ODDITIES

78 ON April 13, 1948, Southern Region 'M7' 0-4-4T No. 672 plunged down a lift shaft while shunting at Waterloo. The hydraulic lift was used for lowering and raising Waterloo & City line rolling stock, but because of an error the lift shaft had been left open and a number of wagons fell into it, dragging the loco after them. Luckily the crew jumped to safety, but the loco was cut up on site .

79 THE Thames Viaduct Railway project was an idea for an elevated line running down the middle of the River Thames from London Bridge to Westminster Bridge. The brainchild of engineers James Samuel and John Hippel, it would have circumvented one of the most expensive obstacles to land-based railway schemes - compensation payments for demolition. It had been backed by Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) and placed before the 1864 session of Parliament, but the plans got no further. However, if the viaduct had been built it would