A Hanslope lengthsman, who had been employed by British Railways for only six months, was instantaneously killed when he stepped in front of an express train while engaged on his duties near Castlethorpe Station about mid-day on Monday.
At an inquest held at Hanslope School on Tuesday, a jury recorded a verdict of accidental death, adding a rider that probably, if there had been a flagman on duty it would have done some good.
The victim of the tragedy was Percy Alfred Welch (44), a married man of 19 Long Street, Hanslope. He had lived in the village for less than a year.
Outlining the details of the tragedy, the North Bucks Coroner (Mr. E. T. Ray) said Welch was working on the railway line about two miles north of Castlethorpe, and there failed to avoid a fast train, which cut him to pieces.
Mrs. Doris Welch said her husband looked after part of the main line near Castlethorpe. He was in perfect health and his hearing and sight were normal in every way. Her husband left home on the day of his death about 7.30 a.m.
Dr. P. J. Delahunty, Wolverton, gave evidence that he was called to the scene of the accident at about 2 p.m. There was no body to be seen, it having been literally struck to pieces. Death was instantaneous, due to shock and multiple injuries.

Frederick Harry Herbert, Forest Road, Hartwell, said he was ganger in charge of gang No. 69. On Monday his gang was working on the main line two miles north of Castlethorpe. There were five in the gang, four of them sawing a loose rail between the fat lines, and Welch was bringing chippings along to them in a barrow.
He was between the up-fast and down-slow lines, shovelling the chippings into a box and taking them to a barrow.
In answer to the Coroner, witness said they did not have anyone to look after them in the ordinary way-they looked after one another. A flagman was not provided for small gangs, and the line was practically straight for about a mile in either direction.
Just after 1 p.m., witness said he saw a train approaching on the up-fast line and another train on the up-slow, both in the same direction. His gang moved out of the way into the down part. He saw Welch shovelling chippings, and when he seemed to be taking no notice of the approaching trains witness started to shout and wave his arms, but doubted if he could be heard above the noise of the trains.

Welch was in no danger of either of the trains if he stopped where he was, but he picked up his box and stepped in front of one train. Witness thought that perhaps he might have stepped back to safety or even got across-it was possible, however, that he might have seen the up-slow and thought that was making the noise. He would not have heard the fast train coming behind.
Frederick William Pateman, stationmaster at Castlethorpe. Said he knew Welch slightly, he having been employed by British Railways since the 20th January 1949. About 1.10 p.m. an express train from Liverpool to Aldershot stopped at Castlethorpe Station, and the driver reported that he had knocked two men down. He had said that he whistled when approaching the men and had seen one step into the path of the train.
Witness said he examined the engine and found marks of blood on the offside, indicating that the man was about to cross the off-side rail. He visited the scene of the impact and saw the broken box and marks on the permanent way, smoke from the first train would have been blown to the side of the line away from the deceased.

Addressing the jury, the Coroner said he did not think it worth the trouble of bring the engine-driver to the inquest. He could not have told anything.
They had had a very clear eye-witness account of the occurrence from Mr. Herbert and could not have been better.
They did not know fully why Mr. Welch failed to see or hear this train, but it seemed that if he had stood where he was he was he would have been clear. In this case however, he was carrying on with his job.
After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of accidental death through their foreman (Mr. Powell), stating that probably if there had been a flagman it would have done some good.
Expressions of sympathy to the dead man’s relatives were expressed on behalf of his colleague and Mr. Horton (district engineer), by the Coroner and the jury.
The jury returned their fees to be handed to the widow.