U.K. 'Great Train Robbery' remembered 50 years later

Surviving family members of the mastermind of a famous train heist in the U.K. gathered at a cemetery in London today to bury the ashes and unveil a sculpture in memory of Bruce Reynolds, architect of the "Great Train Robbery," a famous heist of a Royal Mail train that was carried out 50 years ago today.

A gang of thieves worked together on Aug. 8, 1963, to stop and rob a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London. They made off with £2.6 million, a staggering sum at the time, and hid out in a farmhouse before splitting up. Some were never caught, but most were nabbed — some after years on the run, CBC's Curt Petrovich reports.

Bruce Reynolds was one of the men who fled, spending part of his time on the run in Canada. He was eventually captured and sent to jail in the U.K.

Nick Reynolds, his son, said that toward the end, his father had deep regrets.

"He was an artist at heart, who chose a lunatic path and he paid the price," said Reynolds, an artist who crafted the sculpture that was unveiled today. "He tried to make up for it by being a great father and a great husband."

Ronnie Biggs, a participant in the heist who spent more than 30 years on the run before returning to the U.K. to serve a prison term, was also on hand today. Biggs, who was released from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009, is now in a wheelchair and silenced by strokes.

Police who were involved in the case were also recognized for their work on the anniversary of the robbery. The local police station also marked the occasion by using Twitter to share the police duty log from 50 years go.