Accidents in January

[Colin1501]

Marden, Kent, 4th January 1969. The 20.00 Charing Cross to Ramsgate (8-CEP) ran into the rear of a parcels train which had restarted from a signal stop following a track circuit failure. There were 4 fatalities. The 20.00 passed a single yellow and red with no reduction in speed, and the driver (who died) apparently only made a full emergency brake application when he sighted the tail lamp of the parcels train. It was foggy, but this was not reported as causing any problems with signal sighting. The inspecting officer concluded that, expecting clear signals ahead, the driver simply 'relaxed his vigilance'. There was no AWS on the line at the time.

This was a bad weekend for public transport. Just a few hours later, in the small hours of 5th January, an Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 crashed on approach to Gatwick Airport, resulting in 50 fatalities - 48 on the aircraft, and 2 in a house which it demolished.

 

[Eyersey468]

Wasn't D5278 written off in a crash in January 1971? No idea as to how the crash happened though.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wasn't D5278 written off in a crash in January 1971? No idea as to how the crash happened though.

Head on collision in the Great Rocks area. More at the below link...

D5278 5278

(Damage to D5278. Source: Derby Sulzers website.)

Extract...

On the evening of January 5th 5278 was coming out of Tunstead with freight 9T41 for Peak Forest, the Great Rocks signalman forgot about it and sent 0V23 with Class 45 No.135 which had come light from Buxton into Tunstead on the Tunstead Siding resulting in a head on collision... Both drivers jumped clear, the nose end shape of 135 could clearly be seen in the crushed No.1 end cab of 5278.

P.S. The damage sustained does look quite substantial.

 

[Eyersey468]

Thanks

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I think the OP meant lack of concentration, his ‘mind was miles away’! However there was a secondman/guard in the cab who also died, so other factors may have contributed?

The official report into the 3rd January 1976 (Worcester tunnel) collision, published the following year, came to the conclusion that the deceased driver had failed to proceed cautiously and to obey the rules applicable to Time Interval working and might have become impatient by various delays caused by the high winds that day which meant that some signals weren't working properly.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Head on collision in the Great Rocks area. More at the below link...

D5278 5278

View attachment 152002
(Damage to D5278. Source: Derby Sulzers website.)

Extract...
the nose end shape of 135 could clearly be seen in the crushed No.1 end cab of 5278.

P.S. The damage sustained does look quite substantial.

Looks like both ends sustained considerable damage. As I read on another forum (a modelling one) the No 1 end on most classes is the one with the cooler group, recognisable by the fan on the roof and large radiator grilles, so I think the picture shows the No 2 end, and the damage caused by the locomotive being forced backwards into the wagons to which it was coupled.

 

[Pigeon]

The official report into the 3rd January 1976 (Worcester tunnel) collision, published the following year, came to the conclusion that the deceased driver had failed to proceed cautiously and to obey the rules applicable to Time Interval working and might have become impatient by various delays caused by the high winds that day which meant that some signals weren't working properly.

Yeah, I've read it. Like most of these situations where the crew died and the mechanical systems were all fine, they basically have no information to go on beyond the obvious and so stating the obvious, however unsatisfactory it may be, is all they can really do. I also know that bit of line quite well, and it's hard to see how he could have done it without both crew being quite remarkably inattentive.