Man who died leaning out of Gatwick Express window was a steam railway 'fanatic' who volunteered on board his first train aged nine

Simon Brown, 24, died leaning out of a Gatwick Express train

A man killed while leaning out of a window on a Gatwick Express service was today revealed to be an engineer and “railway fanatic”.

Simon Brown, 24, from East Grinstead, Sussex, suffered fatal head injuries when he was struck in the head on Sunday afternoon after he lowered an unlocked window to look outside.

An investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the incident which happened as the Gatwick-bound train approached Wandsworth Common.

It is unclear whether he was hit by an oncoming train or an object at the side of the track as the train came into the station.

Mr Brown’s family today paid tribute to a “railway fanatic” who had recently fulfilled a childhood dream after landing a job as an engineering technician with Hitachi overseeing the introduction of new electric trains on the Great Western mainline.

Mr Brown had recently fulfilled his childhood dream of landing a job as an engineering technician working on new electric trains on the Great Western mainline

His father, Mike Brown, a former City worker, said: “As soon as he could toddle, Simon was into trains. At nine he volunteered with the Bluebell (heritage) Railway in West Sussex and became a station master.

“He worked on a Great Northern restoration project and left school at 18 to start an apprenticeship with Southern Trains. He’d only got the job with Hitachi a couple of months ago and had moved to Stoke Gifford (near Bristol) to be with his girlfriend.”

Mr Brown’s girlfriend Missy Wilson, a student education leader at the University of the West of England, was being comforted by her family at her home in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire.

The pair were photographed smiling together last month following Ms Wilson’s graduation ceremony at the university in Bristol.

At the age of nine he volunteered with the heritage Bluebell Railway in West Sussex

In joint tribute with Mr Brown’s family, she said: “Simon was a warm, loving individual whose unbounded passion and enthusiasm for life and all things related to trains of any kind – from model railways through steam to modern day rail transport infected everyone he met.

“He will be sorely missed not only by his partner, his family and his friends but also by his many colleagues throughout the rail industry.”

His young sister Sian Brown today flew back from Australia following the tragedy.

Mr Brown’s girlfriend Missy Wilson was being comforted by her family at her home in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire
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The engineer’s childhood friend Reuben Smith, 24, said: “We have both loved trains ever since we were little kids. He was a lovely bloke.

“He was always smiling, always happy, not matter what was going on in the world he would always have that smile on his face. He would bend over backwards to help any of his mates.

“Simon was a great friend and a real light in the railway world. There’s now a massive hole in our close knit community.”

A funding page has been set up by Mr Smith, who was works as a rail conductor, to help pay for Mr Brown’s funeral and raise money for a memorial train at Bluebell.

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