The LNER Encyclopedia

Not sure how many of you are aware of this website, accidents going back to the dawn of railways, plus tragedies like Abbots Ripton and Welwyn GC

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/index.php

Its an interesting site - when you read about how the railways operated and compare it to now

If you select York North from the drop down box, and nothing else, it returns no searches!

Annitsford isn't listed either. Even with a fatality.

Err - I think if you read it properly, Silver Fix, the two events at York North in 1874 and 1875 are both shown as 'awaiting information', presumably waiting for the reports to become available to him from diverse sources and then be scanned. Why not offer the poor chap a hand in his work?, he only does it as a hobby - durrr!

Well said, he can only list items according to the information given to him.

I did try posting earlier but it seems to have gone amiss. This is a most fantastic site. All credit to this guy. These reports give a snapshot of a location at a given date. After reading Connington 1961 i had many happy hours researching why there was a signalbox at Wood Walton that only signalled the up fast. We usually think of a signalbox as a fairly permanant afair but not this one. Mobile is more accurate..

I agree with the positive comments here. I've found the site (which doesn't claim to be a definitive archive of absolutely every single railway mishap since Mr.Huskisson's demise) very useful professionally from time to time, and have contributed a number of 1950s and 60s-era "blue cover" DoT accident reports to it.

This guy deserves praise for this site & if you have any accident reports get in contact with him. He is always grateful for all contributions.

hq1hitchin wrote:Err - I think if you read it properly, Silver FOx, the two events at York North in 1874 and 1875 are both shown as 'awaiting information', presumably waiting for the reports to become available to him from diverse sources and then be scanned. Why not offer the poor chap a hand in his work?, he only does it as a hobby - durrr!

I can't find that, it just returns no searches!

And don't DURRR me!

Connington South was the saddest one - to think one of our own did that. A disgrace to the railways. Excellent book, highly detailed, is 'A signficant accident' by Rev Courtney Atkin, goes into to it in great detail.

Signalman got sent down, but not for long enough according to many

Believe Mr Frost is dead now, anybody confirm that?

silver fox wrote:I can't find that, it just returns no searches!

On the main page, click on the "accidents" tab. Using the drop-down "locations" menu, scroll to "York North Junction". Click "Go". Result: accidents on 2nd October 1874 and 2nd March 1875.

hq1hitchin wrote:Connington South was the saddest one - to think one of our own did that. A disgrace to the railways. Excellent book, highly detailed, is 'A signficant accident' by Rev Courtney Atkin, goes into to it in great detail.

Signalman got sent down, but not for long enough according to many

Believe Mr Frost is dead now, anybody confirm that?

Connington is a rather unusual location, quite remote for Cambridgeshire, and yet the scene of so many accidents. Besides the 1967 disgrace the were other accidents here. The 1961 accident(s) were rather spectacular but with no one killed. One result of an earlier accident was a wartime concrete and brick (ARP) signalbox was moved about 200 yards nearer a level crossing. Another involved german POW's killed in their lorry in 1952. I never have understood why they were still here. Interestingly three of the accidents involved Deltics..(1961,1966 & 1967) I'm lucky to have in my collection the locking charts for the work carried by the locking fitters in connection with the 1967 'accident' where the offending facing point was removed as part of the investigation.

The one I looked up was the January 7, 1957 collision just south of Welwyn Garden City station. This involved A2/3 No. 60520 on an overnight express from Aberdeen running into the back of a Baldock - Kings Cross local hauled by L1 No. 67741 which had been cleared to move on to the up main after leaving WGC station. Briefly, the driver of the express had gone through two home signals that were 'on' and hit the local at approx. 60 mph, the local itself having accelerated to approx. 35 mph.

I remember arriving at the scene approximately three hours after the collision and gaping in awe the sight of an A2 over on its side and the rest of the wreckage. Fifty-one years ago, now and the memories came flooding back.

Thanks for the heads-up on finding that site, hq1Hitchin.

hq1hitchin wrote:Connington South was the saddest one - to think one of our own did that. A disgrace to the railways.

Compare with http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... aw1970.pdf