Detonators close the Nene

THE NENE WAS CLOSED to navigation on Monday when detonators were discovered in the river.

People were magnet fishing near Carlsberg in Northampton when they discovered the small explosives, Janet Friend reports.

Bomb disposal unit

The emergency services were alerted, then a bomb disposal unit, that discovered a great many railway detonators, the unit being on site for over three hours collecting and removing them from the river.

In the past when guards were used on goods trains, should the engine stop for any reason other than at signals, the guard would leave his van at the rear of the train, walking back one hundred yards and place a detonator on the rail, then another at a further hundred yards, then three fairly closed together after a final hundred yards.

Should a train be approaching from behind, when its wheels touched the detonator a load explosion would occur giving the driver a warning of the stranded train. Giving the driver three hudred yards to stop.

Then usually another engine would be brought along the line to pull the stricken one, and pull it away with its load of wagons, after the guard has removed the detonators from the line.

No guards

These days there are no guards it all done by electronics.

A total of 379 detonators were eventually removed from the Nene and navigation resumed.