Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
 Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 13:35 11 Jan 2025
 
- Gritters blocked in by '200 cars' in Peak District
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]		 14/01/25 - Rail Sale starts
24/01/25 - Westbury Station reopens
24/01/25 - LTP4 Wilts / Consultation end
24/01/25 - Bristol Rail Campaign AGM 2025

On this day
11th Jan (2012)
TVM - a fair weather facility? (link)
Train RunningCancelled
11:50 London Paddington to Hereford
Short Run
14:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
15:14 Hereford to London Paddington
Delayed
10:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
12:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
•
PollsThere are no open or recent polls
•
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
•
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
•
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
•
Train companiesSelect from:
GWR
SWR
XC
Chiltern
TfL
TfW
WMR
Southern
• Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple Meads • Bath Spa • Chippenham • Swindon • Didcot Parkway • Reading • London Paddington • Melksham
Exeter St Davids • Taunton • Westbury • Trowbridge • Bristol Parkway • Cardiff Central • Oxford • Cheltenham Spa • Birmingham New Street
January 11, 2025, 13:43:49 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[88] Mick Lynch announces retirement as head of RMT
[66] Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsew...
[59] Westminster Hall debate : Railway services to South West
[44] TravelWatch SouthWest - merged posts
[41] North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025
[36] one pound flat rate bus fares in Devon and Torbay area.
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Great Western Coffee Shop > Journey by Journey > London to South Wales > WW2 bomb closes railway line between Cardiff and Newport
Pages: [1]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: WW2 bomb closes railway line between Cardiff and Newport  (Read 5244 times)
chrisr_75
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1019


View Profile
« on: October 05, 2016, 17:56:09 »
Bit of excitement along the SWML▸ (South Western Mail Line) this afternoon!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-37568339

Quote
WW2 bomb closes railway line between Cardiff and Newport

The railway line between Newport and Cardiff has been closed following the discovery of an unexploded World War Two bomb.

British Transport Police confirmed the device was found by workmen near Gaer Park Drive, Newport.

It said: "Explosives experts have been called and are currently on their way to the scene."

Disruption to rail travel is expected to continue until 19:00 BST.

Passengers are advised to check with National Rail Enquiries before travelling
Logged
welshman
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 280


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2016, 22:43:15 »
Turned out it wasn't munitions after all.
Logged
chrisr_75
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1019


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2016, 00:20:42 »
Quote from: welshman on October 05, 2016, 22:43:15
Turned out it wasn't munitions after all.

Oh, so what was it?! Do tell!
Logged
ChrisB
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 13035


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2016, 09:13:06 »
Check out the link above which has been updated. including a pic

Quote
A suspected World War Two bomb which closed the rail line between Cardiff and Newport for hours has been found to be construction equipment.

Passengers were forced to take replacement bus services after workmen found the item near Gaer Park Drive, Newport, at about 15:30 BST.

Explosives experts later determined the object was a type of excavation device.
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 8457



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2016, 09:38:47 »
Quote from: ChrisB on October 06, 2016, 09:13:06
Check out the link above which has been updated. including a pic

Quote
A suspected World War Two bomb which closed the rail line between Cardiff and Newport for hours has been found to be construction equipment.

Passengers were forced to take replacement bus services after workmen found the item near Gaer Park Drive, Newport, at about 15:30 BST.

Explosives experts later determined the object was a type of excavation device.


............surely you remember seeing documentary films of Yellow and Black JCBs being dropped from Heinkels during the Blitz? Be reasonable, it's a mistake anyone could have made!  Wink
Logged
Tim
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2738


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2016, 10:07:32 »
Quote from: ChrisB on October 06, 2016, 09:13:06
Check out the link above which has been updated. including a pic

Quote
A suspected World War Two bomb which closed the rail line between Cardiff and Newport for hours has been found to be construction equipment.

Passengers were forced to take replacement bus services after workmen found the item near Gaer Park Drive, Newport, at about 15:30 BST.

Explosives experts later determined the object was a type of excavation device.


looks like the bit from a pneumatic "drill".  Without a spotters guide to bomb handy it is not an unreasonable mistake to make.  Perhaps trackworkers should be given spotters guides to bombs.  The workers on the casino site in Bath were given a day long briefing by the bomb disposal squad before they started digging, based on information that the site had been bombed in the war.  The  vehicles parked outside the site labelled something like ""royal ordnance bomb disposal"  and the group of soldiers striding around caused quite a concern among the workers nearby who thought that they were there because something had been found (AFAIK▸ (as far as I know), nothing ever was)
Logged
Noggin
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 561


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2016, 10:20:55 »
Quote from: Tim on October 06, 2016, 10:07:32
Quote from: ChrisB on October 06, 2016, 09:13:06
Check out the link above which has been updated. including a pic

Quote
A suspected World War Two bomb which closed the rail line between Cardiff and Newport for hours has been found to be construction equipment.

Passengers were forced to take replacement bus services after workmen found the item near Gaer Park Drive, Newport, at about 15:30 BST.

Explosives experts later determined the object was a type of excavation device.


looks like the bit from a pneumatic "drill".  Without a spotters guide to bomb handy it is not an unreasonable mistake to make.  Perhaps trackworkers should be given spotters guides to bombs.  The workers on the casino site in Bath were given a day long briefing by the bomb disposal squad before they started digging, based on information that the site had been bombed in the war.  The  vehicles parked outside the site labelled something like ""royal ordnance bomb disposal"  and the group of soldiers striding around caused quite a concern among the workers nearby who thought that they were there because something had been found (AFAIK▸ (as far as I know), nothing ever was)

What's the betting someone a few years ago thought "sod recovering this, let's just bury it and go home, no-one will ever notice"?
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of page • Jump to Forum Home Page