Clapham rail crash

[bishdunster]

Please pause from whatever you are doing at 08.10 this morning in rememberance of those killed and injured on this day in 1988.

 

[Swisskids]

I will never forget that day… two people who I knew died, and several of my travelling companions have never been the same… The memory of the impact still comes into my head on the quiet moments… I just know when the anniversary is coming… Please also think of the rescue services who helped us…
A couple of days after the crash I asked a florist to create a very reinforced wreath which I could drop from a train at the site of the crash. I then asked the driver of our train is he could slow down to a crawl as he approached Clapham from Southampton. He actually brought the train to a stand so I could… Someone then hung the wreath on an old cable mount on the cutting side and it stayed there for years…

 

[satisnek]

I will never forget that day… two people who I knew died, and several of my travelling companions have never been the same… The memory of the impact still comes into my head on the quiet moments… I just know when the anniversary is coming… Please also think of the rescue services who helped us…
A couple of days after the crash I asked a florist to create a very reinforced wreath which I could drop from a train at the site of the crash. I then asked the driver of our train is he could slow down to a crawl as he approached Clapham from Southampton. He actually brought the train to a stand so I could… Someone then hung the wreath on an old cable mount on the cutting side and it stayed there for years…

I can remember that wreath. I don't know when it was eventually removed - I moved to Kidderminster in 1988 and therefore travelled the route only very occasionally from that time onwards - but it was many years after the crash, by which time it was just a heavily blackened remains.

 

[DerekC]

I never pass that spot without thinking about the accident. The worry is that the lessons are being forgotten.

 

[Rover]

A couple of days after the crash I asked a florist to create a very reinforced wreath which I could drop from a train at the site of the crash. I then asked the driver of our train is he could slow down to a crawl as he approached Clapham from Southampton. He actually brought the train to a stand so I could… Someone then hung the wreath on an old cable mount on the cutting side and it stayed there for years…

That was a wonderful gesture and description, brings a lump to your throat.

 

[Swisskids]

Thank you.

Fleurs in Swaythling rose to the challenge.

I think the wreath survived for so long because the petals became coated in brake dust…. Then with the change to disc brakes it slowly disintegrated until only the wires remained when I last looked for it!

As an aside - I was in the Angel pub in Stourport with our youngest son Christopher last week. My wife was pregnant with him at the time of the crash…

 

[Merle Haggard]

The thing that sticks in my mind is that the usual 'railway expert' (I won't name him, but people around at the time will know who) was interviewed (on national media- pretty sure BBC news, all that I viewed then) and memorably said 'must be driver error' and inferred that assumption was because the signalling system was perfect.
Bearing in mind that his close ones were grieving the loss of life of the driver I thought at the time that was about the most gross and insensitive remark that could possibly be made, and was incensed. Still am..,.

 

[Swisskids]

The thing that sticks in my mind is that the usual 'railway expert' (I won't name him, but people around at the time will know who) was interviewed (on national media- pretty sure BBC news, all that I viewed then) and memorably said 'must be driver error' and inferred that assumption was because the signalling system was perfect.
Bearing in mind that his close ones were grieving the loss of life of the driver I thought at the time that was about the most gross and insensitive remark that could possibly be made, and was incensed. Still am..,.

I saw / heard that interview on BBC South… called them and ’gave them Hell‘ as it was broadcast. I think I was quite emotional…. Received an apology on air for mis-reporting.

 

[Taunton]

Colleague was at the time working for Wandsworth Council, the relevant borough. He said on the morning their phones were inundated with journalists all demanding to know the fatality figures, who after some hours of being told there was no information to give out had them turning up at the premises, again demanding numbers for their headline.