The Bristol Railway Archive

Circa 1952 we had been down to WSM for the day, and to get to my local station [Horfield], we had to change trains at Temple Meads - although nothing surprising in that!

We clambered into the Severn Beach via Pilning train, and while we were still standing, another train pulled by a Prairie of some description, collided with the back of our train at very low speed. Some of us were thrown to the floor, and we all had to detrain - and presumably found another service going to where we wanted to be.

That is the nearest that I have been to a railway accident, and I wondered if anyone else has had a similar, or worse, experience?

There was a driver at Bath Road in the 60s/70s who always seemed to lightly touch the stop blocks when running into platform 1 at TM - never enough to cause damage or injury, but noticeable nevertheless.

Thanks for that, Andrew. I've never driven an engine, but I used to employ a similar tactic when parking the car in a confined space - it is possible to lightly touch another vehicle, or wall, perhaps, with careful use of the clutch.

Having done that all my driving life - fifty-two years - my latest car - new three weeks ago - has reversing sensors. What luxury!

I seem to have missed this thread

I was involved in a minor wallop c.1964 when I was on a train going north from Birmingham to Wolverhampton with an English Electric type 4 on the front (latterly class 40) when it was in collision with an 08 shunter at low speed, although I recall people got thrown around in the vestibules as a result of it.

Now I come to tell the story after nearly 50 years, I don't remember any prolonged delay, so I presume our train stayed on the road.

Somehow I doubt that the line would have been cleared so fast today given the Elfin Safety culture ...

Might have known that you would have a story to tell on this topic, Robin!

Nothing seems to pass you by, does it?

Ian L Jamieson wrote:Might have known that you would have a story to tell on this topic, Robin!

Nothing seems to pass you by, does it?

You make it sound like you have suspicions that I made the story up

No proof, I'm afraid - my camera was not with me that day, but it was on hand on this day, although no passenger or freight trains were involved:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N ... hotostream

my camera was not with me that day, but it was on hand on this day, although no passenger or freight trains were involved:

Obviously another case of "can't quite decide which way to go"

The most impressive version of such an event I ever saw was at Shrewsbury Severn Tunnel Junction, where the front half of a Class 47 was going to Wolverhampton but the back half decided to head for Chester instead!

There's a picture of it in the signal box to this day I believe ...

Robin Summerhill wrote:

Ian L Jamieson wrote:Might have known that you would have a story to tell on this topic, Robin!

Nothing seems to pass you by, does it?

You make it sound like you have suspicions that I made the story up

No proof, I'm afraid - my camera was not with me that day, but it was on hand on this day, although no passenger or freight trains were involved:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N ... hotostream

That thought never occurred to me, Robin - and I'm sorry if I gave that impression.