Leicester Thumper Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I don't know how many of you know about this, maybe quite a few of you, I dare say the English Elctric and Brush fans amongst us already know, likewise fans of the 37's and 47's. for those of you who don't know, this is the incident which meant that two engines never lived beyond a year or two in age and certainly never recieved their TOPS numbers. On the 17th of december 1965, during night time, there was a collision between two trains at bridgend. the full intinery of the crash (from what i can find) is listed on the Class47 website here: look on the left hand side and look for the box dated 17-12-65 there are also a few pictures of the incident and particularly the 47 on the site: Accident scene in the morning. 'THOR' stored at Bridgend in the scrapyard and here is the Class 37's fleet History: Click Fleet history and click D6983 there seems to be a lack of pictures for the class 37. I thought it just might prove to be something of curious interest as these engines never made it out of the 60's. THOR had it's name transferred to D1677 which was the next new engine which was un-named details of the engine can be found here: D1677 fleet history I came across it while reading up on 37's, just something i tried to investigate a little more but this was all i got on it, Unfortunately there's no intinery of the incident on wikipedia (which did surprise me) which means there's no map reference co-ordinates to work with. anyway, hope its useful, of sorts, Bruce Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 5, 2010 From what I can remember of press etc reports at the time and later knowledge of the area the site was on the curve in the cutting just east of Bridgend station. The Brush 4 was working a train of ecs from Fishguard Hbr I believe and ran into a slip in the Up side cutting at something approaching linespeed. The impact derailed the loco to the right and it was then hit, hard, by a double-headed train of hoppers which I believe had also been running at linespeed on the Down Main. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Thumper Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 The Intital information I found says that the 47 was on ECS and derailed due to a Landslide, then the 37 travelling at line speed then hit the derailed train head on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted October 5, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 5, 2010 The picture of the 47 in the scrapyard is interesting. A very new ultra modern (at the time) diesel being cut up alongside steam locos with the copper fireboxes keft on the rear driving wheels in the background. There was some scheme about then that meant the fireboxes had to go back to BR for melting down for OHLE for the WCML or so it was alleged.Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Found this today on the Getty Images site : http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/3065073/Hulton-Archive Nidge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Thumper Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 That's a great angle shot! Thanks Nidge also i like the way the firemen are in a 'how the heck do we move this...' pose Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
great central Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Odd little coincidence regarding D6983 and steam in general. There are several DVDs almost exclusively of steam in the East Midlands shot by David Swale in the 1960s. Much of it around Nottingham and the GC line. The cameraman obviously was only really interested in steam, as I was myself at the time, didn't like the idea of all these diesels taking over! So much so, that in some shots of steam locos, if a diesel appeared the camera was hastily turned off! For some odd reason though, when filming D6983 travelling south through Bulwell Common, presumably on it's delivery run to the Western region, he let the camera run, thus providing the only known film, albeit silent of this particular loco! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 6, 2010 That's a great angle shot! Thanks Nidge also i like the way the firemen are in a 'how the heck do we move this...' pose Moving it is easy - start by pulling or lifting it apart and away you go. The task which they would have been engaged in was considerably harder and nastier although presumably at least part finished by the time that picture was taken. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Brock Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Hello I have been trying to find out about my grandfather Donald Brock. He was one of the drivers killed in December 1965 at Bridgend. The photos and information you have provided are very much appreciated as I've found no other source. The incident happened 9 years before I was born so I never knew him. Is anyone here old enough to have known him? Or maybe your father/uncle/grandfather worked the trains in the 60s? I'm hoping to find more information on the crash, as well as the man himself. I'm not even sure which train he was driving, although we are from Swansea so I assume it was the D6983? Any bit of information - no matter how small or trivial - would mean a great deal to what's left of my family. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slilley Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I have some information from the BR archives about the cost of the damage to the two locos and recovery costs etc if you are interested? Regards Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Brock Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I have some information from the BR archives about the cost of the damage to the two locos and recovery costs etc if you are interested? Regards Simon Yes please. Any information would be good as I'm building a memorial/history project for my kids. Many thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37175 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 A photo of D6983 whilst in service can be found here: http://www.c37lg.co.uk/images/rmd6983.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slilley Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Yes please. Any information would be good as I'm building a memorial/history project for my kids. Many thanks. Jamie If you send me a private mesage with your email address I'll scan the documents for you and email them over. Regards Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronlap Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Hello I have been trying to find out about my grandfather Donald Brock. He was one of the drivers killed in December 1965 at Bridgend. The photos and information you have provided are very much appreciated as I've found no other source. The incident happened 9 years before I was born so I never knew him. Is anyone here old enough to have known him? Or maybe your father/uncle/grandfather worked the trains in the 60s? I'm hoping to find more information on the crash, as well as the man himself. I'm not even sure which train he was driving, although we are from Swansea so I assume it was the D6983? Any bit of information - no matter how small or trivial - would mean a great deal to what's left of my family. Thank you. Iam sorry for death of your grandfather and secondman.Because i was on the other loco 6983.They had empty coaching stock from Swansea to Cardiff,and we had empty coal wagons from Cardiff to Margam.There had been heavy rain for the last twenty four hours.The embankment on the up side of Bridgend station collapsed onto the up side mainline forcing thier loco and train onto the down mainline into the path of our train.Forunatly for us 6983 had a built up front end,iam convinced this is what saved our lives.I HOPE YOU GET THIS SOON. IF THERE IS ANYHING YOU WANT TO KNOW PLEASE ASK. REGARDS RON Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Interesting thread!! wil follow this now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brown Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I was a fitter at Landore when this happened and can recall it happening. I believe the crew of the 47 were both Landore men but didn't know them. I remember 1671 stored at a local scrapyard covered on the front end with a large tarpaulin a couple of months later. Yes, the name was transferred to another Landore Loco., 1677. Both Locos. were indeed scrapped. Sorry I can't help with any info. Re. your Grand-dad Jamie, work-shop crews and Loco. men had little contact. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyboardist Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 A tragic accident, and sad for your family Jamie. I hope the information from here has helped. I was looking for info about this myself in passing, and saw on Wikipedia it says that the drivers of both trains died. That is clearly wrong given the information from Ron above - could someone who knows how maybe get the page updated? Its here... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_47 John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnofwessex Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6413 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Another 'nearly new' loco to disappear was D6502 : "On 5 March 1964, locomotive D6502 was hauling a freight train when it ran through signals at Itchingfield Junction, West Sussex and was in a rear-end collision with a freight train. Two people were killed. Damage was so extensive that the locomotive was cut up on site." according to Wikipedia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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