Historical rail accident query.

[Nodrog79]

Hello,

I am looking to try and source any information or pictures of engine 25018.

A family member was involved in the crash it had in November 1976 at Newton Junction, Ayr when the brakes failed.

I can find an image at the following site derbysulzers.com having been moved to Glasgow for scrapping due to extensive damage.

Unfortunately any report which was complied can no longer be found by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Can anyone suggest how further pictures and / or reports of the accident could be found?

Thanks,

Gordon

 

[SWT Driver]

http://www.derbysulzers.com/25317.html

 

[the sniper]

I would have recommended The Railway Archive site as that's normally the main place to find old crash reports, but sadly I looked and it isn't on there.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6359

 

[Dreadnought]

Hello,

I am looking to try and source any information or pictures of engine 25018.

A family member was involved in the crash it had in November 1976 at Newton Junction, Ayr when the brakes failed.

I can find an image at the following site derbysulzers.com having been moved to Glasgow for scrapping due to extensive damage.

Unfortunately any report which was complied can no longer be found by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Can anyone suggest how further pictures and / or reports of the accident could be found?

Thanks,

Gordon

Just had a look on www.railwaysarchive.co.uk and although there is an accident summary for this incident there is no documentation available.

Paul

 

[Old Timer]

Try Bedford Central Library, which some years back had the largest collection of HMRI formal Railway Accident Reports in the UK.

I have a friend who is HMRI and he has a lot so I will check with him.

In the meantime try this Organisation http://www.ayrshirehistory.org.uk/

 

[Dolive22]

All I can find is the history section of the Wikipedia page 'Shippea Hill railway station' and the words 'Shippea Hill; A passenger train collided with a lorry on an unmanned level crossing. 1 killed, several injured' on the page 'List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom'. A search for Newton Junction wasn't very informative.

Given the cause of the accident (a lorry on the level crossing) it may be of interest that 'The level crossing adjacent to Shippea Hill Railway Station is not automated; the gates are opened and closed manually by Network Rail staff' but that is unsourced and I haven't tracked down when it was added, so it could be out of date or just plain not true.

I like to fill in the gaps on Wikipedia when I can so if you could reply with anything you find (and PMing me if you don't mind so I know to check back) I would appreciate it.

Before you all have a go at me for using Wikipedia my first port of call the Railway Archive was already tried by at least one person.

Does the Railway Archive give any suggestion where any records might be?

If the family member is still around you could try asking them if they remember who interviewed them. It might help to track them down.

 

[O L Leigh]

The Derby Sulzers pages give the following brief report on it's pages.

7S64 20.10 Carlisle - Falkland Jct freight, five wagons and a brake van ran through a red signal opposite Ayr depot, derailing at the catch points. 25018 rolled over onto its side, becoming wedged against 20125 which was leaving the depot. Damage to the Type 2 was GBP26,000 enough to see it withdrawn during November.

It would also appear that a member of traincrew was killed, as this incident finds itself listed in a research paper of 2003 by Professor Andrew Evans, professor of transport safety at UCL, into fatal rail accidents on the UK mainline railway.

Deeper searches on the RSSB, RAIB and other websites throw up no further information. If any report exists it is going to be in paper form and not on the internet.

O L Leigh

 

[Nodrog79]

Hi,

Some interesting replies so thanks for your help. The crash was at Newton Junction, Ayr on 9th November 1976. I have contacted the Office of Rail Regulation and any paper report that was published can no longer be found either by being lost or since destroyed. It is believed that a "white report" would have only been distributed within the industry.

An image of 25018 after the accident can be found on this link

http://www.derbysulzers.com/scrapyard.html

It seems that the only information / pictures can now be found by further enquiry with local papers.

Thanks,

Gordon

 

[gregh]

Have you tried the National Archives at Kew in South West London?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

They have an incredible amount of historical documents relating to the railway, and i know they have a number (but far from complete set) of reports of accident investigations by HMRI and their forerunners. It would be worth you contacting them to see if they have a copy of the report that you're after. If they have, they will copy and post it to you (at a price) to save you going there yourself, which unless you live on the doorstep will be cheaper than making a personal journey.

I have been using the National Archives for fifteen years to research a non-railway subject, but occasionally have a look at some of the railway documents there just for a change - there really is an absolute wealth of interesting stuff to be seen!!

 

[Turbostar]

http://www.derbysulzers.com/25317.html

What has this got to do with this thread, it's the wrong loco for starters! :roll: