Tail lamps

[Jeremy Cumberland]

7 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

 

Quintinshill late 1969 or early 70, can't remember now, but a minority element of railwaymen took the new back cab rules to mean that you didn't have to do anything much, and if both driver and guard were of this persuasion, things could get dangerously out of hand very easily indeed. 

 

Up class 6 vacuum braked steel train ran away down Beattock, was reckoned to be doing well over 100mph through Lockerbie, and demolished a good bit of a class 8 coal train drawing forward into QH up loop, driver and guard of steel train killed on the loco, guard of coal train killed in his van.  The steel, fully loaded bogie bolster Cs carrying billets, had been picked up at Motherwell, guard had not done a brake continuity test (or, apparently, examined the train at all, never got off the loco), accepted that the train was in order from the train preparartion certificate, shunter couples on, buzz buzz on the bell, and away, driver and guard had consumed alcohol in pub before booking on and beer bottle glass was found in the wreckage in association with what are euphemistically referred to as human remains.  The Guard had probably turned up the heaters, put his feet up on the desk, and 'rested his eyes' as soon as he gave right away, next stop relief at Carlisle, aren't they lovely when they're asleep...  Driver had no reason to and did not attempt to apply his train's unconnected, isolated, and completely useless vacuum brakes until after Beattock summit, and it was too late to do anything about it then.  The collision was so severe that, when the wreckage was cleared away, some 150tons of scrap metal could apparently not be accounted for, pulverised into atoms.

 

The consequences of not carrying out a full brake continuity test to your own satisfaction can indeed be extremely dangerous, if not deadly.  If you are lucky, the penaly for breaking rules is reprimand, sacking, sometimes a prison sentence.  The idea that rules are made to be broken, for the guidance of gentlemen and the instruction of idiots does not apply on the railway, where they are rules.  Remember where they were found, at the bottom of a bucket. 

 

Of blood.

There was an accident at Quintinshill on January 12, 1973 similar to the one you describe, but far less dramatic and with no fatalities. There wasn't an accident report that I can find (nothing unusual for the period), but there is a set of photos on Flikr, mostly of the Kingmoor breakdown crane log, with some commentary. First entry here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/45485302592. Scroll backwards/left for the others.

 

I can't see anything concerning a fatal accident in 1969/1970. In absence of an official report into the 1973 accident, I wonder if the tale grew in the telling.

[SM42]

In today's world of electric brake continuity, it is very possible to lose part of your train and not know it. 

 

The tail lamp then becomes a vital safeguard for the following train that is investigating the apparent track circuit failure if no one had thought to challenge the train that left the track down. 

 

I remember one event where a train was stopped at a junction signal, due to traffic crossing ahead, having divided en route and left a track circuit down on the previous signal box area.. 

 

It was only when the drivesrcalled on from the SPT and happened to look back that it was noticed with uttering of the appropriate expletive that the back half of his train was missing

 

A conspicuous lamp was very important in this case.

 

Andy

[Nick C]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

To this day I still check over every train I see, almost subconciously, for anything that would cause concern, including tail lamps, and would not hesitate to contact the railway by whatever means available if I saw anything wrong, including tail lamps...  Can't help myself, it's been hammered in to the point of becoming instinct. 

Even as a heritage volunteer that soon becomes second nature. 

 

As for the brightness of lamps, the signal in my avatar is lit by a modern LED, and even that's invisible in daylight...

[uax6]

On 15/02/2024 at 20:11, Jeremy Cumberland said:

There was an accident at Quintinshill on January 12, 1973 similar to the one you describe, but far less dramatic and with no fatalities. There wasn't an accident report that I can find (nothing unusual for the period), but there is a set of photos on Flikr, mostly of the Kingmoor breakdown crane log, with some commentary. First entry here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/45485302592. Scroll backwards/left for the others.

 

I can't see anything concerning a fatal accident in 1969/1970. In absence of an official report into the 1973 accident, I wonder if the tale grew in the telling.

 

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=132

 

Andy G