Vintage railway film - Mishap - 1958 

You dont realise the level of responsibility signalmen had until you watch these old films, peoples lives were literally in their hands. A wonderful glimpse into the past. Bless them all.

Is it just me or is anybody else fascinated by old trains?

How refreshing for enjoyment and concentration -No background music !

How articulate and organized, old British way , fabulous.

People in the 1950s and other steam decades didn't understand the complexity of the railways, and railwaymen didn't receive the respect they deserved. I think this documentry goes some way in righting this wrong, in illustrating the intelligence, dedication and professionalism of these men.

My compliments for the unsung efficient staff.

Lets see: The bosses aren't sitting back expecting someone else to do the work, the workers aren't sitting back waiting for a boss to give them an order. All are doing the work assigned to them and they are trained for. Result, really fine and rapid execution of the job. And every single person takes pride in doing their job.

Apart from a change to train detection (for most of the network) rather than time based signalling, and the complications of different train operating companies, this is still very much how it is done. A brilliant film.

Tea! It’s what our nation runs on if you’re are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are exhausted, it will calm you. William Gladstone

An excellent film: it is very enjoyable to see the old steamers in action.

I have long had an interest in process and systems. This documentary details the series of rules in place at a point in time mandating how to respond to an incident on British rail. For interested parties it illustrates the evolution of a complex set of responses and actions which combine to ensure the prevention of further mishaps, address the safety of all parties directly involved in the mishap, resolve all aspects of the incident and implement work around measures to maintain service. There are many moving parts to this process and overall reflect that a great deal of thought and experience has been invested in reaching this stage in the evolution of the response process.

When I was training to be a guard in the early seventies, we were shown that film as part of our training. It was fascinating to see it again. I was a bit horrified to realise how much of that I've forgotten. I also (out of interest) took a course in the rules and signalling regulations, around that time, so I'm pretty sure I knew most of it back then. But then I left the railway service in 1982 to go to university. So I suppose I've had 38 years to forget it all. By my time diesels had replaced steam locomotives, and, because of faster train speeds, the protection distance had been increased from three quarters of a mile to a full mile. Moreover the three detonators had to be placed 20 yards apart (previously it had been 10) so that, even on a fast moving train, the driver would hear three distinct cracks. But apart from that, most of what was shown in the film was still relevant, especially on lines with traditional signalling, using the "Absolute Block" system. Which I suppose is why we were shown the film. By the way, I never had to deal with a main line accident during my railway career -- only a few minor mishaps in goods sidings. I wonder how such an accident would be handled today, when freight trains (and some passenger trains) don't even carry a guard. I believe that radios are now considered reliable enough for safety critical messages. They weren't in my day. And it does concern me that, when the driver is the only person on the train, he could be injured or even killed in an accident, and therefore be quite unable to do anything about protecting the train. If any modern railway staff are reading this, I'd be fascinated to hear how such an incident would be dealt with nowadays. Are train crews still required to carry detonators?

I am proud to see such a responsible team of railway men.we should learn from them that with such a limited resources the accident was attended in least time delay.thanks Kaushlendra Joint General Manager/Electrical Ircon International Limited New Delhi

What an interesting film thank you

Having procedures well-known to staff is essential in situations where there is the potential for injury and/or loss of life. What lovely footage of steam locomotives! Apparently this film was made in 1958. That would have been quite near to the last days of the steam engine. I was born in 1952. In my childhood, I saw only one steam locomotive. To this day, I can remember clearly the sound of the steam whistle.

Superb and great quality for its age. The little animation explaining the problem is quite magical!

This is a good video showing up on RU-vid. My ancestors worked on the railway from wicklow to clontarf. Great grandparents on maternal side of my family. Year 1900-backwards to late Victorian times. Then our current relatives from the 1940-1950s had a go also. My son ended up a trainspotter from the nineties to the second millennium. He is thirty one years old. He went to every exhibitions display of railways three times a year.

As a retired Railroad Engineer, for Norfolk-Southern Railroad, it is amazing to see how Railroads we’re run in the past, thank you for letting see how Railroad were run in the past.

Absolutely riveting. No computers, radios or mobile phones. No one had better fall asleep. Thanks.

