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| Hawes Junction 1910 24/12/2012 at 07:18 #39610 | |
Steam Buff
101 posts |
Hi Just a reminder that 102 years ago today (24th Dec) was the famous Hawes Junction rail crash. Quote: The Hawes Junction rail crash occurred on 24 December 1910, between Hawes Junction and Ais Gill on the Midland Railway's Settle and Carlisle main line in Westmorland (now Cumbria), England. It was caused when a busy signalman forgot about a pair of light engines waiting at his down (northbound) starting signal to return to their shed at Carlisle. They were still waiting there when the signalman set the road for the down Scotch express. When the signal cleared, the light engines set off in front of the express into the same block section. Since the light engines were travelling at low speed from a stand at Hawes Junction, and the following express was travelling at high speed, a collision was inevitable. The express caught the light engines just after Moorcock Tunnel near Ais Gill summit in Mallerstang and was almost wholly derailed.More info here http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/accidents/hawes_jct/home.html Last edited: 24/12/2012 at 07:23 by Steam Buff Log in to reply |
| Hawes Junction 1910 24/12/2012 at 10:29 #39620 | |
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kbarber
1742 posts |
Hawes Junction is now known as Garsdale. A wild place up on the moors. Remarkably, the signalbox is still there (although it's nowt more than a break section box these days). As a result of the Inspecting Officer's recommendation the Midland Railway started a programme of installing track circuits at potentially vulnerable locations. Very basic installations they were too, often stretching from home to starter, right over any points (facing or trailing) in that distance, so the points couldn't be locked by the TC. All feels very peculiar to anyone used to modern standards. Log in to reply |
| Hawes Junction 1910 25/12/2012 at 06:02 #39648 | |
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pilotman
189 posts |
The Inspecting Officer (one Major Pringle) was also critical of the fact that the light engines stood on the main line for 13 minutes without carrying out Rule 55. Another contributory factor (as the RAIB would say these days) was that the Midland did not approve of lever collars and therefore Signalman Sutton was not provided with them.
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