Milton derailment 1955.

[1018509]

I was reminded of this incident recently and remember it every time I hear Didcot mentioned although this happened nearby at Milton.I remember seeing the aftermath of this derailment, as a 4 year old child, from a passing train The sight of the crumpled carriages and the locomotive on its side down rhe embankment was something I'll never forget. Quite exciting as a kid, not understanding the sad consequences of the tragic circumstances.

I can't imagine, nowadays, the adjacent line of a derailment on this scale, being opened to passing trains within hours of occurring.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Sunday 20th November 1955. Sadly 11 folk lost their lives.

 

[Rescars]

Your thread prompted me to look up Brigadier Langley's report. Although not directly contributing to the accident, from today's perspective it seems remarkable that the Britannia class loco involved had no speedometer and indeed it was only in 1952 that the BTC decided that all new build express and mixed traffic locos should be so equipped.

 

[jfollows]

The class 506 DC EMUs for Manchester-Hadfield, ordered in 1938 but built in 1950 didn’t have speedometers, so it was obviously a “thing” at that time. I was lucky enough to travel in the cab a few times.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The class 506 DC EMUs for Manchester-Hadfield, ordered in 1938 but built in 1950 didn’t have speedometers, so it was obviously a “thing” at that time. I was lucky enough to travel in the cab a few times.

The 1938 Stock on the Bakerloo Line up to their withdrawal in the mid 1980s did not have speedometers; I am not sure if any of the five rakes later revived for a couple of years on the Northern Line were fitted, though.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Harold Gasson in his book Signalling Days gives a description of the incident. There are also some pictures of 70026 Polar Stars recovery. He had at one time been a signalman at Milton.

 

[contrex]

The 1938 Stock on the Bakerloo Line up to their withdrawal in the mid 1980s did not have speedometers; I am not sure if any of the five rakes later revived for a couple of years on the Northern Line were fitted, though.

The entire 4-SUB fleet which ran until 1983 on the Southern had no speedo. I do not know if 4732, which was preserved, and ran for some years later, had one fitted, nor the 2-BIL or Sarah Siddons.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2026 ==

Your thread prompted me to look up Brigadier Langley's report.

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_Milton1955.pdf

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2026 ==

I was immediately put in mind of the 1967 derailment at Foxhall Junction, Didcot, when a train crossed from the Down Relief to Down Main at a speed 'greatly in excess' of that permitted, not least because OS 'Ossie' Nock was a passenger in the last but one coach. Also Norton Fitwarren in 1940, another Relief-to-Main crossover derailment.

 

[Dstock7080]

The 1938 Stock on the Bakerloo Line up to their withdrawal in the mid 1980s did not have speedometers; I am not sure if any of the five rakes later revived for a couple of years on the Northern Line were fitted, though.

They weren't but the current Heritage unit was subsequently fitted. CO/CP Stock also didn't have them. R Stock had very rudimentary barometer style (rising liquid in glass tube).

 

[Gloster]

Your thread prompted me to look up Brigadier Langley's report. Although not directly contributing to the accident, from today's perspective it seems remarkable that the Britannia class loco involved had no speedometer and indeed it was only in 1952 that the BTC decided that all new build express and mixed traffic locos should be so equipped.

I came across a reference (in The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part 14; RCTS; 1993) that Castle Class 7008-7017 (built May to August 1948) were definitely not built with speedometers and 7018-7027 (built May to August 1949) probably weren’t. Speedometers started to be fitted in 1950 and all (presumably of these twenty) had them by 1954.