OFF THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

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. Seen here is 56229 in its final resting place.