I know there have been three major incidents involving HST's in the last 15 years, each resulting in the writing off of a power car (Southall, Ladbroke Grove, and Ufton Nervet).
I used to work with a bloke who grew up in Acton in the 1950's whose Dad was a top link driver on the Western Region, who ended up driving HST's...he told me his dad eventually had to retire after a collision with a track machine...if so, I am assuming it couldn't have been too serious a collision given that up to Southall no other Class 43's had been written off, and there don't seem to be any reports of accidents that I can find. I was wondering if this rang a bell with anyone.
The fellow I used to work with told me he started as an apprentice fireman on the railway but it wasn't for him - he used to get clipped around the earhole when he missed the firebox....he also used to tell of meeting young lady friends in the empty carriages at Old Oak Common....
I used to work with a bloke who grew up in Acton in the 1950's whose Dad was a top link driver on the Western Region, who ended up driving HST's...he told me his dad eventually had to retire after a collision with a track machine...if so, I am assuming it couldn't have been too serious a collision given that up to Southall no other Class 43's had been written off, and there don't seem to be any reports of accidents that I can find. I was wondering if this rang a bell with anyone.
The fellow I used to work with told me he started as an apprentice fireman on the railway but it wasn't for him - he used to get clipped around the earhole when he missed the firebox....he also used to tell of meeting young lady friends in the empty carriages at Old Oak Common....