Great Train Robbery 52 years on

[OuterDistant]

EDIT: just had a rethink. The stopped mail train could have been in danger. After all, the bobby, seeing the indications from the track circuits, would assume the train had failed in section. So the first signal to the north would have been set to red - but it was possibly showing a fake yellow. The preceding signal would have been set at yellow (properly). So any train approaching would have slowed for the first yellow but on approaching the red, might have actually seen the fake yellow - passed it and ran into the back of the mail train.

AIUI, 1M44 was stopped at an Intermediate Block home signal (2 aspect, R/G), set at "fake" red. The "fake" yellow would have been at the preceding signal, the IB distant (2-aspect, Y/G).

However, no train would have approached the latter, because 1M44 would have still been standing on the relevant track circuit, so the preceding stop signal would have been held at red.

Presumably the guard on the mail train had been tied up, so he would not have been able to protect the train by setting detonators? Could have been a nasty collision. Or have I missed something?

I've often wondered about the guard. The version in the film Robbery shows him looking out, seeing the train stopped at a red, then sitting back down in his seat (although some time later, he discovers that the front portion of the train is missing). This is probably fair enough, given that he would have been some distance from the loco, and it would have been pitch black outside the train.

 

[broadgage]

As others have posted, the criminals tampered with two signals so as to stop the train and rob it.
The first signal showed a false yellow and the next signal a false red.

The lit lamp behind the green lens was either removed or covered up with a glove.
The existing lamp behind the yellow or red lens was left undisturbed, and a second lamp placed adjacent so as to give the false aspect. This lamp was powered from 4 batteries each of the 6 volt lantern type.
At least one of these lamps and set of 4 batteries was abandoned at the scene and was produced later in court as evidence. IIRC the batteries still had on them the self adhesive price stickers from the shop that sold them, and a shop assistant recalled the sale. To purchase 8 or more of these batteries at once would be a bit odd and perhaps be recalled.

Car batteries were not used, presumably too heavy and risk of spilling the acid.

I suspect that the reason for not using track circuit operating clips was simply that the thieves did not know how the signals worked.
A contemporary account refers to thieves experimenting before hand and "jumping up and down on the track so see if the signals were controlled by the weight of trains"
IMHO the crime was not as well planned as it might have been. Any public library would have a book explaining the basics of railway signalling.
A better selected light source would have used smaller and lighter batteries that would have attracted no attention in purchasing them.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Several issues which cannot be explained - like the guard aboard should have clocked the loss of vacuum and gone forward, the signalmans (non?) reaction and followed the rules in asking another train to examine the line and report back.

There are rumours of a down steam hauled freight clattering past towards Bletchley with the crew observing what went on - and apparently not doing or saying anything - which is another rule book breach.

Too many unknowns - but the monitering of mail trains (and indeed high value parcel trains was significantly stepped up after this)