Steam train hits lorry
A RAILWAY enthusiast couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a lorry pull out in front of the train he was travelling on.
Paul Ellis took these pictures of the moment the vintage steam engine hit the lorry near the Winchcombe Station of the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
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GWR loco and lorry in collision on crossing at Winchcombe Station
The lorry had just delivered some tracks to the station used by the railway and was waiting to go out again.
Paul, 47, said: "I was on a train pulled by the Foremarke Hall loco as it was coming into Winchcombe Station.
"I had my head out of the window, as you do with steam trains, and I could see an empty articulated lorry waiting at a crossing."
He said when the train was only 20 yards from it, the lorry started to move across.
"I have to say the train driver did a brilliant job – he slammed on the brakes and really got the speed down but the train still hit the truck in the passenger door of the cab," said Paul.
"We were only travelling at a few miles per hour but that was enough to push the buffers through the plastic on the cab and break the wing mirrors."
Paul, who lives in Strensham and works as a photographer, said he "couldn't believe it" when the lorry pulled out.
He said: "I spoke to the train driver later at the Racecourse Station and asked him whether this happened often and he said it never happened, ever. It was pretty incredible but it hasn't put me off travelling with the GWR."
GWR spokesman Ian Crowder said even though there were no injuries, it was taking the accident seriously and had interviewed everyone involved.
He said: "We will thoroughly review our trackside work procedures. The GWR has been running for over 25 years and has run many thousands of trains over this time and has an exemplary safety record – this is the first event of this type that has happened.
"The train crew reacted with admirable promptness, fully complying with train operating safety rules."
The GWR has started a review of procedures for the way work is to be carried out alongside the track when a train is moving and the Railway Accident Investigation Board has been informed of the crash and has decided not to take it any further.
Foremarke Hall was built in 1949 and to celebrate its 60th birthday the GWR is offering free rides on trains pulled by the engine for anyone born the same year who is accompanied by a paying passenger.
29 Comments
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by Andy s, G'ford
Tuesday, July 07 2009, 7:32PM
“Dave or daveville
clearly you have no idea of how a RAILway works, the engine travels along the rails, and therefore, cannot go anywhere apart from where the rails go.
It they were driven like road vehicles, then they would run on the roads!”
by lis, Glos
Monday, July 06 2009, 1:02PM
“Yes pedestrians ahve right of way on a crossing- but only when they are commited (as in actually on it) if the car is already approaching and the pedestrian then hops as the car is on the crossing then best of British to the pedestrian. I for one wait for cars to go past before i take my chance, after almost being run over on a zebra, even thoough i was already halfway over!!”
by dave, daveville
Monday, July 06 2009, 1:58AM
“Why didnt the train just go round it?”
by Hard Nose, RfoD
Sunday, July 05 2009, 12:52PM
“Hats off to the train driver, licence off for the truck driver, IDIOT.
PS: Antonia Garcia; the few irrelevant words you write, and you get the date wrong. Well done.”
by jed, winchcombe
Sunday, July 05 2009, 12:48PM
“Nice 1 Hilary of Ledbury”
by hilary, ledbury
Sunday, July 05 2009, 12:35PM
“Same point re pictures i made last week - they're far too small to see on this website. Is it beyond the wit of your web techies to devise a link to bigger images?”
by jeff, glos
Sunday, July 05 2009, 11:37AM
“Alfredo- you obvioulsly didn't read my last comment properly, because that is basically what i was saying that it isn't rocket science, but in your first comment you said the trackside procedures are perfectly clear, do you know that? also the highway code says you must give way to pedestrains that have moved onto the crossing at zebra crossings and most pedestrains know this so they will step out not knowing if the car approaching is going to stop or be able to stop.”
by Alfredo, Cheltenham
Sunday, July 05 2009, 8:42AM
“*Jeff* - it's quite clear to anyone with the smallest amount of intelligence (think only 8 GCSEs) that a steam locomotive is going to be pretty heavy and very difficult to stop in a hurry.
Pedestrians *do not*, by the way, have right of way over other road users. However, as the effects of a collision with, say, a car, are for more serious for both the pedestrian and the driver, most drivers treat pedestrians as though they do have right of way.”
by Steam buff, Gloucester
Saturday, July 04 2009, 8:19PM
“From memory to drive a lorry across these tracks and hit a train would require a driver to :
1) Not read the large sign saying STOP and phone signalman before proceeding.
2) Not bother phoning the signalman.
3) Not bother looking and seen the train approaching which would have been doing a maximum of 10 mph at that point.
4) Not heard the whistle which would have been sounded before the curve into the yard.
It will be interesting to see what the report will be, but if the Rail Accident Board aren't interested, it sounds like the driver was being a spanner...”
by Thomas(the tank), GLOS
Saturday, July 04 2009, 8:04PM
“On what planet would anyone think they have righ tof way over a train???? thats the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard!!!!”