Accident at Bournemouth West
The crushed remains of a Blood and Custard Maunsell coach immediately after the accident happened. The crash appears to be in platform 6, photographed from platform 4. photograph by Mike Morant |
| Due to the limited space at Bournemouth West, the train
engine of a terminating service would push the stock out of the station and up
a 1:96 grade into the sidings, which were on the east side of the line. Later
on, when the stock was needed again, the points would be set, the shunter would
climb aboard at or near the top end of the rake, release the brake, amble
through the train as it rolled downhill (it was quite steep) and neatly apply
the brake at the other end as it rolled into the platform. One day during
August 1956, allegedly, the poor fellow was going through his humdrum routine
until he found that there was a non-corridor coach in the middle of the rake!
That's it then: game, set and crash. Apparently it demolished the
administration room and two ladies who were working in there, having dived for
cover under a desk, escaped shaken but not too stirred. Some desk! It wasn't SR
prefab concrete that's for sure.
Text from Mike Morant, who saw the accident happen. |
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This page was created 5 April 2003
