A TRAGIC railway pile-up that resulted in the deaths of the train’s driver and a female passenger has been commemorated by a local historian.

Raymond Rowland, from Churchward Avenue, Swindon, has been researching the crash of January 15, 1936, when an overnight sleeper train smashed into six wagons near Shrivenham Station.

Twenty-six people were injured in the pile-up, while the 52-year-old driver of the train, Mr E Starr and one passenger, Mrs Courtney, were killed.

Witnesses to the crash, in the Bourton area, described the sound as being like an earthquake.

The train was a Great Western King Class 6007, King William III, travelling from Penzance to London Paddington.

It hit the wagons, which had broken away from a mineral train travelling from South Wales to West London, at just after 5am.

Six doctors and six nurses rushed to the scene to help the injured.

Three passengers and the driver were taken to hospital in Swindon, while the remaining passengers were taken back to Swindon by train and then checked for injuries.

The following day the Mayor of Swindon toured the local hospital to speak with those injured in the accident.

Mr Rowland said: “At the subsequent inquiry the guard of the mineral train was found to have failed to keep a good look-out.

“Apparently, instead of keeping a good look-out he had been checking the times of the homeward trains for when he came off duty.

“There had been several minutes from the time the coupling had failed during which he could have taken action to prevent the disaster.

“However, the signalman at Shrivenham signalbox, Mr Head, was found to be primarily responsible for failing to notice the mineral train had passed his box incomplete.

“Signalman Jeffries, of Ashbury Crossing signalbox, was also found to have failed to notice the mineral train was incomplete.

“Apparently, there is a mystery surrounding this incident that has never been solved. Driver Starr was trapped in the coal tender upon impact.

“It took many minutes to release him. A man assisted the fireman with Starr’s release. However, no-one was able to account for this person at the time and he remains unidentified to this day.”