Quintinshill

[Jimbob52]

A reminder that next week will see the anniversary of the terrible accident at Quintinshill on 22 May 1915.

A black day in UK railway history.

 

[LMS 4F]

Also to state that there is a memorial in the cemetery at Leith, which is only a 15 minute walk from Waverley.

I Paid my respects some years ago now, particular to me as they were soldiers who were remembered there.

 

[The exile]

Also to state that there is a memorial in the cemetery at Leith, which is only a 15 minute walk from Waverley.

I Paid my respects some years ago now, particular to me as they were soldiers who were remembered there.

15 minutes would be pushing it.

 

[Rescars]

A reminder that next week will see the anniversary of the terrible accident at Quintinshill on 22 May 1915.

A black day in UK railway history.

Indeed. By coincidence, 22nd May was also the second and final day of the GWR's final broad gauge conversion. It was a Sunday in 1892.

 

[Ken H]

A reminder that next week will see the anniversary of the terrible accident at Quintinshill on 22 May 1915.

A black day in UK railway history.

The lack of adherence to rules just shows what can go wrong. Not least the performing of rule 55

 

[norbitonflyer]

Also to state that there is a memorial in the cemetery at Leith, which is only a 15 minute walk from Waverley.

I Paid my respects some years ago now, particular to me as they were soldiers who were remembered there.

Leith, because it was the Leith battallion of the Royal Scots Regiment who were on board the troop train. There is another memorial at Larbert, where the battalion embarked on its way to Liverpool, from where they were to have sailed to Gallipoli. Many of those on the train were fated never to leave Scotland.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There is another memorial at Larbert, where the battalion embarked on its way to Liverpool, from where they were to have sailed to Gallipoli. Many of those on the train were fated never to leave Scotland.

Memorial plaque is affixed to the wall in the waiting room area on the Southbound platform side at Larbert station.

 

[LMS 4F]

The troop train was going to Liverpool where the Soldiers were to embark for Gallipol. This was a killing ground and many of the men may well have become casualties there but this in no way reduces the horror of the collision.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The troop train was going to Liverpool where the Soldiers were to embark for Gallipol. This was a killing ground and many of the men may well have become casualties there but this in no way reduces the horror of the collision.

Indeed. The accident was partly a result of the war. Three, possibly four, of the five trains present were wartime traffic. The two freight trains occupying the up and down loops were "Jellicoe Specials", delivering coal to the Fleet at Scapa Flow and returning with the empties. Then tghre was the troop train itself. And finally the overnight train from London that ran into the wreckage of the first collision was an additional portion of the overnight service from London, which was run in two parts - again because of the extra wartime passenger numbers.
It was only because of the extra London train that the local had to be shunted out of its way, and only because of the two goods trains that the only place to put it was on the up line - unfortunately both the signalman who put it there, and his relief - who had arrived on it - forgot about it.

 

[Elecman]

Also a plaque on the bridge wing wall at Quintinshill itself

 

[172007]

Of course you have all missed the other major partner the story. The legal case and even those distant days medical issues being used as mitigation.

They got jobs back on the railway after release from jail too.

 

[Rescars]

Of course you have all missed the other major partner the story. The legal case and even those distant days medical issues being used as mitigation.

They got jobs back on the railway after release from jail too.

And very unusual to have an English coroners court hearing before a criminal trial in Scotland.

 

[The exile]

Leith, because it was the Leith battallion of the Royal Scots Regiment who were on board the troop train. There is another memorial at Larbert, where the battalion embarked on its way to Liverpool, from where they were to have sailed to Gallipoli. Many of those on the train were fated never to leave Scotland.

Ironically,- the cemetery housing the memorial was always in Edinburgh, not Leith. The boundary ran down the middle of Pilrig Street, just outside the cemetery wall.

 

[Taunton]

They got jobs back on the railway after release from jail too.

This was normal in those times. Of course, it would be jobs not connected with train operations.

The same was true on the loco side, you looked after your own, recognising even then that men were commonly asked to strive beyond reasonable capability. David L Smith wrote that he met Driver Caudle, from the Midland Ais Gill disaster, on an LMS shunting loco in Carlisle yards. He was not allowed out on the line.

I don't think the signalman at Conington in 1967 was offered his job back.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 May 2024 ==

the overnight train from London that ran into the wreckage of the first collision was an additional portion of the overnight service from London, which was run in two parts - again because of the extra wartime passenger numbers. It was only because of the extra London train that the local had to be shunted out of its way,

I believe the first part of the Down express passed through Quintinshill before the collision. The local had been shunted for both.

 

[Millisle]

The lineside name board at Quintinshill was broken a couple of years ago and has not been replaced. The uprights are still there.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

The troop train was going to Liverpool where the Soldiers were to embark for Gallipol. This was a killing ground

Quite so. The Turks were particularly vicious by all accounts, when it came to the 'rules of engagement' such as was left before WW1.

The accident was partly a result of the war. Three, possibly four, of the five trains present were wartime traffic.

Lost a first cousin in a similar way. Had been with US Army Air Corps in Far East in Summer of '45, and had been on leave visiting his family in Detroit, and was en route back to Montana on the Empire Builder to rejoin his unit. He was travelling in the rear 'bobtail' (part observation) car of the first of two trains (portions) forming the Empire Builder, running as such due to large numbers of military personnel and their families travelling. His portion was stopped several times due a hot box, and the engineer of the second portion, having been rapidly closing on the first portion, seemingly failed to notice the first portion stopped ahead at Michigan Town, ND, with tragic consequences.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I believe the first part of the Down express passed through Quintinshill before the collision. The local had been shunted for both.

I stand corrected. I had wrongly assumed the local was sent out from Carlisle after the first portion, so that connections into the local off the sleeper could be maintained.

The locomotive on the local was one of the most powerful the Caledonian had, a "Cardean" class 4-6-0. Its presence on such a mundane duty being explained by it being a running-in turn for locomotives after overhaul.

 

[Skymonster]

Strangely enough I was reading “The Quintinshill Conspiracy” when I travelled between Carlisle and Glasgow the other week - it felt rather eerie passing the spot, book in hand.