Waggoner's Way is a small back street in Bermondsey, home to a close-knit community of predominantly railway folk and their families. The Brennans and Kellys are among those who live there. They have been friends for years; Joe Brennan works as a train driver, Tom Kelly as a shunter; and Ada and Mary, their wives, patiently spend much of their time trying to entangle their children's tangled love lives. And, together, they help one another survive the worst of times.