The Bristol Railway Archive

A bit outside this area but the set may well be going to spm sunday. HST power car 43041 hit a tree this afternoon at Lavington on the Berks and Hants line. The roof has a major dent in it and the skirt on the drivers side has been ripped off along with windscreen missing too. The set was eventually dumped on the down reception at westbury this evening after getting towed in at 10mph by a 59.By the sounds of it the first 2 standard class coaches hav bad wheell flats as well so it may well be a very slow tow to the marsh or even a low loader job to take power car and coaches away.
i've no information about the Driverbut no news is good news I hope.

The driver escaped with cuts and scratches...a very lucky man. The set is due to move from Westbury down yard to Bristol (presumably St. Philips Marsh) at 2300 tonight. The undamaged 43135 will be leading, and the move will be at 10mph due to the wheelflats caused by the emergency brake application.

A photo gallery of events following the incident can be found here: http://markfew.fotopic.net/c1870413.html

It made the Evening Post, but their report suggests that the driver has a broken wrist amongst other injuries.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Tra ... ticle.html

mow wrote:It made the Evening Post, but their report suggests that the driver has a broken wrist...

Indeed he does, later news confirmed this, but it's still a very lucky escape considering the severity of the impact.

Another correction: the wheelflats were actually caused by the set being dragged to Westbury with the brakes on!

I think it was also on the Points West News, but the Evening Post's pics aren't as graphic as those on mark few's site.

I hope that the driver makes a full recovery.

ouch!!!

That is one very lucky driver, hope he makes a full recovery and gets back in the driving seat.....

StoneRoad

A few days ago (I forget which day) I saw a cab in primer on the back of a lorry heading north up the M5 towards Bristol. Could this be the replacement cabshell I wonder?

sounds possible. Did hear power car was going to move up to brush by road for repairs. perhaps both were being united at bristol then heading north on same lorry.

The cab is more likely to be from Grand Central's 43068 or 43080; they were sent to DML Devonport recently for repair.

All wheels were turning freely as it past me in Westbury Yard and was hauled up the bank and propelled back to the down reception. All air pipes main brake and res were conected. Network rail and fgw wouldnt allow a set to be dragged that far with its brakes fully on.

Power car still in the marsh last evening with back to kfc car park. Blue tarp over damaged cab.

what shocked me, is yesterday i was on the Torbay Express. many times the branches of trees and bushes on the side of line were hitting the carriage windows. I hate to think what the driver went through dodging them as i expect like most steam train drivers he was sat with his head out of the side window a lot of the time.

I think lines were kept clearer of vegetation (way back when) looking at old photos.
BUT (*****politcal alert *****) I seem to recal when network rail etc have been out chopping vegetation in the past it has upset locals. one location was If I am not mistaken Montpelier Bristol where there were protests.

nickt wrote:I think lines were kept clearer of vegetation (way back when) looking at old photos.
BUT (*****politcal alert *****) I seem to recal when network rail etc have been out chopping vegetation in the past it has upset locals. one location was If I am not mistaken Montpelier Bristol where there were protests.

Same thing on the embankments around Chippenham.

They were neglected for years and had become overgrown and Network Rail started a prgramme of clearing them. The local "greenies" were up in arms about destroying a valuable wildlife habitat.

Its clear that they had no idea how short a space of time it takes for a patch of grassed embankment to become a wilderness!

Edited to add, in response to the quote, that linesides were kept clear of vegatation in steam days because there was a fire hazard if they weren't!

one location was If I am not mistaken Montpelier Bristol where there were protests.

St Werburghs, Mina Road to be exact. About 2003 if I recall correctly.