In the mid 90s Charlie Boy was down in Cornwall and my house at the time looked right across the goods yard, i was getting ready to go to work at about 1pm and i was watching the royal train push back into the yard.
We had just been given mobile phones so i phoned the supervisor to see where my freight train was he said right behind the royal train so i was filling my flask up in came my freight train stopped then set back into the yard the only thing was no one had taken the point clips off so the freight train broke the points has it went forward then when it set back there were three wagons plus loco off the road oops
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I phoned the supervisor back again and told him the problem but he did not believe me one hell of a mess.
Now Charlie Boy was booked to leave Par at 4pm his train is blocked in at St Blazey, they got the three wagons back on the the tracks but the loco was still off on one bogie.
Off they went to the B&W railway and got two wheel skids put under the loco (by the way this is a brand new 66 just come off the boat) they put the skids under the loco well they just bent like butter only ever made for small 20ton wagons years ago and they are trying to lift a 120ton loco.
In the end they pushed the 66 back on with the royal engine a 47 i dont know what damage was ever done to the 66 but it was done so that Charlie was not leaving Par
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If we had done something like that on our own backs i think a final warning would have been dished out
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ccmmick.