3. OFF THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
  4. OFF THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

OFF THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

This gallery is a sort of compendium of all the bent and the broken, the crashed and the bashed, both steam age and modern, loco and stock, both British and foreign. Most are duplicates of pictures to be found in other galleries, some taken by me and some very obviously not. These pictures are displayed for recreational/information/research purposes only and are not for sale under any circumstances. Every effort has been made to verify the information in the captions but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
PLEASE NOTE : IMPORTANT MESSAGE : Please be aware that I do not sell copies of ANY of my pictures, DO NOT email copies to viewers or allow re-posting on other sites. Neither do I wish to enter into correspondence with any individual or group regarding my pictures or their captions. All comments reflect my personal opinions and I am not prepared to discuss these with anyone. I apologise for this disclaimer but I'm afraid it has been forced upon me. I have no wish to upset anyone and please continue to enjoy my pictures at your leisure.
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CASTLECARY - 2744 GRAND PARADE - Gresley LNER Class A1 4-6-2 - built 08/28 by Doncaster Works - 12/37 withdrawn after Castlecay accident - seen here at Doncaster Works after the accident.<br /> <br /> On December 10th, 1937, at 1637, the 1603 Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street express train collided at Castlecary station with the late-running 1400 express train from Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line of the LNER, killing 35 people. At the time of the accident, whiteout conditions prevailed due to a snowstorm. The Edinburgh train hit the rear of the standing Dundee train at an estimated 70 mph. Due to the confines of the location, the rear four coaches of the Dundee train were completely disintegrated. The engine of the Dundee train, LNER Class D29 no. 9896 DANDIE DINMONT, was pushed forward 100 yards with the brakes on. The locomotive of the Edinburgh train, LNER Class A3 no. 2744 GRAND PARADE was damaged beyond repair (and was replaced by a new engine with the same number and name in April 1938). The death toll was 35 (including 7 train crew) and 179 people were hurt, most of them seriously. An eight-year-old girl was counted as missing. The driver of the Edinburgh train was committed to court on a charge of culpable homicide for supposedly driving too fast for the weather conditions, but the charge was dropped. The Inspecting Officer concluded that it was the signalman who was principally at fault for the disaster. The whiteout meant that visibility was no more than a few yards and so the signalmen on this stretch of line were operating Regulation 5e. This meant that a double section had to be clear ahead for a train to be signalled to pass the previous box, Greenhill Junction. A set of points ahead had been blocked by snow and caused several trains to back up and the Castlecary home signal was therefore at 'danger'. The Dundee train ran past that signal in poor visibility but managed to stop just beyond it. The Castlecary signalman failed to check the train’s whereabouts and allowed the following Edinburgh train into the section. This also ran past the same signal and collided with the Dundee train. It is believed that the Castlecary distant signal had stuck in the 'off' ('clear') position and so the drivers of both trains took it that the line was clear. The driver of the Edinburgh train only realised that it was not when he crossed the viaduct and saw that the home signal was at 'danger'. Even a modern-day car would not have stopped in the remaining 50 yards to the tail lamp.
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CASTLECARY - 2744 GRAND PARADE - Gresley LNER Class A1 4-6-2 - built 08/28 by Doncaster Works - 12/37 withdrawn after Castlecay accident - seen here at Doncaster Works after the accident.

On December 10th, 1937, at 1637, the 1603 Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street express train collided at Castlecary station with the late-running 1400 express train from Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line of the LNER, killing 35 people. At the time of the accident, whiteout conditions prevailed due to a snowstorm. The Edinburgh train hit the rear of the standing Dundee train at an estimated 70 mph. Due to the confines of the location, the rear four coaches of the Dundee train were completely disintegrated. The engine of the Dundee train, LNER Class D29 no. 9896 DANDIE DINMONT, was pushed forward 100 yards with the brakes on. The locomotive of the Edinburgh train, LNER Class A3 no. 2744 GRAND PARADE was damaged beyond repair (and was replaced by a new engine with the same number and name in April 1938). The death toll was 35 (including 7 train crew) and 179 people were hurt, most of them seriously. An eight-year-old girl was counted as missing. The driver of the Edinburgh train was committed to court on a charge of culpable homicide for supposedly driving too fast for the weather conditions, but the charge was dropped. The Inspecting Officer concluded that it was the signalman who was principally at fault for the disaster. The whiteout meant that visibility was no more than a few yards and so the signalmen on this stretch of line were operating Regulation 5e. This meant that a double section had to be clear ahead for a train to be signalled to pass the previous box, Greenhill Junction. A set of points ahead had been blocked by snow and caused several trains to back up and the Castlecary home signal was therefore at 'danger'. The Dundee train ran past that signal in poor visibility but managed to stop just beyond it. The Castlecary signalman failed to check the train’s whereabouts and allowed the following Edinburgh train into the section. This also ran past the same signal and collided with the Dundee train. It is believed that the Castlecary distant signal had stuck in the 'off' ('clear') position and so the drivers of both trains took it that the line was clear. The driver of the Edinburgh train only realised that it was not when he crossed the viaduct and saw that the home signal was at 'danger'. Even a modern-day car would not have stopped in the remaining 50 yards to the tail lamp.

