Railways around Coventry

An embarrassing accident took place at Coventry railway station during a shunting operation many years ago. A coach managed to split pointwork so that the coach tried to travel along two lines at the same time. Whether the point was changed whilst the manoeuvre was taking place or the shunting engine had not positioned the coach correctly I do not know. I am hoping that someone on here has access to the picture & can post it on here, please. I know that the picture is on the wall in the 'Wallace Pub' & I have it somewhere.

This happened with monotonous regularity due to the points in the station area facing against the direction of travel of the main line:

I would be grateful for opinions from the interested railway people on here, regards the installation of facing points on fast running lines, as I believe that twice in recent times, tragedies have occurred where such pointwork has failed. Today's publication into the West Coast Mainline tragedy where one elderly lady died & there were many serious injuries is a case in point. My previous post request for the Coventry mishap photo is because it demonstrates a slow motion version of what happens when facing pointwork fails for what ever reason. Thank you Dutchman, I knew that you would. This is no flannel Dutchman, you are a very reliable source of info & I am very grateful

What for me is so frustrating, is that we witness acts of corporate management where past learning curves are ignored. I knew that before railway nationalisation, all of the railway companies avoided facing points on high speed lines & the Midland Railway boasted that it did not have any for that very serious risks that they pose. The facing crossover that was the cause of the accident on the WCM, was only ever used for maintence traffic & wrong line running where it saved a reversal manoeuvre. It seems to be a huge risk for the saving of just a few minutes, which cost a lady her life & misery & injury to many others.

Philip : I wasn't sure where to post this link which I'm sure you'll find interesting. Coventry-Nuneaton line PS You might like to copy and paste the contents of the email you sent me the other day! (or I will if you like)

Thank you so much. I can add a couple of pics too. I will not duplicate yours.

This is at the end of the Prologis branch, the old Keresley colliery site. Not seen a train up there now for at least two years.

There were great hopes for this branch off the Cov to Nuneaton line, but when I recorded this train, the load was bottled water from France. If you enjoyed your cup of chilled water from a commercial dispenser, it is most likely to have come from here!

Hi. You might enjoy this to look at, regards Coventry railway history. If you look at the pics on the above, it includes the boarded up Hawkesbury Signal Box. I include here a pic just before the box closed for ever.

Yes, thanks Philip - I do recall seeing this before, but it now means more to me than it did then

Hi Philip I'm not much into trains (steam or otherwise) but there is a loco like the one in the centre pic near the top in your link, hauling the passenger service on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, except for the summer when they run steam trips. Don't know if you've seen it.

Hi. Do you mean the class 25?

Hi Philip Yeah, I think it is one of those. As I said, not my scene really!

"A diesel is a diesel" eh, Keith? Actually, the only diesel loco seen on regular passenger duty in the Coventry area was the English Electric Type 4 (or "Green Goddess") Sulzers were used in pairs on unfitted coal workings with an unsightly diesel brake tender in front. Likewise the English Electric Class 3. The Brush Type 4 could pull a coal train on its own but still needed braking assistance. DMU's could be literally any first generation type. My favourite was the original Derby Lightweight with its huge windows. The parcel run between Nuneaton and Leamington was shared between a Brush Type 3 and Gloucester railcar. It wasn't unknown for a retired DMU to be used on the parcel run as well.

You really know your stuff, Dutchman. Bachmann are introducing a Derby two car unit soon. I hope my extension to Longford Park will be ready for it to enter service also. Ages ago, I was travelling to Bedford for a while, where I went via WCML & changed at Bletchley, onto a Derby lightweight to travel to Bedford St Johns.