[Note 225.1]The LDEC opened in 1897 a year before this poem was written. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire,_Derbyshire_and_East_Coast_Railway

[Note 225.2]Shunting poles were tested before use and often the job of inspector and head shunter were rolled into one. The Railway companies always wanted the work done quickly and the foreman was the boss’s representative in the marshalling yard. This poem - written by shunters working in the Chesterfield depot of the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway in 1898 expresses their delight when their shunting pole inspector takes a week off – and their sadness at his return.

[Note 225.3] Shunting poles allowed the shunter to fasten and unfasten couplings without having physically to go between the wagons.
This advert assures the prospective buyer that the product will enable the shunters to work faster and more safely.

Insert image 225Advert.png