  • BOOTH'S SCRAPYARD, Rotherham - 76007 - BR Class 76 Bo-Bo DC Electric - built 02/51 by Gorton Works as BR No.E26007 - 02/74 to BR No.76007 - 07/81 withdrrawn - seen here at Booth's in July 1983.
  • BOOTH'S SCRAPYARD, Rotherham - APT-E - End of the road for APT-E Set 370 001, Britain's Great Railway White Hope. Being broken up in 1986.
  • BOOTH'S SCRAPYARD, Rotherham - APT-E - End of the road for APT-E Set 370 001, Britain's Great Railway White Hope. Being broken up in 1986.
  • BOURNE END - 6157 THE ROYAL ARTILLERYMAN - Fowler LMS 'Royal Scot' Class 7P 4-6-0 - built 07/30 by Derby Works - withdrawn 01/64 from 12A Carlisle Kingmoor as BR No.46157 - seen here at Bourne End after the overnight sleeper from Euston derailed when the driver failed to observe speed restrictions, 43 dead, 30/09/45.
  • BRECON & MERTHYR RAILWAY - 12 - 2-4-0T, built 02/1889 by Robert Stephenson & Co. - 1923 to GWR as No.1452 - 02/23 withdrawn - the loco has derailed into a ditch (note the props). No further details known.
  • BROCKLESBY - On March 28th, 1907, 2 freight trains collided at Brocklesby on the Barnetby - Grimsby/Immingham line. Class 15 'Yankee Mogul' 2-6-0 No.966 was evidently one of them and, I suspect, scrapped shortly thereafter.
  • BROCKLESBY - On March 28th, 1907, 2 freight trains collided at Brocklesby on the Barnetby - Grimsby/Immingham line. I have been unable to find any more exact details.
  • BROMSGROVE - (1) At about 2243 hrs on Monday 23rd March, 2020, class 170 Turbostar 170 107, operating the 2105 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service, was approaching Bromsgrove station when it collided with a class 66 locomotive that had become derailed at the end of a siding. The passenger train suffered significant damage along the side of all three vehicles, although it remained on the track and did not derail. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew on board the passenger train and none reported any injuries. The locomotive, 66057, had just travelled from Bescot to Bromsgrove, to act as a banking locomotive required to assist heavy freight trains up the 1 in 37 Lickey incline to the north of the station. It derailed as it ran through the buffers at the end of the siding adjacent to the mainline, and stopped with its front left corner foul of northbound trains. The driver of the locomotive was not injured in the collision, although the locomotive suffered damage to the corner of the leading cab. The accident was attributed to the driver looking at text messages on his phone.
  • BROMSGROVE - (2) At about 2243 hrs on Monday 23rd March, 2020, class 170 Turbostar 170 107, operating the 2105 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service, was approaching Bromsgrove station when it collided with a class 66 locomotive that had become derailed at the end of a siding. The passenger train suffered significant damage along the side of all three vehicles, although it remained on the track and did not derail. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew on board the passenger train and none reported any injuries. The locomotive, 66057, had just travelled from Bescot to Bromsgrove, to act as a banking locomotive required to assist heavy freight trains up the 1 in 37 Lickey incline to the north of the station. It derailed as it ran through the buffers at the end of the siding adjacent to the mainline, and stopped with its front left corner foul of northbound trains. The driver of the locomotive was not injured in the collision, although the locomotive suffered damage to the corner of the leading cab. The accident was attributed to the driver looking at text messages on his phone.
  • BROMSGROVE - (3) At about 2243 hrs on Monday 23rd March, 2020, class 170 Turbostar 170 107, operating the 2105 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service, was approaching Bromsgrove station when it collided with a class 66 locomotive that had become derailed at the end of a siding. The passenger train suffered significant damage along the side of all three vehicles, although it remained on the track and did not derail. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew on board the passenger train and none reported any injuries. The locomotive, 66057, had just travelled from Bescot to Bromsgrove, to act as a banking locomotive required to assist heavy freight trains up the 1 in 37 Lickey incline to the north of the station. It derailed as it ran through the buffers at the end of the siding adjacent to the mainline, and stopped with its front left corner foul of northbound trains. The driver of the locomotive was not injured in the collision, although the locomotive suffered damage to the corner of the leading cab. The accident was attributed to the driver looking at text messages on his phone.<br /> Damage to 170 107 after the accident.
