Track Relaying at Didcot North Junction (1960's)

8mm cine film by the late Didcot Gard, Cyril Thomas. I saved this film along with many of his films from the dustbin where his family had dumpted them along with his cine camera and projector. Hope to upload a few more of Cyril's railway clips in due course.

The fuel train "Long Tom" as they were called, was derailed when a light 'steam' locomotive reversed back from Appleford Down Lopp and through the trap points and colliding with the fuel train, which was derailed and the fuel busrt into flames, melting, track, Footbridge and other railway equipment, as well as pouring oil into the stream. Interesting in that there is not a yellow vest or hard hat to be seen. The fuel train was the Fawley to Bromford Bridge, which consiste dof 40 or more Petrol tanks and doubel-headed with Crompton Class locomotives. 

Track Relaying At Didcot North Jctn 1960's

Fantastic film to see the footbridge which in the film is partially constructed has infact just replaced. And somewhere in the field to the east of the track is where my house would be built some twenty years later