Memorial unveiled to three rail track workers who were killed in Polmont tragedy

Those who stop to read its works will see it remembers three men who died while working on the track over four decades ago, but what it doesn’t begin to tell is of the sorrow at their loss still being felt across the district today.

This includes a young widow who was left to raise two daughters but spent years campaigning for the death of the trio not to have been in vain but for a lasting memorial to be established.

And a mother, now 96, who says she remembers every day the son she lost and recalled how his father, also a rail worker, never got over the loss of his son.

Sadly, Ian Campbell, 25, Derek Gardiner, 21 and 47-year-old Gilmour Stillie were not the last to be killed on the main Glasgow to Edinburgh line, but what makes their deaths so hard to bear is the findings of an inquiry said they were caused by inadequate workplace safety.

What began as just another work day for the three track maintenance workers on August 5, 1983 saw them on a stretch of line between Falkirk High and Polmont Station when they were struck and killed by an empty train travelling at speed.

The track charge hand was thrown to the ground by the train but escaped without significant injury.

Shona Campbell’s younger daughter Dianne was only two when her father IJohn, but known as Ian, died, however she recalled as she grew up things were tough for her mum.

“She was only 24, a year younger than my dad. I was two and my sister Lynette was four. It wasn’t an easy time,” she said.

About 20 years ago her mum moved to Helmsdale in Sutherland and latterly has campaigned to improve safety for rail workers and for a lasting memorial to the tragic trio.

She has been backed by the RMT rail union and earlier this year official Bobby Blair approached the Falkirk Herald in a bid to track down living relatives of the other two men.

Members of Gilmour Stillie’s family were discovered to be living in Doncaster, but sadly were not in good enough health to travel for last Friday’s ceremony.

However, the Gardiner family were found to be still living in Laurieston and many of them attended the poignant ceremony.

Asked if it brought back sad memories, Derek’s mother Klara, 96, said: “I think about him all the time. He’s with me every day.”

The mother-of-six had already lost her eldest son was Derek was killed and the shock of this accident saw her husband James, also a rail worker, suffer a heart attack.

He only returned to work in 1984, shortly before the Polmont rail disaster of July 30 when a train struck a cow on the line, killing 13 people and leaving 61 injured.

Derek’s sister, Barbara Fish, also of Laurieston, said: “It brought it all back about Derek and he left shortly after that.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Michael Hogg, RMT regional official, said: “We are here in sad circumstances to remember and never forget our three rail colleagues who lost their lives following the accident on August 5, 1983.

"No worker should go to work and not return home to their families. This is a fitting tribute to our three colleagues who never came home. At last we can give three families some assurance that their loss will never be forgotten.”

The plaque was unveiled by Gerry McCann who was the RMT union rep at the time of the tragedy and knew all the men.

Shona Campbell then paid tribute to the RMT’s Billy Blair for all his efforts to track down all the relatives and see the plaque installed.