Taunton train fire
Encyclopedia
The Taunton sleeping car fire occurred in a sleeping car
train at Taunton, England
in the early hours of 6 July 1978. It killed 12 people and had far-reaching effects for British Rail
.
coach which was built in 1960, at which time trains in the UK were mostly hauled by steam locomotives, which provided steam for heating passenger accommodation. Diesel locomotives of the period were fitted with boiler
s so that they could be used with existing coaches. However, with steam locomotives gone by the 1970s, and with boilers proving unreliable and expensive to maintain, the decision was made to change to electric train heating (ETH). W2437 was converted in 1976; an electric heater being installed in the vestibule.
The Class 47
hauled 22:30 sleeping car express from Penzance
to Paddington on 5 July 1978 was scheduled to pick up two sleeping cars at Plymouth
; this arrangement was so that passengers joining the train there could go to bed without having to wait for the main service to arrive at around midnight.
The main store for bed linen
on the Plymouth service was at Old Oak Common
depot near London Paddington. Used bedding from Plymouth used to be transported in the guards van of the Plymouth portion, but in 1977 that vehicle was removed from the formation. Instead, the dirty linen was stacked in plastic
bags in the vestibule of W2437, against the heater. From then onwards, it was only a matter of time until a serious accident occurred.
and Exeter
. Nobody who saw the train noticed anything amiss, but the bags of linen were now heating up. As they smouldered they began to give off toxic gas
es, including carbon monoxide
. Unfortunately the ventilation system drew fresh air from the vestibule, and the gases were sucked into the system and into each berth.
A major fire developed and the train was stopped at 02:41 near Silk Mill signal box
about a mile short of the station in Taunton
, Somerset
, by the communication cord being pulled. By that time, most of the victims were already dead from carbon monoxide poisoning
. A small number of passengers awoke and were able to escape, although they had considerable difficulty in doing so due to the smoke
and heat
. The sleeping car attendant of the Plymouth coaches could only shout a warning to a few of the occupants before he was overcome by smoke; it was the attendant in the adjacent coach who pulled the communication cord. The victims as well as other injured passengers were taken to the nearby Musgrove Park Hospital
for treatment.
A twelfth passenger, a Belgian national, died from pneumonia
nine months later, having never regained consciousness.
operation because doors on the train were locked. This was against the rules, but it was commonplace for attendants to lock the end doors of the pair of coaches that they were responsible for. This meant that attendants could greet passengers on arrival, and it helped to keep out intruders. Following this discovery, BR made it absolutely clear that all doors were to be left unlocked at all times.
The Taunton fire occurred just as new Mark 3
sleeping cars were at the design stage. The decision was taken to install state-of-the art fire prevention measures including sophisticated warning systems, fire retardant materials, multilingual warning placards and revised emergency procedures.
The old Mark 1 sleeping cars were phased out by the early 1980s, and so far the Mark 3s have had an excellent safety record.
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
train at Taunton, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the early hours of 6 July 1978. It killed 12 people and had far-reaching effects for British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
.
Background
The vehicle involved was no. W2437, a British Railways Mark 1British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
coach which was built in 1960, at which time trains in the UK were mostly hauled by steam locomotives, which provided steam for heating passenger accommodation. Diesel locomotives of the period were fitted with boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s so that they could be used with existing coaches. However, with steam locomotives gone by the 1970s, and with boilers proving unreliable and expensive to maintain, the decision was made to change to electric train heating (ETH). W2437 was converted in 1976; an electric heater being installed in the vestibule.
The Class 47
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
hauled 22:30 sleeping car express from Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
to Paddington on 5 July 1978 was scheduled to pick up two sleeping cars at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
; this arrangement was so that passengers joining the train there could go to bed without having to wait for the main service to arrive at around midnight.
The main store for bed linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
on the Plymouth service was at Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common is an area of London between Harlesden and Acton known for its railway depots, particularly Old Oak Common TMD. Further south lies an open area, Wormwood Scrubs Park, and Wormwood Scrubs prison...
depot near London Paddington. Used bedding from Plymouth used to be transported in the guards van of the Plymouth portion, but in 1977 that vehicle was removed from the formation. Instead, the dirty linen was stacked in plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
bags in the vestibule of W2437, against the heater. From then onwards, it was only a matter of time until a serious accident occurred.
Events
The train arrived at Plymouth from Penzance at 23:50. It was coupled up to the Plymouth sleeping cars (which included W2437) and the ETH was turned on at 00:15. The train departed on time at 00:30 and made scheduled stops at Newton AbbotNewton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
and Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. Nobody who saw the train noticed anything amiss, but the bags of linen were now heating up. As they smouldered they began to give off toxic gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
es, including carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
. Unfortunately the ventilation system drew fresh air from the vestibule, and the gases were sucked into the system and into each berth.
A major fire developed and the train was stopped at 02:41 near Silk Mill signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
about a mile short of the station in Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, by the communication cord being pulled. By that time, most of the victims were already dead from carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
. A small number of passengers awoke and were able to escape, although they had considerable difficulty in doing so due to the smoke
Smoke
Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
and heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
. The sleeping car attendant of the Plymouth coaches could only shout a warning to a few of the occupants before he was overcome by smoke; it was the attendant in the adjacent coach who pulled the communication cord. The victims as well as other injured passengers were taken to the nearby Musgrove Park Hospital
Musgrove Park Hospital
Musgrove Park Hospital is a large NHS hospital located in Taunton, Somerset. Originally a US Army General Hospital during the Second World War, it became an NHS hospital in 1949.-About the hospital:...
for treatment.
A twelfth passenger, a Belgian national, died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
nine months later, having never regained consciousness.
Consequences
Initial reports showed that fire crews had difficulty during the rescueRescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
operation because doors on the train were locked. This was against the rules, but it was commonplace for attendants to lock the end doors of the pair of coaches that they were responsible for. This meant that attendants could greet passengers on arrival, and it helped to keep out intruders. Following this discovery, BR made it absolutely clear that all doors were to be left unlocked at all times.
The Taunton fire occurred just as new Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
sleeping cars were at the design stage. The decision was taken to install state-of-the art fire prevention measures including sophisticated warning systems, fire retardant materials, multilingual warning placards and revised emergency procedures.
The old Mark 1 sleeping cars were phased out by the early 1980s, and so far the Mark 3s have had an excellent safety record.