ENGINE-DRIVER'S SUDDEN SEIZURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 237, 3 October 1908, Page 15

ENGINE-DRIVER'S SUDDEN SEIZURE.

HELPLESS ON THE FOOTPLATE WHILE TRAIN THUNDERS ON.

How a market train, crowded with passengers, nnd a London express were near to crashing into each other on the Midland line near Nottingham was revealed on Sunday, August 16th, when it became known that the previous day the driver of the market train had had a seizure on the foot-plate. The disaster was only averted by the presence of mind of a signalman, who, In the nick of time, switched the runaway train on to a branch line out of the way of the express. The 1.12 p.m. train from Nottingham to Mansfield was about a mile out of Nottingham when the driver, Robert Goodman, who had only recently returned to duty after a period of sick leave, was suddenly seized with a form of paralysis, which rendered his limbs powerless. For a few moments the firemau was so greatly concerned about his mate's safety that the engine was left uncontrolled, travelling nt v steadily increasing speed. At Radford the train was signalled to stop, In order to let the Bradford to Loudon express go through, but It dashed through the station at a high speed, causing alarm among the orhclals. who ut once saw that something was wrong. The pas scugers had also become alarmed at the In creasing speed, and when the train tailed to stop at Radford this alarm naturally Increased. The signalman, realising that disaster was Immiueul, promptly switched the ruu away traiu on to the Trowell Hue by meaus or the automatic system. lie was oulj Just lv time. The train had barely cleared the main Hue when the express dashed past, its occupants knowing nothing of the almost miraculous escape of their train from a collision. The market train stopped a quarter oi a mile beyond Radford, and the odditis Who hurried after It found that Goodman j had lost the power of speech. Another j driver took Ihe train to Mansfield after half an hour's delay.