Howden rail crash

Howden rail crash

The rail crash at Howden in Yorkshire, England on 7 August 1840 killed 4 passengers. It occurred when a large cast iron casting fell from a wagon and derailed the following carriages. It happened on the Hull and Selby Railway as the train was travellng from Leeds to Hull and was one of the first railway accidents to be investigated by the Railway Inspectorate. It was also one of the worst accidents to have occurred on the new rail network, a new phenomenon for the public, although shipwrecks and coal mining accidents were frequent.

Investigation

Sir Frederic Smith, the first head of the Railway Inspectorate found that the casting had been insecurely lashed to the wagon, and was unstable for carrying by train. The casting was part of a weighing machine intended to be used at Hull station, and itself weighed about 2.5 tons. It measured 12 feet 6.75 inches by 5 feet 7 inches, and since the wagon was only 10 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, it must have overhung the wagon when being carried. The casting fell from the wagon onto the rails when the train was about 3/4 mile from Howden station. Since the wagon was just behind the tender, the following passenger carriages were derailed. The first five carriages were empty, but the sixth carriage held several passengers, 4 of whom were either killed on the spot or died later of their injuries. The inspector interviewed railway staff involved directly (driver and guard) as well as many others involved in loading the casting, or had seen the casting on its wagon before the accident. There was conflicting testimony as to whether it had been lashed on to the wagon at all, but if it had, the ropes apparently used had chafed through owing to movement of the casting on the wagon. Smith recommended that goods should only be carried where they were secure, and wagons should be fitted with a frame to enclose large items, and so prevent them falling off. He also recommended that the foreman of the goods department should personally inspect goods wagons to ensure their security and safety.

References

*L. T. C. Rolt, Red for Danger: the classic history of British railway disasters Sutton Publishing (1998)

External links

* [http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=3&PHPSESSID=6a3f8d82df26a7e7b93812055ff97a3f Railways Archive facsimile report]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Howden — Infobox UK place country = England official name = Howden latitude = 53.744111 longitude = 0.863416 civil parish = Howden work = Neighbourhood Statistics population = 3,810 (2001 Census) unitary england = East Riding of Yorkshire region =… …   Wikipedia

  • List of rail accidents (pre-1950) — For a list of 1950 1999 rail accidents, see List of 1950 1999 rail accidents.For a list of post 2000 rail accidents, see List of rail accidents. notoc Pre 1830 1815 * 1815, exact date unclear ndash; Philadelphia, Co Durham, England: 16 people,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom — This list is of railway accidents in Britain sorted chronologically. For a list sorted by death toll see List of British rail accidents by death toll. It does not include incidents that did not involve rolling stock, such as the King s Cross fire …   Wikipedia

  • History of rail transport in Great Britain 1830 - 1922 — This article is part of a series on the History of rail transport in Great Britain The history of rail transport in Great Britain 1830 1922 covers the period between the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L MR), and the Grouping,… …   Wikipedia

  • Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate — HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI: Her Majesty s Railway Inspectorate) is the British organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain s railways and tramways but is now no longer responsible for guided bus, trolleybus and most cable hauled… …   Wikipedia

  • Hull and Selby Railway — MetaSidebar|24%|#eeffff|right|Stations Selby Cliff Howden Eastrington Staddlethorpe Broad Lane Brough Ferriby Hessle Hull The Hull and Selby Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1840, connecting Hull with the Leeds… …   Wikipedia

  • M62 motorway — Infobox road marker highway name=M62 motorway route=Knotty Ash to North Cave map custom=yes country meta=GB maint=the Highways Agency length mi=107 length round=0 length notes=7 miles are part of the M60 motorway length ref= established=1960 1976 …   Wikipedia

  • Chatsworth House — across the River Derwent, with the Hunting Tower visible above Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of Bakewell and 9 miles (14 km) west of Chesterfield (GB Grid SK260700). It is… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”