I grew up in the 60s England I remember finding a box of those detonators. I was 10 at the time, we used to throw them at trees and walls. Wow the bang was deafening. They were very sensitive to shock, because they contained fulminate of mercury, Happy days.

Note the rapid deployment of the emergency tea lady.

Living on the Great Plains (American West) the sheer distances between stations or towns would have made anything like this well-ordered British response near impossible. The calm (most of the time) and trained discipline where all know and perform their respective jobs is (unfortunately) a thing of the past. Great film!

It reminds me of the many instructional films I watched in my early naval training in the 60;s. I'm convinced the voice-over was the some person and he must have been kept very busy making hundreds of these films. Delightful!

Thank you for uploading this film. It was really great to watch.

You have my thanks! It's fascinating to see all the working parts for a single accident, especially back in the day.

Very watchable and informative. Thank you as ever! Actually, I have sent a link to this video to the 82045 Group who are busily building the next engine of the extinct Riddles 3MT class which stars nicely at 11:57 with 82007.

My younger brother was just 2 days old that June. Seems like yesterday. One never forgets steam train journeys.

Many thanks - thoroughly enjoyed being reminded of correct procedures, and care by/for all concerned.

12:33 "Now all the arrangements are in hand." Lady walks in with a tray of tea cups.

I love watching these old safety video's! Cheers from Canada eh!

What a beautiful document! Thank you very much!

Thanks for sharing such a unique video. Love Brittany for its contribution in building such infrastructure and systems.

It was absolutely superb. I turned off Come Strictly dancing to watch it.

I could and am watching this all day thanks

Great old film. Thanks for posting.

Very professional video.... thoughtful and generous informative. Thanks .

My Father was a Guard with British Rail before 1967, when We came to Australia and he joined the South Australian Railways. His Detonators were a pre shaped Clip which was simply pushed down onto the Rail.

As long as everyone gets a nice cup of tea.

This is incredible stuff. Accident procedures so thorough and disciplined. Fascinating 👌👍😊

Great film thank you up loading it I really enjoyed it

I really enjoyed this thanku for posting

Legend has it the the train is still sitting there, but is protected by detonators from all directions

70 years ago, our father showed us how to do the 'track is clear' hand signal and we kids would line up and do this and always, the engineers would blow their whistle and make the 'arm's up' gesture while smiling! Recently, I did this without thinking when standing in front of a train in Upstate NY and the engineer...returned the 'all's clear' signal back to me while smiling!

I really enjoyed watching this. My grandad was a signalman in a 174 lever signal box, one of many but his favourite. This would be in the 1940’s and 50’s. 🙏🏻

Fascinating insight into the workings and the organisation involved with such a well oiled machine as the British rail transport system, It seems so calm and tranquil, that It looks much better back then, than it does now, in the high tech 2020's.

Great respect to the staff members with sheer intelligence & problem solving approach in those days.

Those exact procedures were still in use when I joined New Zealand Railways almost 25 years later, before the rail was gutted and privatised. Good memories.

14:11 Here we see the most vital element of response to any accident or emergency in England. Tea must be supplied to all involved as soon as is possible and practical.

Everything is slow, clumsy and inefficient, but so much better! I'm grateful to be so old that I remember when the railways were like that.

Pretty safe and efficient way to handle the problem!

fantastic presentation. thank you

I remember someone coming to our primary school to warn us of the dangers of those detonators, some of which had gone missing locally.

The good days when “people” did their jobs with care, respect, and pride.

I notice it’s all Standard locos and Mk1 stock, but the guard had a GWR pocket watch! Excellent film, I look forward to these showing up. Thank you.

The fireman had the cleanest hands I've ever seen!

I was a fireman on the stem engines in those days. I DO REMEMBER IT BEING ON THE B.B.C NEWS..... All the correct emergency procedures were quite correctly carried out by the Railway staff,. Ron Syms. Weston-s-Mare..

Railway is serious business, so improvement of technology has reduced the time in communication, repairs, signaling, but still utmost care is taken in this kind of situation by railway official across the world. Conclusion: Still railway workmen do their job with care.

