Kirtlebridge rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Kirtlebridge rail crash was a rail crash that took place at Kirtlebridge railway station
in Dumfries and Galloway
.
On 2 October 1872 the 21:00 night Scotch Express from London Euston, running 1 hour and 50 minutes late left Carlisle
at 07:50. It consisted of 18 vehicles pulled by two locomotives. Just north of Kirtlebridge station the Solway Junction
was fully interlocked
but the station itself was not, nor was the block system in operation. At 07:55 a goods train arrived at the station and began shunting operations. Crossover points were not controlled by the signalman but by ground levers and were moreover 300 yards from the signalbox. Local rules were that the signals should be kept at danger, but on this occasion they were showing clear. In addition the signalman was not kept informed about the shunting manoeuvres, nor did he receive any advice by telegraph about the progress of the express. The Kirtlebridge stationmaster momentarily forgot that the late-running express had not yet come through, and diverted waggons onto the downline via the crossover points, as he did so the express appeared, running at 40 mph and collided with the waggons. The lead locomotive ended up facing the way it had come and its tender ended upright on the platform, the second locomotive stayed on the rails with its tender and three leading coaches piled up against it. Eleven passengers and one engineman were killed. As in many previous accidents 'interlocking and block working' would have prevented the disaster.
Kirtlebridge
Kirtlebridge is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. It is located north-east of Annan, north-west of Kirkpatrick-Fleming, and south of Eaglesfield...
in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
.
On 2 October 1872 the 21:00 night Scotch Express from London Euston, running 1 hour and 50 minutes late left Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
at 07:50. It consisted of 18 vehicles pulled by two locomotives. Just north of Kirtlebridge station the Solway Junction
Solway Junction Railway
The Solway Junction Railway ran between the Caledonian Railway near Kirtlebridge and the Brayton station of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. The Act of Parliament was granted on 30 June 1864 and the line was opened in 1869. It involved a iron girder viaduct between Bowness-on-Solway and Annan...
was fully interlocked
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
but the station itself was not, nor was the block system in operation. At 07:55 a goods train arrived at the station and began shunting operations. Crossover points were not controlled by the signalman but by ground levers and were moreover 300 yards from the signalbox. Local rules were that the signals should be kept at danger, but on this occasion they were showing clear. In addition the signalman was not kept informed about the shunting manoeuvres, nor did he receive any advice by telegraph about the progress of the express. The Kirtlebridge stationmaster momentarily forgot that the late-running express had not yet come through, and diverted waggons onto the downline via the crossover points, as he did so the express appeared, running at 40 mph and collided with the waggons. The lead locomotive ended up facing the way it had come and its tender ended upright on the platform, the second locomotive stayed on the rails with its tender and three leading coaches piled up against it. Eleven passengers and one engineman were killed. As in many previous accidents 'interlocking and block working' would have prevented the disaster.