THIS week marks the 91st anniversary of the Charfield rail disaster.

In the early hours of October 13, 1928, the Leeds-to-Bristol mail train collided with another at Charfield station and in the ensuing fire, 16 people lost their lives.

Although there have been worse disasters, the devastating crash has continued to hold the public’s imagination.

The story has been told again and again and has been the subject of television and radio programmes.

It includes a touch of mystery, with stories of a woman in black and two child victims who were never claimed or identified.

Here Ron Frost from Kingswood recalls the story of the disaster as it was told to him.

He said: “The story was told to me by a Mr Albert Young some 30 years ago.

“Albert was born in Charfield and at the age of nine ran down to the bridge over the rail line and watched many men and women in their rescue work.

“In October 1928 a goods train had been standing in the station being loaded.

“It would soon be shunted to a side line to allow the express from London to come through on the same line.

“It is said that the signal’s red light had been broken, probably by boys using their catapults, thus the steam engine driver would not slow the train.

“A high speed collision took place, killing very many passengers.

“Among these were two young boys returning from boarding school.

“They are buried in Charfield cemetery and were visited by a lady dressed in black in a chauffeur driven car on a regular basis.”