The Great Woodbine Robbery

buxton4472 · Post by **buxton4472** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:39 pm

While I seem to be on a bit of a roll with responses to my pigeon post (sorry for the pun) here's another question probably for the more senior members of the group - and I apologise that it took place 16 miles from Bristol! I am seeking info on a derailment which happened in late August or early Sept 1960 or 1961 when I was 10 or 11 years old - I am not sure which year. It involved a northbound fitted freight train (probably a Bristol St Philips to Washwood Heath/Lawley Street/Derby/Leeds service) which was routed into the up loop at Charfield but which failed to stop before ploughing through the buffers at the north end and descending the embankment, scattering vans and their contents. Although living there at the time, I was actually spending my school summer holidays in Cheshire, very close to the WCML. Then, one evening on the TV news, there were shown images of the pile-up and my immediate response as a young lad was to want to go home early and see the devastation. No such luck - by the time I got home the breakdown crane had done its job and the recovery was complete. I seem to recall that the loco involved was a 9F.

The incident gained some notoriety when a number of villagers were implicated in clandestine 'salvage operations'. The cargo contained tobacco products and confectionery so it was a bit of a free for all from what I gather. I have written to the local rag to try and tease some info from them in the form of newspaper reports from the time but with no luck. As I cannot easily get to the Gloucestershire Library archives to search for myself I am hoping that some of you may remember the incident or be able to point me to anything in print relating to it. Any recollections gratefully received!

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:10 am

I don't remember the incident first hand but I do vaguely remember something about this in the Evening Post even though I was only about 9 years old.

When I was at Bath Road, I did occasionally hear stories from guys in the breakdown gang about a derailment some years earlier and people walking off with boxes of 'Licquorice Allsorts' which I think were made by Bassetts.

I don't recall any mention of tobacco. Of course, it was a different story after the Great Flood of 68 when loads of cigarettes ended up on Lawrence Weston tip.

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:33 am

Thinking about this one, I'm wondering if it was not the Evening Post but possibly the local news on TV - would it have been TWW or had it become HTV by then?

Either way, the picture I remember was in black and white and showed a number of damaged 4-wheeled box vans,

buxton4472 · Post by **buxton4472** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 12:14 pm

the green mile wrote:Thinking about this one, I'm wondering if it was not the Evening Post but possibly the local news on TV - would it have been TWW or had it become HTV by then?

Either way, the picture I remember was in black and white and showed a number of damaged 4-wheeled box vans,

In 1960 I think it would have still been TWW. As I said in my original post, I recall seeing the incident on TV but as I was in Cheshire at the time, it must have been shown on national news. I do know that I was itching to get back home to see the mayhem first hand!

I had not thought about the Bristol Evening Post as a possible source of info - the paper's sales/ readership area covered Charfield - so I will get in touch with them. The Dursley / Wotton-under-Edge Gazette did not respond to my requests.