The LNER Encyclopedia

Does anyone know how many accidents the A4 class has been in?
It's probably been brought up before, but I couldn't find any other topic about it in time.

60018 was in an accident at Piershill Junction, Edinburgh on 21st December 1951. The signalman forgetting the A4 standing on the Up Slow line accepted a passenger train of 5 coaches headed by V1 63730 which collided with the A4, forcing it back 35 yards and badly damaging both engines and the front coach of the train. There were, luckily, only minor injuries to 12 passengers and 3 railwaymen. The Inspecting Officer placed the blame on the signalman for not 'blocking back' to Lochend Junction and failing to put collars on the relevant levers. The A4's crew were also criticised for failure to carry out Rule55 (The fireman should have gone to the signalbox immediately the A4 was held at the signal and remained there until the road was clear.) There was no track circuiting at Piershill Junction at the time.

Interestingly failure to carry out Rule 55 caused or contributed to 14 accidents during 1951!

I found that signalmen didn't like firemen to carry out rule 55 in general.

Signing the train register seemed to upset them for some reason.

And talk about getting the cold shoulder!

Yeadons also shows 2511/60016 at Doncaster from 16/8-4/9/37 for collision damage, 4464/60019 in Doncaster for collision damage for two days, 3-4/1/38 and 4489/60010 in Doncaster from 31/1-18/3/39 after being damaged in a collisiona t Hatfield.

G'Day Gents

I found that out myself on a number of occasions, and if my memory still serves me correctly, In fog or falling snow you go the signal box immediately and wait at the box, but in normal weather conditions you would wait for a couple of minutes after giving the signalman a whistle! then the fireman would be sent to the signalbox, the Killer being the the 'few minutes' as not all drivers had a watch, even in 1951, so so easy to get distracted for those 'few minutes'

Sorry this has nothing to do with A4's, but one was put through the back wall of 'Top shed' in in LNER 'blue 'days.
I'll see if I can dig it out.

manna

Wasn't the original recessed coupling hook altered after a serious injury/fatality?

jwealleans wrote:Wasn't the original recessed coupling hook altered after a serious injury/fatality?

Yes, the original design was altered after an accident at Kings X station soon after the A4 had entered service. A shunter was crushed and fatally injured. Not sure which engine, possibly 2509

Boris wrote:I found that signalmen didn't like firemen to carry out rule 55 in general.

Signing the train register seemed to upset them for some reason.

And talk about getting the cold shoulder!

Perhaps it was because firemen left a trail of coal dust wherever they went?

As witnessed by Harry Knox (and recorded in his book "Steam Days at Haymarket") 60031 Golden Plover suffered substantial damage while innocently standing "shining from stem to stern" outside the shed in the June sunshine in the late 50's when Haymarket's own J36, 65235 Gough, on disposal, shot out of the shed "like a cork from a bottle" colliding heavily with the front of No 31.
Gough was relatively undamaged compared to Golden Plover whose 'injuries' included the buckling of the main frames. She had to be removed to Doncaster for repair, and while she had been sitting in that gleaming condition awaiting her turn on the non-stop "The Elizabethan", she didn't, as a result of the damage, work the non-stop for the remainder of that year.

Sorry multiprinter, were you a signalman,

I was never covered in coal dust, we had a slacker pipe to keep the footplate clean and I mean clean
I used to wear a tie at work even in the summer and don't ever remember getting a sweat on.
Firing wasn't hard work if done properly.

Arriving at Cleethorpes with a K2 and 10 bogies just meant a quick walk to the refreshment room at the end of the platforms, three pints of Mansfield, Drink the first while the others were being pulled then sit with my driver and slowly drink the other two between us.

Now that was life as it should be lived

LOL! Boris. You know how the old saying goes about if you love what you do, then you don't really work? You sound to be the epitome of that. Good old days, indeed, for you then . Do they still brew Mansfield?

Wouldn't have known about any of these incidents otherwise. Thanks for the replies, everyone!

60027 was dragged back by its rain in North Queensferry tunnel in the late 50s and derailed. Iam fairly certain it was a Sunday night and the train was the late Aberdeen- Kings X

Hi Manna,

A good friend of mine has given me the LNER Rule book of 1933. I have begun reading it and interestingly its says,” …a train must not stand more than three minutes at a stop signal before the man goes to the signal box.”
Do I deduct from its small shape that it was meant to be carried by staff in their inside jacket pockets while on duty?

Regards

Steve

Steve05 wrote: " Hi Manna,
A good friend of mine has given me the LNER Rule book of 1933. .... Do I deduct from its small shape that it was meant to be carried by staff in their inside jacket pockets while on duty? "

Regards
Steve

I have always subscribed to that belief, Steve.
The format remained the same (I believe the last was the 1961 updated-reprint of the British Railways issue of 1950) until BR launched the first of the modern day Rule Book formats by moving to a loose-leaf A5 size in the 1970s ('72 I think).