Great Train Robbery 40th anniversary.

[jeffreybounds]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.
Jeff

[DB.]

Post by jeffreybounds
Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.
Jeff

For those of us who need to be reminded of the details:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/ronnie_biggs.html

[John Savage]

Post by DB.

Post by jeffreybounds
Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.
Jeff

http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/ronnie_biggs.html

Although some of us (me especially) don't need to be reminded of the
location, as I have spent virtually every week there since February. The
location of the robbery was at Bridge 127, referred to as Ledburn by
those on the railway, and has had a new junction installed for the last
few months on the exact site of the robbery - due to be comissioned over
the upcoming bank holiday. I have been there monitoring the detection of
the new junction since it was installed - mind numbing work if ever
there was any :)

John

[TBirdFrank]

Post by DB.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/ronnie_biggs.html

Its no anniversary not something we wish to be reminded of. These
thugs beat the loco crew senseless so that they never properly
recovered for the rest of their lives.

Just the sort of thing the tabloids make folk heroes from.

[Fbuckley2]

Frank,quite right about who become the so called heroes after commiting crimes,
I met David Whitby(secondman on D326) only once during my B.R. days and what a
pleasure it was to meet a real hero,only David would not have it that way.
I belive He departed to the big engine shed in the sky many years ago.
Frank.

["GreenArrow"]

Post by Fbuckley2
Frank,quite right about who become the so called heroes after commiting crimes,
I met David Whitby(secondman on D326) only once during my B.R. days and what a
pleasure it was to meet a real hero,only David would not have it that way.
I belive He departed to the big engine shed in the sky many years ago.
Frank.

ISTR years ago there was a letter in the then "Rail Enthusiast" magazine
(now of course "RAIL" or "LIAR" to some people), suggesting that the driver
of the train should have a loco named after him, as the robbers were getting
all the publicity. (May have been about the time that the "Buster" movie
starring Phil Collins(?) was out).

Any TOCs or preservationists like to name locos after Jack Mills and David
Whitby? ISTR 40118 also appeared in a movie about a similar robbery (called
"Robbery"?) - isn't that one preserved?

Incidentally, the "Buster" film was one of the only ones to do proper
research into the train, to the extent of renumbering D306 (then on the
Great Central), removing the nameplates and making false split-boxes for the
front ends, with the correct headcode! Only things amiss were the missing
4-track(?) section and OHLE equipment! Any other films ever gone to such
accuracy as far as railway scenes were concerned? Most would have had the
TPO hauled by anything but a split-box 40!

GreenArrow (just commenting - not necessarily condoning the making of the
above films).

[Peter Masson]

Post by "GreenArrow"
Incidentally, the "Buster" film was one of the only ones to do proper
research into the train, to the extent of renumbering D306 (then on the
Great Central), removing the nameplates and making false split-boxes for the
front ends, with the correct headcode! Only things amiss were the missing
4-track(?) section and OHLE equipment! Any other films ever gone to such
accuracy as far as railway scenes were concerned? Most would have had the
TPO hauled by anything but a split-box 40!

Had any OHLE equipment been installed on the WCML south of Rugby by August
1963? It wasn't energised until about November 1965, and the full service
didn't commence until 18 April 1966.

Peter

[Jack Taylor]

Post by Peter Masson
Had any OHLE equipment been installed on the WCML south of Rugby by August
1963? It wasn't energised until about November 1965, and the full service
didn't commence until 18 April 1966.

Having seen considerable footage (on local news reports) of the train and
location in the past couple of days, including some of the forensic team
fingerprint-dusting the cab windows of D326, it looked as though all of the
headspans were in place at that time, droppers and wires were in place on
the slow lines and on the up fast but not on the down fast, as far as I
could see.

[strombidae]

If i remember rightly,all cinema's in Crewe refused to show "Buster" on
principle.

Dave

Post by Fbuckley2

Post by Fbuckley2
Frank,quite right about who become the so called heroes after commiting

crimes,

Post by Fbuckley2
I met David Whitby(secondman on D326) only once during my B.R. days and

what a

Post by Fbuckley2
pleasure it was to meet a real hero,only David would not have it that way.
I belive He departed to the big engine shed in the sky many years ago.
Frank.

ISTR years ago there was a letter in the then "Rail Enthusiast" magazine
(now of course "RAIL" or "LIAR" to some people), suggesting that the driver
of the train should have a loco named after him, as the robbers were getting
all the publicity. (May have been about the time that the "Buster" movie
starring Phil Collins(?) was out).
Any TOCs or preservationists like to name locos after Jack Mills and David
Whitby? ISTR 40118 also appeared in a movie about a similar robbery (called
"Robbery"?) - isn't that one preserved?
Incidentally, the "Buster" film was one of the only ones to do proper
research into the train, to the extent of renumbering D306 (then on the
Great Central), removing the nameplates and making false split-boxes for the
front ends, with the correct headcode! Only things amiss were the missing
4-track(?) section and OHLE equipment! Any other films ever gone to such
accuracy as far as railway scenes were concerned? Most would have had the
TPO hauled by anything but a split-box 40!
GreenArrow (just commenting - not necessarily condoning the making of the
above films).

[Steve King]

Post by jeffreybounds
Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.

I saw on the tv news (Anglia region) that Nene Valley Railway are
restoring the last remaining coach from that train, all the others
having been scrapped. It had been at the NRM but was given to the NVR.

D306 is at the NVR, but what happened to D326 please?


Steve

[Rich Mackin]

Post by Steve King

Post by jeffreybounds
Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.

I saw on the tv news (Anglia region) that Nene Valley Railway are
restoring the last remaining coach from that train, all the others
having been scrapped. It had been at the NRM but was given to the NVR.
D306 is at the NVR, but what happened to D326 please?

D326 became 40126 in the 1970s, before being withdrawn from service in
February 1984. It was cut up at Doncaster Works two months later.

--
*** http://www.railwayscene.co.uk/ *** - updated 8 August
Rich Mackin (rich-at-richmackin.co.uk)

[D5233]

Post by Rich Mackin

Post by Steve King

Post by jeffreybounds
Today is the 40th anniversary of the train robbery at Seers Green on
the West Coast Main Line.D326<40126> was the loco involved.

I saw on the tv news (Anglia region) that Nene Valley Railway are
restoring the last remaining coach from that train, all the others
having been scrapped. It had been at the NRM but was given to the NVR.
D306 is at the NVR, but what happened to D326 please?

D326 became 40126 in the 1970s, before being withdrawn from service in
February 1984. It was cut up at Doncaster Works two months later.

It certainly was, ISTR instructions along the lines of the loco had to
be disposed of as quickly as possible were issued.

[jeffreybounds]

Post by D5233

Post by Rich Mackin

Post by Steve King
D306 is at the NVR, but what happened to D326 please?

D326 became 40126 in the 1970s, before being withdrawn from service in
February 1984. It was cut up at Doncaster Works two months later.

It certainly was, ISTR instructions along the lines of the loco had to
be disposed of as quickly as possible were issued.
--

Yep, I recall that too. I seem to remeber someone tried to buy the thing
and as a result a debate ran for sometime in the (railway?) press. Like you
say tho, the loco was scrapped pretty quickly.
regards
Baloo

The loco should have been preserved as a memorial to Jack Mills.
Jeff

[Fbuckley2]

Jeff,
I am sure David never reached the retirement age,will have to ask around.
Frank.