Memories of Largs train crash

A range of historic photos are appearing on a daily basis online at www.facebook.com/largsandmillportnews where you can join the regular feed by clicking the 'Like' button and has nearly 1200 followers.

This week, we posted a picture of the front page of the Largs and Millport Weekly News of the train crash on 11 July 1995 when the front carriage blasted through the buffers, two buildings, before coming to a shuddering halt on Largs Main Street's taxi rank.

Lucy Grant said: "I was on that train, what a surreal day that was! I was later told I couldn't possibly have been on the train as it didn't stop in Fairlie, and that I had to show my ticket as evidence!!! Except there is no ticket issuing facility at Fairlie and I think the conductor was a tad preoccupied with getting out of the crashed train to care about getting my ticket!

"After going a slightly green colour with the shock, I was rescued from the crash by my friend Victoria Williamson. It was just in the nick of time too, as I was getting a bit stroppy with the ambulance crew who were only doing their job trying to get me to go to hospital for a check up but all I wanted was to get home and have a cup of tea or something stronger!" Stuart Reid recalled: "I was on the other train waiting to go to work in West Kilbride, ran out keeping ma head down, me and Rab McLeod helped three people off the crashed train, and spent the rest of the day getting hounded by national news papers. What a day." Iain McMurray said: "I remember hearing about it on the radio and when we got to Largs it was like a war zone." Alan Graham said: "I was a paperboy at the time, and was there about five minutes after the accident. I used to cut through the station as my route started on Union Street, and rather fortunately I was running about five mins later than usual." Alan added: "Did we ever get to the bottom of why it happened? I'd heard from a signalman that it was caused by the train's air tanks running down, but that seems unlikely, as I thought the air-pressure kept the brakes off, rather than held them on, for this reason (if the air pressure runs out, the brakes lock on)." Denise McLean said: "I miss walking through the tunnel and getting that big gasp of sea air." Lynda Macdonald Kinsella said: "I was on the stationary train in the station waiting on this train arriving to go to university in Glasgow when this train came into the Largs station and crashed." Paul McNicol said: "I was living in Charles St at the time and just remember being woken by the almighty bang!" John Wilson added: "It was July 1995. I have a copy of the Largs and Millport Weekly News paper still." Elizabeth Bradley neatly summed up a day of drama in Largs which has thankfully rarely been seen before or again. She said: "It was a blessing it was early in the morning !! it could have been an absolute catastrophie if it had been any later + people going to work or walking round shops nearby. It just doesn't bear thinking about!"