Books on British railway accidents
Encyclopedia
There are a number of books on British railway accidents which provide aid in the systematic study of the causes and effects of accidents, and their prevention. There are common themes in many accidents (see Classification
). Key books are listed here to avoid repeating them for each individual accident.
The doyen
is L. T. C. Rolt
's Red for Danger, first published in 1956, which takes a wide-ranging overview of over 100 accidents. Most other books concentrate on a smaller number of specific accidents, described in more detail. O.S. Nock's "Historic Railway Disasters" combines both approaches, with individual chapters on especially significant accidents such as Armagh
and Quintinshill
. For accidents in the last 30 years and modern operating practice, Stanley Hall's four books are particularly good. Apart from Schneider and Mase (1968/1970) and Faith (2001), all the books below are confined to British accidents.
The list below does not include books on individual accidents; for these, see Tay Bridge
, Quintinshill
, Harrow
and Moorgate
.
An extremely valuable source now on the Internet is the Railways Archive compilation of official Railway Inspectorate Accident Reports - see "External Links" below.
and numerous European accidents. Written by a former signalman, with an interesting selection including some less well-known mishaps. covers 47 accidents between 1876 and 1991 with many photographs. 19 modern accidents in the period 1975-97. Like his previous book, contains some trenchant comments on railway management.
Classification of railway accidents
Classification of railway accidents, both in terms of cause and effect, is a valuable aid in studying rail accidents to help to prevent similar ones occurring in future...
). Key books are listed here to avoid repeating them for each individual accident.
The doyen
Doyen
Doyen is a surname. The word doyen is derived from the French term for dean, e.g. Dean and Dean ....
is L. T. C. Rolt
L. T. C. Rolt
Lionel Thomas Caswall Rolt was a prolific English writer and the biographer of major civil engineering figures including Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Thomas Telford...
's Red for Danger, first published in 1956, which takes a wide-ranging overview of over 100 accidents. Most other books concentrate on a smaller number of specific accidents, described in more detail. O.S. Nock's "Historic Railway Disasters" combines both approaches, with individual chapters on especially significant accidents such as Armagh
Armagh rail disaster
The Armagh rail disaster happened on 12 June 1889 near Armagh, Ireland when a crowded Sunday school excursion train had to negotiate a steep incline; the steam locomotive was unable to complete the climb and the train stalled. The train crew decided to divide the train and take forward the front...
and Quintinshill
Quintinshill rail crash
The Quintinshill rail disaster occurred on 22 May 1915 in Scotland near Gretna Green at Quintinshill, an intermediate signal box with sidings on each side on the Caledonian Railway Main Line . The crash involved five trains and killed 226 people...
. For accidents in the last 30 years and modern operating practice, Stanley Hall's four books are particularly good. Apart from Schneider and Mase (1968/1970) and Faith (2001), all the books below are confined to British accidents.
The list below does not include books on individual accidents; for these, see Tay Bridge
Tay Bridge disaster
The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it. The bridge was designed by the noted railway engineer Sir Thomas Bouch,...
, Quintinshill
Quintinshill rail crash
The Quintinshill rail disaster occurred on 22 May 1915 in Scotland near Gretna Green at Quintinshill, an intermediate signal box with sidings on each side on the Caledonian Railway Main Line . The crash involved five trains and killed 226 people...
, Harrow
Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash
The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash was a major railway disaster and collision on the British railway system on 8 October 1952.The accident took place from central London...
and Moorgate
Moorgate tube crash
The Moorgate tube crash was a railway disaster on the London Underground, which occurred on 28 February 1975 at 08.46 am.A southbound train on the Northern Line crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station...
.
An extremely valuable source now on the Internet is the Railways Archive compilation of official Railway Inspectorate Accident Reports - see "External Links" below.
Key books
First published 1998 to accompany the Channel 4 series. An overall survey like Rolt's, but covering worldwide accidents. A broad survey, concentrating especially on accidents in the 20 years up to 1986, especially those caused by drivers' and signalmen's errors. Covers Clapham Junction, Purley, Glasgow Bellgrove and a wide range of other accidents, e.g. track problems, fires, staff fatalities. Covers the period 1989-97 including Cowden, Newton and Southall.. Includes Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Great Heck (Selby). Covers 27 accidents between 1905 and 1962. Particularly good on the human factor and psychological reasons behind accidents. First published 1966, another well-written classic. An excellent overview of accidents up to 1957, in fine writing style (an early critic wrote, "At the risk of being thought callous, one must praise Mr Rolt for making death and disaster most attractive reading"). Some editions contain later material by G.M. Kichenside. Includes classificationClassification of railway accidents
Classification of railway accidents, both in terms of cause and effect, is a valuable aid in studying rail accidents to help to prevent similar ones occurring in future...
and numerous European accidents. Written by a former signalman, with an interesting selection including some less well-known mishaps. covers 47 accidents between 1876 and 1991 with many photographs. 19 modern accidents in the period 1975-97. Like his previous book, contains some trenchant comments on railway management.
External links
- Railway Archive- Accident Report.
- Early railways in the UK and USA by Charles Adams (published in 1879)
- Office of the Railway Regulator Reports on major incidents
- UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch Publications - Covers the period from 2006 onward. Note as well as major accidents there are reports on relatively minor incidents.