Phil Packer To The Rescue

Image: © Martin Addison Taken: 13 Feb 2013

The driver of the 6E31 Acton to Ferme Park freight train experienced a failure of his locomotive and brought the train to a stand halfway between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing, circa 11:20. The immediate effect was that all services to Greenford were cancelled whilst the westbound Heathrow Connect services were diverted onto the main lines to avoid the blockage and were thus unable to stop at West Ealing. Around 11:30 the driver of the failed train arrived on foot at West Ealing, carrying his flag and a canister of detonators to protect his train whilst arranging for a relief locomotive with his control and taking time to inform passengers waiting on the platform about the situation. Relief finally arrived in the form of 66710 (named 'Phil Packer BRIT') which had been working the Crossrail spoil trains from Westbourne Park and bore the evidence in splashes of London Clay on her cab faces. The relief had routed round the Greenford loop and into Hanwell before reversing to run wrong line back to West Ealing to meet the driver of the failed train. He flagged her to a stand and boarded to guide his colleague back to where his train was standing. It was around 12:20 – about an hour after the initial failure. If you look closely at the photo you will see a yellow cap detonator on the rail adjacent to the signal - one of three at 10 metre intervals on the track. The three very loud bangs that accompanied the loco as it proceeded wrong line to collect the failed train certainly woke up the neighbours! Phil Packer is the founder of the British Inspiration Trust.

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