  • BUTTEVANT - On August 1st, 1980 at 1245, the 1000 Dublin (Heuston) to Cork (Kent) express train entered Buttevant station carrying some 230 bank holiday passengers. The train was diverted off the main line across a temporary set of points into a siding. The locomotive remained upright but carriages immediately behind the engine and generator van jack-knifed and were thrown across four sets of rail lines. Two coaches and the dining car were totally demolished by the impact. It resulted in the deaths of 18 people and over 70 people being injured.<br /> The accident happened because a set of manual facing points were set to direct the train into the siding. These points were installed about four months previously and had not been connected to the signal cabin. The permanent way maintenance staff were expecting a stationary locomotive at the Up platform to move into the siding and had set the points for the diversion to the siding, without obtaining permission from the signalman. Upon seeing that this had been done, the signalman at Buttevant manually set the signals to the Danger aspect and informed the pointsman to reset the points. The train was travelling too fast to stop in time. The derailment occurred at around 60 mph.<br /> The train consisted of 071 Class locomotive number 075, a generator van and 11 coaches. Six of the coaches consisted of wooden bodies on steel underframes. Four of these were either destroyed or badly damaged in the impact, the two which survived being at the rear of the train. The remainder of the coaches were light-alloy Cravens stock, most of which survived the crash. The generator van, a modified BR Mark 1, was severely damaged. All of the vehicles were coupled using screw shackle couplings. This event, and the subsequent Cherryville junction accident, which killed a further seven people, accounted for 70% of all Irish rail deaths over a 28-year period. CIÉ and the Government came under severe public pressure to improve safety and to modernise the fleet. A major review of the national rail safety policy was held and resulted in the rapid elimination of the wooden-bodied coaches that had formed part of the train.<br /> The passengers who were most severely injured or killed were seated in coaches with wooden frames. This structure was incapable of surviving a high-speed crash and did not come near to the safety standards provided by modern metal-body coaches. The more modern steel-framed carriage bodies survived due to their greater structural rigidity. On this basis, the decision to purchase a new fleet of modern intercity coaches based on the British Rail Mark 3 design was quickly made. The Mark 3's longitudinally corrugated roof can survive compression forces of over 300 tonnes. These coaches, an already well proven design, were built by BREL in Derby, England and, under licence, at CIÉ's own workshops at Inchicore in Dublin between 1983 and 1989.
  • BUXTON - 44083 - Fowler LMS Class 4F 0-6-0 - built 09/25 by Kerr Stuart as LMS No.4083 - withdrawn 12/63 from 9L Buxton, where seen off the rails.
  • BUXTON EAST - 6904 - Webb LNWR Class 2P 0-6-2T - built 11/00 by Crewe Works - withdrawn 08/47 from 8B WArrington - seen here being recovered from derailment at Buxton East, no details known
  • BYFLEET - 'Lord Nelson' Class No.851 SIR FRANCIS DRAKE and it's train of 12 coaches derailed in Byfleet Station due to the poor condition of the track, 27/12/46.
  • CARDINGTON - 165 - Stanier LMS Class 3P 2-6-2T - built 11/37 by Derby Works - 06/48 to BR No.40165 - 10/61 withdrawn from 16B Kirkby in Ashfield - seen here being recovered after derailing on a suburban passenger train at Cardington, April 9th, 1940.
  • CARDINGTON - 165 - Stanier LMS Class 3P 2-6-2T - built 11/37 by Derby Works - 06/48 to BR No.40165 - 10/61 withdrawn from 16B Kirkby in Ashfield - seen here derailed on a suburban passenger train at Cardington, April 9th, 1940.
