Derailment at Hassocks July 1981

[32475]

Does anyone have any recollection or photos of a derailment at Hassocks station in July 1981?
I cycled down to the station on July 24th after hearing that the Brighton Main Line was closed and went armed with my camera and blagged my way onto the down platform by showing my Priv Card. Sadly I don’t still have the photos but I remember it involved the derailment of some tanker wagons and the steam crane which was probably brought up from Brighton, was in operation. 73127 and 73128 were in attendance.
As for the steam crane which I remember being painted red, I wonder if this was the last time it was used in anger? A lasting memory was of the fellow operating it in the cab being blackened with oil and grime. It was the first and only time I actually saw steam on the Brighton Main Line other than with preserved motive power.

 

[John Webb]

A quick look at the Railway Archives website shows no formal report. So as it involved a goods train, it would seem no one was injured or otherwise, so the matter did not attract the Railway Inspectorate's attention. Possibly a local history society might have something?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Might have rated a mention in a local newspaper for the area, "The Mid-Sussex Times" perhaps.

 

[SussexMan]

Might have rated a mention in a local newspaper for the area, "The Mid-Sussex Times" perhaps.

I searched the newspaper archive for "hassocks derailment" but could only find an article from the Sussex Agricultural Express from 22 November 1935 when it was reported that an engine derailed at Hassocks in the goods siding on the previous Monday. However, the newspaper archive only goes up to 1949 for the Mid Sussex Times.

 

[JB_B]

Does anyone have any recollection or photos of a derailment at Hassocks station in July 1981?
I cycled down to the station on July 24th after hearing that the Brighton Main Line was closed and went armed with my camera and blagged my way onto the down platform by showing my Priv Card. Sadly I don’t still have the photos but I remember it involved the derailment of some tanker wagons and the steam crane which was probably brought up from Brighton, was in operation. 73127 and 73128 were in attendance.
As for the steam crane which I remember being painted red, I wonder if this was the last time it was used in anger? A lasting memory was of the fellow operating it in the cab being blackened with oil and grime. It was the first and only time I actually saw steam on the Brighton Main Line other than with preserved motive power.

Did the crane you saw look like this one -

DS1197 Album

www.bdca.org.uk

- ? I guess that just possibly someone at BDCA might know something?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does seem to be a relatively minor incident that is fast disappearing into the mists of history; possibly not deemed to be particularly newsworthy if no-one got hurt or injured or worse.

The papers of the time were probably full of stories relating to Charles' forthcoming marriage to Lady Diana.

Wonder just how long it took to fix things up after the initial derailment took place?

 

[32475]

Did the crane you saw look like this one -

DS1197 Album

www.bdca.org.uk

- ? I guess that just possibly someone at BDCA might know something?

Thanks JB-B. That’s the very crane I remember. I’ll contact the BDCA as you suggest.
Thanks to others for your observations and comments.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jun 2022 ==

I searched the newspaper archive for "hassocks derailment" but could only find an article from the Sussex Agricultural Express from 22 November 1935 when it was reported that an engine derailed at Hassocks in the goods siding on the previous Monday. However, the newspaper archive only goes up to 1949 for the Mid Sussex Times.

Thanks SussexMan for researching.
I’ll seek a copy of Railway Magazine for September ‘81 to see if that has any clues.