That's the most excitement I've had since in lockdown.!!🥱

GREAT video!

This brings back good memories.

Growing up next to Seaboard in North Carolina in the 1950s, a treasure chest was finding fusees. The main entertainment value was in finding metal objects to melt with them. Several years ago, while working as a crew van driver, I was showing railroad employees how to make use of a wet fusee.

It may seem like a lot of detail and BS to get the job done, but this system was devised over many years, to provide maximum safety for life, limb and property!

Very impressive 👏 presentation given for a 1958 scenario 👏 😊

Enjoyed this video.

2020: Signal control centre is over 100 miles away and have no clue as to the location. No staff at the unmanned stations to raise any help. Train is also DOO so the driver is left to do it all himself, but be quick as the delay minutes are mounting up.....come back 1958, all is forgiven....

Loved it.

Very impressive!

I only wish things were done like this still today. People cared about their job. There was a general feeling of pride and confidence in the employees work. When can we return to this type of existence? I feel like our best times are behind us. At least we can use these videos as a reminder of what we used to be capable of. Nowadays it’s just Leach as much as you can from the system. Get your check and get out. Who cares about anything going wrong. Just get out of there as quick as possible. If something goes wrong who cares. Pride… What the hell is that.

Great video! I love the Tea lady too. I'll visit your channel to see what else is there and I may subscribe! I just subscribed. We in America have very little passenger service left. The Airline, automobile manufacturers, over-the-road freight haulers and oil companies killed it years ago.

I love how all 1958 injuries can be cured with.a well placed bandage.

I can't understand 'dislikes' - this is a past-era information reel - it is what it is. I've been captivated by them.

I worked at BR,it was a similar procedure for getting a new biro.lol.Great vid. Thanks.

Priority number one, summon the tea lady.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted.

My father, Donald Potter, was a Railway Signalman around the time this short film was made. He was stationed in the Dagenham area, in a box similar to the one in the film.

Very Prepared for anything, that makes them trustworthy- this film also explains what to do if faces in this situation which is very informative. If the Crew were knocked out then wouldn’t the guard have to do it alone

Very interesting 👍

If only I realised how lucky I was in them days ,thank you for this video

4:32 being quite a verteran of these British Transport Films, I of course noticed that the rail joints just ahead of the fireman are likely in need of either shims or a maintenance fish plate. ;-)

Ah this time I loved beautiful England 💝 at its best.

That sure was a lot of walking for that one older fellow.

I love the way that 1. There was a convenient siding to park the goods train, 2. there was a convenient alternate rail route. 3. There were signal boxes near both ways.

Love it! I'm subscribing. 🏴‍☠️

I love the idea of "Disposing of the casualties "!!!

Imagine nowadays the detonators would be stolen then found in a bomb somewhere in London.! I remember as a kid these boxs, people wearing nice clothes, opening doors , polite manners...and we the old folk get blamed for everything going on!

so pleasant to watch.... no moronic pointless noise of music clanging all the time... I cant even go shopping these days without a constant stupid racket all the time....

as a kid i loved seeing the old steam trains,

Mishap sound so cheery.

Let's all go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over.

Who wrote these procedures, the guy who owns the detonator company?

I enjoyed by relaxing tension. Naturally I recollected old memories traveling in steam engines during 1967

this animation is AMAZING for 1958

Great Video !

In those days there was always a form to complete. And every form had a number.

Interesting & fascinating.

That was an enormous amount of safety procedures those men had to deal with(and remember). In these mobile phone, computer days things have simplified a lot I guess.

My oh my how times have changed. Detonators, fountain pens, and people who take their job seriously. Who' da guessed hey?

What no cell phone wow how did we ever live without that

Fab. Good to see they didn't forget the tea.

I would have been two and a half years old in the summer of '58, moved to Cheltenham about five years later, and spent various sections of my young life there, till coming to the 'States in January '83. I wasn't out at Leckhampton - that was a bit too far to walk from Hester's Way, where I lived, but I spent many hours train spotting at the Alstone Lane crossing, back when there was a signalman. There were the old double swing gates at that time - manually cranked by the signal man by means of a big wheel up in the signal box. How things have changed.