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Wynn letter tells of earlier near-miss
Page 57
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• Before the Hixon level-crossing disaster on January 6, Robert Wynn and Sons Ltd. had asked British Railways for details and a location map af automatic-barrier crossings. This emerged from etters produced at the preliminary inquiry at Stafford on Monday, when it was also revealed that another Wynn vehicle was almost involved n a similar disaster at Leominster in 1966.
The inquiry into the causes and circumstances of the Nixon disaster, in which an express hit a Wynn outfit carrying a transformer. and 11 people were killed and 40 injured, is being conducted by Mr. Brian Gibbens, QC, with two assessors. They are also to report on the safety and protection of level crossings with automatic half-barriers.
Wynn's legal representative asked Mr. Gibbens on Monday to rule that BR should now provide the map and details as a temporary measure which might help to prevent the sort of accident which occurred at Nixon. But Mr. Gibbens said he could only ask British Railways to make a note of the application.
The hearing--the first of its kind since the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879—will resume in London on February 26.
Extracts from the letters produced at Stafford on Monday appear on page 58 of this issue.