Ronnie Biggs is dead.

[46223]

Although Jack Mills was traumatised by the incident and never worked again he actually died of cancer 7 years later.

I believe he died of leukaemia.

 

[Aictos]

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!

 

[Butts]

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!

Good lord he was only an Arthur Daley not Jack the Ripper

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I believe he died of leukaemia.

Leukaemia is cancer.

 

[Johnuk123]

The only clever one in the gang was the member known as "The Ulsterman" - he:

Obtained the secret schedules of when valuable consignments were being moved by train.

Conceived the basic plan

Was given a full share of the loot

Realised that he was working with a bunch of idiots, and hence minimised his contact with them (just enough to ensure the plan was "good enough" and to get his share)

Has never been caught - despite multiple investigations to find him

Has never been named.

 

[46223]

Leukaemia is cancer.

Yes, I was referring to the type of cancer.

 

[Butts]

The only clever one in the gang was the member known as "The Ulsterman" - he:

Obtained the secret schedules of when valuable consignments were being moved by train.

Conceived the basic plan

Was given a full share of the loot

Realised that he was working with a bunch of idiots, and hence minimised his contact with them (just enough to ensure the plan was "good enough" and to get his share)

Has never been caught - despite multiple investigations to find him

Has never been named.

Was it Ian Paisley

 

[swj99]

I wonder what sentence the same offences would attract today, compared to when the train robbery happened.
Biggs was sentenced to 30 years in prison, which is only slightly less than Ian Watkins got for what many would probably argue are much worse offences.

 

[DarloRich]

I wonder what sentence the same offences would attract today, compared to when the train robbery happened.
Biggs was sentenced to 30 years in prison, which is only slightly less than Ian Watkins got for what many would probably argue are much worse offences.

these days they wouldn't have got such a long sentence - but whatever sentence he got he didn't do it. He went over the wall.

 

[321446]

So people are saying "but it's a life" "think of his family"

To which I laugh long and loud. He was a glory seeking failed thug who cost this country millions in time, care, Police work etc.

Jack Mills, David Whitby and all the staff of the mail train were far braver & noble than the scum who have been glorified in books, screen and records since.

"Mills' son John remained unforgiving. The Independent quoted him as saying, "I deeply resent those, including Biggs, who have made money from my father's death."

 

[12CSVT]

He played cock-a-snook with the law for the best part of 30 years. For that reason alone I think I'm entitled to say good riddance.

My sympathies are firmly with the family of Jack Mills.

 

[jon0844]

Little girl gets reunited with her teddy bear left on a train at KGX.

Was that real or yet another publicity stunt using social media?

(Like the faked plane thing a few weeks back)

I'm so cynical these days!

 

[Qwerty133]

Although Jack Mills was traumatised by the incident and never worked again he actually died of cancer 7 years later.

Wikipedia says he returned to work in May 1964, until November 1965, albeit on light duties and again for 1967?

 

[Johnuk123]

Wikipedia says he returned to work in May 1964, until November 1965, albeit on light duties and again for 1967?

Yes you're right he did work for a while, I should have said he never drove a train again.

Incidentally the 2nd man Dave Whitby who was cuffed and thrown down the embankment was only 25 at the time and immediately returned to work.
On his first shift back at work he was allowed to drive a train past the spot and he said he went about 90mph.
He died of a heart attack at the young age of 34 only 2 yrs after Jack Mills.

 

[meridian2]

Surely the death of a human, regardless of past mistakes and convictions, is a sad event?

He served his time, he became very ill and now he's dead.

I'm very certain that many of you would be saddened to learn of people remembering your life for one bad event.

Utter rubbish.

He was a criminal and now he's dead. That's all we need to know. I think you're getting certainty confused with naivety there.

 

[neonison]

Echoing all of the comments about glorification of the crime and the sad demise of Jack Mills I have a railway-related question.

In last evening's TV drama as in the book by Stewart Richards & Nick Russell-Pavier there is mention of a "Dwarf Signal" playing a key role.

I thought I was reasonably familiar with BR signalling but what's a Dwarf Signal?

 

[455driver]

Surely the death of a human, regardless of past mistakes and convictions, is a sad event?

The death of a decent person is a sad event, this person was not a decent person so is not a sad event.

He served his time,

You are having a laugh arent you!
May I recommend you do some reading up on this career criminal.

he became very ill and now he's dead.

He became ill, returned to this Country to get free healthcare (my opinion is he should have been sent on the next plane back to Brazil) and now (after costing this Country several thousand pounds) the <deleted> is dead.

I'm very certain that many of you would be saddened to learn of people remembering your life for one bad event.

