When Ken Russell started sweeping platforms at a Kent station aged just 15, he could never have dreamed he would still be working on the railways almost 58 years later.

Which is quite remarkable for someone who admits they were never an especially enthusiastic train buff.

But now he has been reflecting on his long career, which saw him serve at numerous stations across the county, as he finally takes his well-earned retirement, aged 73.

When Ken first picked up a broom to keep the station clean at Adisham in 1966, passenger steam trains had only recently be assigned to the history books.

But he admits to “falling into the job” rather than having a boyhood fascination with trains.

“I left school on the Friday and started work on the Monday as a junior porter and it was just a job,” he said. “It wasn’t because I was especially keen on trains.

“Back then you did a bit of everything, from keeping the platform, waiting room and ticket office clean to issuing tickets and even dealing with things like livestock, including pigeons that were being transported about.”

He became a signalman in 1986 and reckons he worked from most of the signal boxes in the county, including Canterbury East and finally at Ashford where he has ended his career.

Ken, who lives in Buckland Avenue, Dover, with his wife Pearl has seen huge changes on the railway, having worked for British Rail and then Railtrack followed by his current employer, Network Rail.

He officially retired last Thursday but says he would have probably carried on had it not been for ill health.

But with almost 58 years in the job, he is one of Kent’s longest-serving railwaymen.

“To be honest, I was never especially passionate about trains but as time passed I just kept going.

“I never wanted to be a driver and was just happy to be in the signal box.

“Obviously, the job has changed significantly over the years and became much more bureaucratic.

“Nowadays, you can’t move without having a piece of paper in your hand.

“I guess I enjoyed it most in the early days when every station was manned and there was much more interaction with passengers, which is probably why I like the heritage railways.

“These days, everyone does stuff on the internet, like buying tickets, so you don’t need half the people.”

Ken, a dad-of-two who also has two grandchildren, was given an official send-off at the Ashford signal box where he received a long service plaque and a gift from colleagues.