 |
 |
|
|
|
| site name:- |
Settle and Carlisle Railway |
| county:- |
North Yorkshire |
| locality type:- |
railway accident site |
| coordinates:- |
SD77959373 (guess) |
| 1Km square:- |
SD7793 |
| 10Km square:- |
SD79 |
|
|
hearsay:-
|
In 1910 instead of the Chief Mechanical Engineer, decisions about what sort of locomotives
were used on the railway were made by the Traffic Department, their policy was frequent
trains of light formation, using smaller locomotives. This policy necessitated the
use of pilot engines on the steep gradients either side of Aisgill Summit. These were
detached at Hawes Junction, now Garsdale Head, to return to their base. Consequently
there were very many light engine movements on this part of the railway.
|
|
In the early hours of 24 December 1910 there were nine locomotives at Garsdale, waiting
to return to their home stations. Two of them, class 2 2-4-0 engines nos.448 and 548,
were forgotten by the over worked signalman. They set off towards Aisgill, obeying
a signal for a following train at 5.43am. They had a slight start but were only travelling
at about 30mph, followed by an express train to Scotland from London at 60-65mph which
passed Garsdale at 5.47am.
|
|
When the day signlaman came on duty at 6.00am the error became apparent, but there
was already a glow in the sky over Mallerstang. The night signalman said to the relief:-
|
|
"Will you go to Stationmaster Bunce and say that I am afraid I have wrecked the Scotch
express."
|
|
The express was double headed, a Kirtley 2-4-0 no.48, and a 7ft class 2 rebuilt 4-4-0
no.549, which ran into the light engines in a violent collision. Both express engines
and seven coaches were derailed, the first two carriages telescoped, and set on fire
by escaping gas from the lighting equipment; all eight coaches were destroyed by fire.
12 persons died.
|
|
After this accident the Midland Railway improved safety measures at hundreds of sites,
installing track circuiting. These are a corrective to signalmen's errors, but can't
guard against a driver's failure to observe signals.
|
|
|
Lakes Guides menu.