Trespass

[Mickey]

I always remember a rather nasty incident happening at Potters Bar station way back in the very early 1970s (either 1971-72 on a Sunday tea-time i vaguely recall?) of a poor unfortunate bloke who for some reason had got down off the Down fast line platform possibly to retrieve something off the track and was taken by surprise by a fast approaching Down express at the south end of the station!!.

I believe i heard that this poor fellow tried to squeeze up against the platform side and the track but must have been struck by the locos axleboxes and fuel tanks and other things below the solebar and killed outright!!!.

Thinking again about this incident at Potters Bar station over 40 years ago i vaguely recall this poor fellow was with his family at the time on the platform and believe he had got down onto the track to retrieve something that had been dropped from the platform?.

[Copley Hill 56C]

I remember some years ago being at a location in Lancashire to Photograph a steam charter, when about 5 minutes before the train was due this guy rolls up in his car, jumps out and throws on a hi-vis vest and promptly disappeared down the rather steep embankment. (We were on top of a bridge) I turned to my friend and said, "whats the betting that prat ends up on the P-way." Sure enough he did. The line is single track at this point, and there is this joker walking along the six foot. I promptly took a series of photos of this fellow, and when I got home, I contacted B.T.P. Told them what had happened, and asked if they were interested in the photos. "Oh yes " was the answer. The upshot was a visit to my home from the B.T.P to collect the photos, and take a statement.
I had also got the details of his car and so a few months later there I was giving evidence at the local Magistrates court, where he was found guilty of trespass, and fined some hundreds of pounds.
The moral of this story is if you see someone trespassing, and can get photo evidence, and other details which will enable the Police to trace the miscreant, then do so. We can all do without these clowns trying to destroy our hobby.

[PinzaC55]

I always remember a rather nasty incident happening at Potters Bar station way back in the very early 1970s (either 1971-72 on a Sunday tea-time i vaguely recall?) of a poor unfortunate bloke who for some reason had got down off the Down fast line platform possibly to retrieve something off the track and was taken by surprise by a fast approaching Down express at the south end of the station!!.

I believe i heard that this poor fellow tried to squeeze up against the platform side and the track but must have been struck by the locos axleboxes and fuel tanks and other things below the solebar and killed outright!!!.

Thinking again about this incident at Potters Bar station over 40 years ago i vaguely recall this poor fellow was with his family at the time on the platform and believe he had got down onto the track to retrieve something that had been dropped from the platform?.

There was an incident at Finsbury Park in 1987 when a commuter put down his briefcase and stepped off the platform as an express came through and apparently he simply got smashed to pieces with his limbs flying everywhere. We had a young guard at KX who was something of a fantasist about what a hard man he was and he volunteered to collect the body parts hoping to get compassionate leave from work. When he arrived there he promptly turned green and threw up then went sick but they booked him absent without leave.

[Mickey]

There was an incident at Finsbury Park in 1987 when a commuter put down his briefcase and stepped off the platform as an express came through and apparently he simply got smashed to pieces with his limbs flying everywhere. We had a young guard at KX who was something of a fantasist about what a hard man he was and he volunteered to collect the body parts hoping to get compassionate leave from work. When he arrived there he promptly turned green and threw up then went sick but they booked him absent without leave.

I was nearly killed twice at WGC back in the 1970s the first time after walking down the s/box stairs and turning right to walk across the barrow crossing over the Luton line i nearly walked out in front of a Rolls Royce set that was setting back from the Luton single line fortunately the driver (or guard) was 'on the ball' and blew the 2 tone horn if he hadn't i would have been killed!!.

The second time was when a railway friend and myself was waiting at the barrow crossing barriers for a Up express to pass and as soon as the back end of the last coach had passed by we both nearly walked out in front of a Down express Deltic hauled doing 90mph at the south end of WGC station of course the driver (or secondman) blew up but if that Down express was several seconds earlier we would have both walked in front of a 90mph Deltic!!!.

That last 'near miss' still gives me the chills when i remember it 40 years ago.

What you usually find (so i've been told) is when railway MOMs (Mobile Operation Manager) and the police and the ambulance service staff attend a railway fatally there is a certain amount of 'black humour' going on amongst all of them apparently these incidents can be very distressing as you would imagine and it's how many of the emergency staff can cope and deal with the situation that they are facing.

[Nortonboy]

I distinctly remember the last time I visited Thornaby shed. I was about thirteen and had arranged to meet some mates. we had been regular visitors there until I moved house. We said our goodbyes and I waited for my train home. After about half an hour I was on my way and as the dmu rounded the curve at Hartburn junction there was a loud series of bangs and I looked up to see my 'mates' grinning and waving at my train. They had stolen a handful of detonators at Thornaby to give me a send off to remember. It was as that point I realised that perhaps we were going our separate was in more ways than one.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I remember an incident near Mirfield back in the '90s.

Some lunatics were riding trials bikes along the fourfoot when they were hit by a Pacer heading for Wakefield. The driver, John Hodgson, returned to duty after a few weeks off. The Guard, a black chap who's name I have sadly forgotten, never worked again. He had a huge breakdown after having a grandstand view and no opportunity of doing anything.

[Nortonboy]

Regular commuters can do some idiot things too. I have seen, countless times, slam-door stock arriving in stations and doors being opened a couple of seconds before it stops. out comes the miscreant the very second the train halts, leaving the door to swing to the end of its hinges and 'bounce back' in the face of the next alighting passenger - and to hell with anyone who is on the platform too. By far the stupidest thing was on a southbound slam-door electric approaching St Deny's which overshot the signal (judging by the violent braking I think the driver remembered too late that it was a station stop). As he walked the PW back to the signal to phone for permission to return to the station, several doors opened and impatient passengers who had been kept waiting no more than two minutes attempted to climb down to the ballast! It's also worth noting this may have been a lucky escape for all of us. Within feet of the stationary train was the facing crossover for the Portsmouth line.

[Robert the Devil]

Every time I see this topic updated I am reminded of this slide that I took of Mallard approaching Willington Power Station at speed, on the Derby to Birmingham route, during 1986/7. Every single member of the lineside audience is the wrong side of the fence.

Len