Can anyone on here enlighten me on the 1978 Sweet Hill train crash....

[Deleted User X18H]

...just north of Clayton Tunnel??

 

[Deleted User X18H]

or was it Scare Hill just south of Clayton Tunnel

 

[Hadlee]

I don't remember if it was North or South of the tunnel but do remember the disrupton it caused around the time (Xmas 1978)

I was working in Croydon at the time and 3 of my collegues were on the Train after celebrating one of their Birthdays, they were all pissed but two of them clearly remember being thrown out of their seats and seeing the Body of the Driver by the side of the track.

The third was so pissed he had passed out, the crash did not wake him but when he was finally woken up by the others he mumbled "are we at Portslade yet"?

Luckily I could not make it otherwise I would have been on it

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Anyone else............

 

[British Bulldog]

It was Sweet hill where the crash happened.

I seem to recall all trains where at a stand because a woman was on the track in Brighton threatening to kill herself. Unfortunatly 1 of the signals north of sweet hill suffered a malfunction and the red light went out. One of the trains involved in the crash went straight by the blank signal and ploughed into the back of another train waiting at a red signal. The poor driver never stood a chance. Cant remember the death toll but I think it was 4 or 5, it was the first deaths in a train crash in this country for many years.

 

[Bish Bosh]

Someone slipped on to the track at Brighton station, so the power was switched off on the main London line. A train stopped at the signal at Sweet Hill which is immediately North of Waterhall.

I'm not absolutely sure about the next bit, but I think the next southbound train went through at least one red signal in the Pyecombe area and was unable to stop in time; running in to the back of the statinary train. The second train's driver was killed so the reasons will never be known for sure.

Just after the news report the next morning I was offered the first job in my current career so it's always stuck in my mind.

 

[Marc]

might be on here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents

 

[British Bulldog]

might be on here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents

Cant find it on there!

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Thanks for your help guys just found out my cousin who was attached to Preston Circus fire station was involved in the rescue absolutuley nothing on line anywhere.

 

[algie]

Clayton Tunnel had a serious crash in 1861

 

[jonny.rainbow]

...

 

[mattieoo]

any pics? my dad told me about it when i was little, wasnt it under that bridge?

 

[British Bulldog]

not absolutely sure about the next bit, but I think the next southbound train went through at least one red signal in the Pyecombe area and was unable to stop in time; running in to the back of the statinary train. The second train's driver was killed so the reasons will never be known for sure.

Dead men can't talk so it's easy to blame them. So wrong.

 

[Seven Stars]

Full report if anyone is still interested. British Bulldog summarised it perfectly.
http://thebrightonbranchofaslef.yolasite.com/sweet-hill-1978.php