Clapham Junction accident question

[Mat17]

I've been reading into the tragic accident that occurred in 1988.

The actual sequence of events and causes leading to it seem fairly clear or established.

There are still a few points I find very muddled. One of the service trains is referred to as the Basingstoke, the other is referred to as the Poole train, or the Bournemouth train. Am I right in understanding that it didn't actually start at Poole that day but at Bournemouth and was diverted?

Does anyone know which stations both of these trains actually called at (either booked or due to diversion). Google seems to think the Poole train started in Poole and ran direct to London non-stop, which can't be true, if it started in Bournemouth. I was under the impression that neither train was an express but can find no mention of their actual stopping points prior to the disaster.

 

[hexagon789]

I've been reading into the tragic accident that occurred in 1988.

The actual sequence of events and causes leading to it seem fairly clear or established.

There are still a few points I find very muddled. One of the service trains is referred to as the Basingstoke, the other is referred to as the Poole train, or the Bournemouth train. Am I right in understanding that it didn't actually start at Poole that day but at Bournemouth and was diverted?

Does anyone know which stations both of these trains actually called at (either booked or due to diversion). Google seems to think the Poole train started in Poole and ran direct to London non-stop, which can't be true, if it started in Bournemouth. I was under the impression that neither train was an express but can find no mention of their actual stopping points prior to the disaster.

The "Poole" train as it is referred to, was ordinarily the 0614 Poole to London Waterloo. Page 23 of the accident report states that due to vandalism on the Sunday, the empty stock for the working (stabled in Bournemouth) was unable to get any further than Branksome to start it's booked working, so had effectively run as the 0821 Branksome to Waterloo.

 

[Gloster]

Looking at page 23 and Appendix K1 of the report, there seems to be no indication that either train was diverted from its normal route straight up the main line. It is possible that one or the other was switched from Main to Relief or v.v., but this would be routine, not a diversion. The Poole train was on its normal route, just starting part way into the journey.

The Poole train seems to have had its last stops at Winchester and Basingstoke, after which it was fast. The Basingstoke was probably all stops to Woking and then fast, but it could have made other stops.

 

[Mat17]

Thanks to both of you for getting back to me so quickly!

 

[Rail Ranger]

From memory the "Poole" train should have been formed of a class 442 but due to vandals having put a cement mixer on the track between Bournemouth and Poole it was formed of a Mark 1 based train, which had much worse crash worthiness.

 

[Magdalia]

Does anyone know which stations both of these trains actually called at (either booked or due to diversion).

The 0718 from Basingstoke was booked to call all stations to Farnborough and Woking and due to arrive Waterloo at 0817.
The 0614 from Poole was booked to call Parkstone, Branksome, Bournemouth, Brockenhurst, Southampton, Southampton Parkway, Winchester and Basingstoke and due to arrive Waterloo at 0819.

The Hidden report times the crash at "about 0810" which suggests that both trains were near to being on time and had followed their booked routes.

 

[eldomtom2]

From memory the "Poole" train should have been formed of a class 442 but due to vandals having put a cement mixer on the track between Bournemouth and Poole it was formed of a Mark 1 based train, which had much worse crash worthiness.

The Hidden report specifically says the opposite:

The rolling stock for the train was positioned as usual overnight in the sidings at Bournemouth up the line from Poole. On that Sunday night there had been a derailment caused by vandalism on the line between Branksome and Poole. As a result next morning the stock could get no further towards Poole than Branksome to start the service. Thus, the 06:14 Poole service to Waterloo effectively originated from Branksome at 06:21. Vandalism did not therefore affect the make-up of the Poole train. It ran that morning with the rolling stock which had always been intended to be used for the service, namely, twelve Mark I coaches made up of three units of four carriages.

 

[Rail Ranger]

OK thanks. Media reports at the time were clearly inaccurate.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

The 0614 Poole to Waterloo was still booked/diagrammed for 4 REP + 8 TC at the time. AFAIR it was the last such diagram in the stock changeover plan to go over to 442, but hadn't done so at the time in question.

 

[Helvellyn]

I think it should have gone over to a 442 but delays meant it was still REP/TC. Quite a few REPs had already gone for scrap by this time. Was it a peak only diagram?

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

I believe that the train that hit the mixer was indeed a 442, which may have contributed to the misconception. (I recall seeing footage of the mixer derailment on the breakfast TV news that morning. Later I was doing my homework in the front room when I overheard references to a train accident on the six o'clock news, and I remember wondering why a relatively minor incident was getting so much attention - I wasn't aware of the Clapham accident and had presumed they were still talking about the original derailment.)

 

[Leyland Bus]

The Greg Morse book "The Clapham Train Accident" goes really indepth about how this accident happened, the ramifications and also the need to remember lessons from the past. I cannot recommend it enough, a thoroughly good read and very informative.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

I think it should have gone over to a 442 but delays meant it was still REP/TC. Quite a few REPs had already gone for scrap by this time. Was it a peak only diagram?

Point one, quite likely. Last point, can't now remember tbh, and never kept any of the STP notices (ACWN's) that I and my colleagues issued from back then - it was just a job - and often a pain when things were running late (ie; 442 introduction), but that's nothing new!

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The Greg Morse book "The Clapham Train Accident" goes really indepth about how this accident happened, the ramifications and also the need to remember lessons from the past. I cannot recommend it enough, a thoroughly good read and very informative.

Yes I second that, one of the best railway books that I’ve read.