  • CASTLECARY - 2744 GRAND PARADE - Gresley LNER Class A1 4-6-2 - built 08/28 by Doncaster Works - 12/37 withdrawn after Castlecay accident - seen here at Doncaster Works after the accident.<br /> <br /> On December 10th, 1937, at 1637, the 1603 Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street express train collided at Castlecary station with the late-running 1400 express train from Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line of the LNER, killing 35 people. At the time of the accident, whiteout conditions prevailed due to a snowstorm. The Edinburgh train hit the rear of the standing Dundee train at an estimated 70 mph. Due to the confines of the location, the rear four coaches of the Dundee train were completely disintegrated. The engine of the Dundee train, LNER Class D29 no. 9896 DANDIE DINMONT, was pushed forward 100 yards with the brakes on. The locomotive of the Edinburgh train, LNER Class A3 no. 2744 GRAND PARADE was damaged beyond repair (and was replaced by a new engine with the same number and name in April 1938). The death toll was 35 (including 7 train crew) and 179 people were hurt, most of them seriously. An eight-year-old girl was counted as missing. The driver of the Edinburgh train was committed to court on a charge of culpable homicide for supposedly driving too fast for the weather conditions, but the charge was dropped. The Inspecting Officer concluded that it was the signalman who was principally at fault for the disaster. The whiteout meant that visibility was no more than a few yards and so the signalmen on this stretch of line were operating Regulation 5e. This meant that a double section had to be clear ahead for a train to be signalled to pass the previous box, Greenhill Junction. A set of points ahead had been blocked by snow and caused several trains to back up and the Castlecary home signal was therefore at 'danger'. The Dundee train ran past that signal in poor visibility but managed to stop just beyond it. The Castlecary signalman failed to check the train’s whereabouts and allowed the following Edinburgh train into the section. This also ran past the same signal and collided with the Dundee train. It is believed that the Castlecary distant signal had stuck in the 'off' ('clear') position and so the drivers of both trains took it that the line was clear. The driver of the Edinburgh train only realised that it was not when he crossed the viaduct and saw that the home signal was at 'danger'. Even a modern-day car would not have stopped in the remaining 50 yards to the tail lamp.
  • CASTLECARY - Class 24 - D5122 - BR Type 2 Bo-Bo DE - built 06/60 by Derby Works - withdrawn 09/68 from Inverness TMD after Castlecary accident when light engine ran into rear of stationary DMU, 09/09/68, loco crew killed - seen here at Glasgow Works in 1970 - scrapped 03/71.
  • CAVAN & LEITRIM RAILWAY - No.3 LADY EDITH - 4-4-0T built 1887 by Robert Stephenson & Co., Works No.2614 - 1925 to GSR, 1945 to CIE - withdrawn 1959 - seen here at Mahanagh level crossing after coming into contact with a car, June 1953.
  • CHESTER - On May 8th 1972, Class 24 5028 ran away on the approach to Chester station and caused considerable damage to itself, several diesel multiple units and much of the station fabric around Platforms 10 & 11. 5028 had been in charge of the 8D66 1931 Ellesmere Port to Mold Junction freight consisting of thirty eight vehicles including several tank wagons loaded with petroleum products. The train had been made up at Ellesmere Port East Yard with a total weight of 980 tons. Beyond the reversal at Helsby, the five vacuum braked tankers were marshalled directly behind the engine to provide extra brake force but the vacuum hoses were not connected between the locomotive and the tank wagons. For reasons undetermined the train set off without a brake test being carried out. About a mile and a half from Chester station the grade on the line from Mickle Trafford falls at 1 in 100 for about a mile and it was on this grade that control of the train was lost, with the driver sounding a series of short blasts on the locomotive horn, indicating the train was running away. Unfortunately the means of putting the runaway train on to one of the through lines was prevented by the movement of a diesel multiple unit betweens Platform's 11 & 13. With the freight train routed into the bay Platform 11 events happened swiftly, the driver and a second railman jumped from the locomotive as it entered the platform at about 20mph. Standing at the end of the platform were empty diesel multiple units 56229 & 50946. The trailer composite (56229) lost both bogies with major damage to the underfloor equipment occurring when it was pushed over the buffer stops onto the platform and coming to rest embedded in the wall of the refreshment room. The motor brake second (50946) was completely demolished as 5028 rode up over it. The brake van next to the locomotive was severely damaged, four of the tank wagons sustained damage from the collision, particularly to the running gear. Despite the severity of the collision none of the loaded tanks were punctured. Shortly after the collision fire broke out under the remains of the diesel multiple unit crushed by 5028. A locomotive waiting at the east end of the station was used to haul back thirty five wagons of the freight train, the split being made between the third & fourth tank wagon. Passengers from the diesel multiple unit standing at Platform 10 were quickly evacuated to the running lines in the centre of the station. A postal worker was trapped on the platform between the diesel multiple unit and an overturned BRUTE trolley loaded with mail bags. Rescue attempts were unsuccesful until the front two coaches of the diesel multiple unit were separated from the other three, creating room to free the postal worker. Although the three Esso tanks remained unpunctured the fire was intense enough to heat the contents of the second tank, pressurising the liquid which then ignited after being released through the pressure relief valve. The first tank, lying on its side lost some of its contents through the syphon pipe, and was ignited from the original fire source. The third tank suffered no spillage or leakage due to the efforts of the fire service, using foam and water to contain the fire. The fire was contained just prior to midnight and finally extinguished about thirty minutes later, although the tanks remained in a dangerous condition for a further nine hours. For 5028 the examination next morning revealed it to be a total loss. The leading cab was severely crushed, the trailing cab had lost most of its aluminium structure in the fire, which also destroyed (melted?) the radiators and buckled the engineroom floor. The brake gear had been badly damaged in the collision though it did not reveal signs of heavy braking.
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