Talking about trains reminds me of an incident involving my dear old dad who was a driver of some 30yrs on British Rail, but first some background is needed. In the mid to late 1800s the company decided to run a line from Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire to Lincoln which would then join what is now the East Coast Main line at Doncaster. In order to do this and avoid an expensive detour, they would have to run it through land owned by the Earl of Yarborough, who was also the Master of the Brocklesby Hunt.

The Earl agreed to let them do this with a couple of provisos. Rent would be payable, (they were still paying it in the 1950s !!!) and the second was that the Hunt would have right of way if they needed to cross the line. (yes I kid you not) Now, locomotives in the 1800s did not travel at very fast speeds but in the 1950s they certainly did.

Father left Cleethorpes mid morning with a rake of 12 coaches bound for Doncaster. I can't recall the actual date but I know it was on a Saturday. The loco was the Brittania class 4-6-2 Oliver Cromwell which weighed in at 94 long tons. After a stop at Grimsby Town station they gradually built up speed and by the time they were approaching Roxton Siding signal box they doing some 80mph. The signalman had pulled off the Distant signal which meant that they had a clear run through the section to the next box at Habrough.

At this time the Hunt was approaching Roxton from across the field with the fox some 50 yards in front of the pack and the scarlet coated twerps bringing up the rear. Now, as we well know your average fox is far from stupid, he knew that if he could get across the line in front of the train, he would have some valuable breathing space. Fox made it hounds didn't. Father hanging on the whistle the train with a combined weight of some 800 tons, ploughed through the pack. One of the twerps had to pull up so sharply he fell of his horse.

   Now I am led to believe that these hounds are worth a considerable amount of money so you can imagine the stink that followed. With the Earl demanding full recompense a few days later father and his fireman, they had worked together for quite a number of years, were summoned to Lincoln by the District Superintendent with a "please explain".

When he got there he was asked why he made no attempt to stop. Now Pa was never one to suffer fools gladly, and he asked the Super how would he, (the super) achieve this with 800 tons travelling at 80mph with metal wheels to a metal track forty yards from the pack? When he also pointed out that the effect on the passengers had he emergency braked would have been horrendous, they would have been thrown around like rag dolls.

He was still given a caution!!!!!!

Oh...to be a train driver!

-- Edited by Magnarc on Saturday 26th of March 2022 10:36:36 AM