I am sure that some on here wouldnt be saddened to hear of my death, you reap what you sow!

Oh sorry to disappoint them but I am not planning on croaking just yet!

Biggs was nothing but a back street thief who got lucky and escaped,

 

[ralphchadkirk]

The death of anyone is a sad event, some are just more sad than others.

I do feel sorry for Biggs in the way that he clearly suffered from the Dunning-Kruger effect, in that he actually played a very small part in the robbery, got his but wrong anyway, yet still thought he was some kind of master criminal.

 

[DarloRich]

A very good leader article in the northern Echo about why we, as a society, shouldn't glorify people like Biggs:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/leader/10888189.Cops__robbers_and_true_heroes/?ref=mmsp

 

[Rugd1022]

Echoing all of the comments about glorification of the crime and the sad demise of Jack Mills I have a railway-related question.

In last evening's TV drama as in the book by Stewart Richards & Nick Russell-Pavier there is mention of a "Dwarf Signal" playing a key role.

I thought I was reasonably familiar with BR signalling but what's a Dwarf Signal?

They're probably referring to a ground disc signal, another inaccuracy in the TV drama which has nothing to do with the two mainline signals the gang tampered with in the real robbery back in '63 at Sears Crossing.

 

[Johnuk123]

They're probably referring to a ground disc signal, another inaccuracy in the TV drama which has nothing to do with the two mainline signals the gang tampered with in the real robbery back in '63 at Sears Crossing.

There certainly were a few dwarf colour lights as well but not in open countryside only stations and yards, quite a rare signal though.

 

[Butts]

A very good leader article in the northern Echo about why we, as a society, shouldn't glorify people like Biggs:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/leader/10888189.Cops__robbers_and_true_heroes/?ref=mmsp

However noble the sentiments expressed by this article people are always going to remember "the baddies" rather than "the goodies".

Whether this is right or wrong it is reality

 

[Oswyntail]

All in all I enjoyed the two-part drama, but mainly as a way to pass two evenings. But I winced when, at the beginning of part two, a notice on the police board referred to the train loco as a "Class 40".:roll:

 

[Whistlekiller]

I don't know much about trains, but can anyone explain to me why the program showed the train travelling the wrong way up the track compared to the way they usually run in the UK ?

 

[Johnuk123]

I don't know much about trains, but can anyone explain to me why the program showed the train travelling the wrong way up the track compared to the way they usually run in the UK ?

Simply because the people producing it obviously haven't a clue.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Simply because the people producing it obviously haven't a clue.

....and just how many times have we heard comments about media and broadcasting annoying errors (to the annoyance of the long-suffering RailUK cognoscenti) in postings on numerous threads in the past...

 

[Johnuk123]

....and just how many times have we heard comments about media and broadcasting annoying errors (to the annoyance of the long-suffering RailUK cognoscenti) in postings on numerous threads in the past...

Quite right, loads of people would be only too willing to give some free advice as to various railway customs and practice why do tv and film production companies continue to produce such inaccurate footage.

They would say that most people don't notice which is true but you'd think a company would try to achieve absolute accuracy because as I say it would cost nothing.

 

[Butts]

Quite right, loads of people would be only too willing to give some free advice as to various railway customs and practice why do tv and film production companies continue to produce such inaccurate footage.

They would say that most people don't notice which is true but you'd think a company would try to achieve absolute accuracy because as I say it would cost nothing.

A lot of TV programmes or newspaper articles contain similar inaccuracies, it's only if you are familiar with the topic that such errors become apparent.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

They would say that most people don't notice which is true but you'd think a company would try to achieve absolute accuracy because as I say it would cost nothing.

Except it wouldn't. The advice may be free, but getting a railway location with the right kind of signal isn't. And let's face it, the kind of signal it is doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the storyline, and frankly isn't worth getting annoyed about. The vast, vast, majority of people who will have been watching last night won't have cared whether the signal was on the ground, on a post, or on a gantry.

 

[Johnuk123]

Except it wouldn't. The advice may be free, but getting a railway location with the right kind of signal isn't. And let's face it, the kind of signal it is doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the storyline, and frankly isn't worth getting annoyed about. The vast, vast, majority of people who will have been watching last night won't have cared whether the signal was on the ground, on a post, or on a gantry.

I don't think the signal is important but surely having a train going up on the down line just looks amateur and poor.

The 39 steps film with Robert Powell a good example of very poor production.
He is supposed to be his way to Scotland on an express and it was filmed on single track on the severn valley.

At least in the original Robert Donat version they have him on the Forth bridge and in Edinburgh so it looks authentic.