THE secret is out! But Pete Waterman looked as though he wished the recipe for the famous British Rail sandwich had never been revealed.
The hit music-maker was at York's National Railway Museum (NRM) to launch the new exhibition British Rail - A Moving Story.
It traces the history of the rail network's period of nationalisation from 1948 until 1994 when it was sold off by the then Conservative Government.
Pop Rivals judge Pete, a patron of the NRM, contributed his memories of working as a BR fireman to the exhibition. He also unveiled the precise method set down in railway regulations for making that infamous institution, the official BR sandwich.
The sandwich, in nine vile varieties, was the butt of more than 50 years of jokes, jibes and jest.
The preparation instructions set out exactly how much butter to use, where to put the filling (more in the middle to make it look better value) and what size of bread to use.
Pete said: "It was a dreadful sandwich. I don't remember sandwiches being like that. I think we used to make our own on the trains I travelled on.
"It was brutal at British Rail. Working conditions were appalling, but the camaraderie was fantastic."
British Rail - A Moving Story is now open at the NRM's Great Hall. Entrance is free.
Updated: 15:36 Thursday, November 21, 2002
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