, I think I have it. Initial accident was 25/12 and that's related to the Signalman designation. He was a Goods Guard by the time the accident was written up, then just got bumped. I'm fairly sure these were collated from tickets, written up in tranches daily and somewhere there will be an entire trail, which is why it's all lumped in as one sum at the end.
Ignore my whiffling, I'm just going through the mechanics of it in my head of I'll forget it all by the time I try and write it up. Congrats, Geraldine, you win today's Nightmare Entry prize!

@Linda F, I just don't believe it. You must be a troll. Come on TNA kick her out

Ha! Only just noticed she’d interposed herself again! Infamy! Infamy! Linda’s got it In-fer-me!

@Geraldine, thank you for your patience. I've sent a direct message to TNA. Hopefully something will happen. There is a similar one in Met Police reports who ignores the conventions time after time.

I take it there's now a FlatGramps hole in the ceiling?
Don't stress. We've got a plan. If Geraldine is still in progress when I fire up my brain overnight/tomorrow, I'll just do that one entry then she can ok it and carry on.

The only bit of my body of which I am proud is my hair, and now I'm reduced to pulling that out!

Polly, I think maybe we should give up and leave those who ultimately seek to use this information - if someone does - to make the best they can of it. I see the sense you’re trying to impose, but 25/12 isn’t a date in any usual designation in these pages. That’s why I guessed it might be Oct 25/12, hence 25 October 1912 (or even 1913) when the rate that’s been reducing over time falls to 1s. We’re not going to completely unravel this one. I’ll mark it done and if you want to keep wrestling with it tomorrow, be my guest! (And thanks for the Prize!)

There are going to be uncertain bits and errors everywhere so no point stressing. Any sort of effort is better than nothing for future researchers. Provided you have the page number correct they can find the original record and draw their own conclusions

It connects to the note 1, its just very unclear. If you're happy for me to have a go at it...There's something about these complicated ones that makes me come over all "I will unravel this if it kills me." Condensed dates were used (I'll use proper format, obviously) this is just short-cuts (yes, bad, but we all made them.) You do you, I'll do that bit and we'll crowdfund Gramps a new syrup.
I'm only doing these cos my Dad is a loco freak. My entire family is thoroughly enjoying the minutiae of all this!

I'm going to do some serious research into what lies at the bottom of a bottle of gin

Polly what are you on about. This page is fine

Ok. I've just researched such very obscure stuff in my time, I suupose. They can always read the notes, anyway - we've worked out what happened.

Fortunately you've lost me!

I'm off to find some nice soothing asylum records to transcribe