A WILLITON woman phoned on eight separate occasions to find out the train times on the West Somerset Railway line before jumping in front of a moving steam locomotive the next day.

Despite the efforts of the crew, Sheila Stokes, aged 55, of Dovetons Close, was hit by a train near Williton and died from multiple injuries, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

Mother of two Mrs Stokes had suffered from bouts of depression since the birth of her first child in 1975 and was receiving treatment before she died on April 13.

Train driver Trevor Barnet, who has nearly 40 years' experience, said he tried to attract Mrs Stokes' attention but she kept her head down and leaped into the path of the train.

The eight carriage, 250-ton locomotive from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead had about 100 passengers on board when the incident happened at about 4.33pm.

It was at a stretch between Stogumber and Williton stations where the track was fenced off but could be reached by climbing over the top.

Mr Barnet said he saw a woman on the side of the track. He said one minute she was out of sight, and then she appeared from the undergrowth about 50 yards away.

He said she was facing towards him but with her head down. He slammed on the brakes and blew hard on his whistle but there was no acknowledgement.

He shouted out to try to catch her attention and made an attempt to make eye contact because, he said: "They normally chicken out. But she stepped back and then jumped onto the track."

The inquest heard that the train had been travelling at around 20mph on a downhill gradient but this had been cut to 10mph to 12mph on impact.

Mr Barnet, of Washford, said he found Mrs Stokes under the second coach with serious injuries and he ran off to a nearby farm to telephone for help.

Mr John Stokes told the inquest his wife suffered post-natal depression following the birth of their first daughter Karen in 1975.

He said she tried to slash her wrists and attempted suicide several times but their life together was generally good.

Mr Stokes said that, below the surface, his wife had very low self-esteem and it was as if she had lost her purpose in life when their daughter recently moved with her fiance to the Midlands.

Mrs Stokes suffered several blackouts and on one occasion passed out while riding her bicycle and fractured her skull.

She spent a week in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, after her last blackout which caused her to fall downstairs.

He said he felt sure his wife was planning to take her own life as she had cleaned the house from top to bottom as if preparing for something. She also hugged him more than usual before her death.

The inquest heard that on April 13 Mr Stokes went home during the day and found his wife in bed with a headache, but he left her because she had unusual sleeping patterns.

He returned home at 7.20pm and found the house empty so he phoned the police and was told a woman matching Mrs Stokes' description had been found dead on the railway line.

Mr Stokes said that at the end of the month he found a telephone bill containing entries that he did not recognise.

He said the eight calls all lasted about one minute and were made the day before she died.

Mr Stokes phoned the number and discovered it was the West Somerset Railway train timetable inquiry line.

He said he and his wife had a very good life together and her depression never stopped them doing what they wanted to do.

West Somerset coroner Michael Rose recorded a verdict that Mrs Stokes took her own life.

He added: "Whatever the engine crew had done at the time, it would have been impossible to avoid the accident.