The LNER Encyclopedia

For those of you ex-pats, you may well not know about the major crash on the LMS last night, involving a Virgin Pendolino.
One daed, and the front has detached, spun round and is in the middle of the whole train.
It has derailed, travelled along at a reported 95mph, then slid down the enbankment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6391633.stm

The accident near Kendal was headline news here on channel one in New Zealand today, they reported nearly 100 people injured.

Does anyone have any ideas on the cause of the accident or do we have to wait for the enquiry?

It is reported to be points failure.

And as for the amount on the train, it's 200, 180 (from virgin) 120, so it varies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6392197.stm

Breaking live news, Richard Branson has returned from Holiday and is on the site now looking at the track.

The Virgin and Network Rail officials were stressing how well the Pendolino train had survived the 95 mph crash. The carriages were intact and most of the couplings held together preventing jack knifing. The carriage bodies retained their integrity and there was no telescoping. It is quite remarkable that only one person was killed, although any fatality is regrettable.

The Pendolino is one of 53 sets owned by Virgin.

The derailment appears to have occurred at a pair of facing points where one check rail was briefly glimpsed badly bent. Whether this was damaged by the derailed train, or by a previous one, is matter of conjecture for the moment.

If I had a similar accident on my model railway, I would be checking the point blades and the back to back measurements on the wheel sets. There is no suggestion yet that the Pendolino was in any way at fault.

Interestingly, the Midland Railway experienced similar derailments on facing points on the main line and adopted a policy of removing them. Generally railways fitted facing point locking bars on the main line.

Colombo

I haven't seen any pictures, but the survival of the Pendolino carriage bodies intact is a consistent comment. High speed accident survivability appears to have made some big steps forward in recent years/decades. Even the Mk. 4 stock at Great Heck did very well considering the very high net speed (still a record I understand?) and kinetic energy.

One hates to think how the Mk.1 stock or our beloved Gresley stock would have fared in either accident...


Richard

Richard

You can see pictures on the BBC news website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Sometimes facing points are a nessacary evil, with the GN junction across to Cambridge from the east coast main line being a logistical nightmare without them, no matter how tragic these accidents are they will have to persist on the network. Perhaps another method of securly locking them will arrise out of this.

Simon

Richard

You can see pictures on the BBC news website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Sometimes facing points are a nessacary evil, with the GN junction across to Cambridge from the east coast main line being a logistical nightmare without them, no matter how tragic these accidents are they will have to persist on the network. Perhaps another method of securly locking them will arrise out of this.

Simon

Hows about this, only the front Loco/Carriage came apart, and spun round to face in the other direction!

The train 390033 in particular coach 68833 is the same train which derailed at Oxley on the 4th of April last year