Weedon rail crashes
Encyclopedia
Weedon, Northamptonshire on the West Coast Main Line
has been the site of two serious derailments in 1915 and 1951, killing 10 and 15 people respectively.
locomotive No. 1489 lost a taper pin
; its purpose was to lock a screwed collar which retained the offside coupling rod
to its crank pin
. The coupling rod detached and struck one of the sleepers on the up line; pushing the track out of alignment just as the 08:30 Euston to Holyhead Irish Mail train approached. It consisted of 15 coaches hauled by two locomotives
LNWR Renown Class
No. 1971 and Precedent Class
No. 1189 and was travelling at 60 miles per hour. Both locomotives and every carriage was derailed; several being thrown down an embankment, killing 10 passengers and injuring 21 more. The approximate location of the collision was 52.22212°N 1.06387°W between Weedon and Stowe Hill tunnel
.
began to de-rail south of Weedon on the West Coast Main Line
south of Rugby at a speed of 65 mph and finally crashed, killing 15 people and injuring 35 more. The footplate crew survived and protected their train in spite of being severely shocked.
The accident enquiry, conducted by Lt Col G R S Wilson, found the track to be in good condition and the speed of the train not to be excessive. However this was the first trip out for the locomotive, No 46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught after its bogie
wheelsets had been swapped round. The enquiry concluded that the derailment was caused by an excessively tight bogie axlebox. The approximate location of the collision was 52.22559°N 1.07219°W, less than a mile south-east of the 1915 derailment and close to the signal-box at Heyford
south of Stowe Hill tunnel where the occupants were able to see the accident.
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
has been the site of two serious derailments in 1915 and 1951, killing 10 and 15 people respectively.
1915 rail crash
The 08:45 Birmingham to Euston express passenger train hauled by LNWR George the Fifth ClassLNWR George the Fifth Class
The London and North Western Railway George the Fifth Class was a class of 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotive.They were introduced in 1910 by Charles Bowen-Cooke and construction continued until 1915. They were essentially superheated versions of the LNWR Whale Precursor Class...
locomotive No. 1489 lost a taper pin
Taper pin
A tapered pin is a fastener used in mechanical engineering. They are steel rods with one end having a slightly larger diameter than the other. Standard inch-sized tapered pins have a taper on diameter of 1:48 while metric ones have a taper of 1:50...
; its purpose was to lock a screwed collar which retained the offside coupling rod
Coupling rod
right|thumb|connecting rod and coupling rods attached to a small locomotive driving wheelA coupling rod or side rod connects the driving wheels of a locomotive. Steam locomotives in particular usually have them, but some diesel and electric locomotives, especially older ones and shunters, also have...
to its crank pin
Crank pin
In a reciprocating engine, the crankpins, also known as crank journals are the journals of the big end bearings, at the ends of the connecting rods opposite to the pistons....
. The coupling rod detached and struck one of the sleepers on the up line; pushing the track out of alignment just as the 08:30 Euston to Holyhead Irish Mail train approached. It consisted of 15 coaches hauled by two locomotives
LNWR Renown Class
LNWR Renown Class
The London and North Western Railway Renown Class was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives. They were rebuilds of F.W. Webb's 4 cylinder compounds of the Jubilee and Alfred the Great classes into 2 cylinder simple engines by George Whale, later continued by Charles Bowen-Cooke.The first to be...
No. 1971 and Precedent Class
LNWR Improved Precedent Class
The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....
No. 1189 and was travelling at 60 miles per hour. Both locomotives and every carriage was derailed; several being thrown down an embankment, killing 10 passengers and injuring 21 more. The approximate location of the collision was 52.22212°N 1.06387°W between Weedon and Stowe Hill tunnel
Stowe Hill tunnel
Stowe Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the West Coast Main Line just south of the village of Weedon, Northamptonshire, England. The tunnel runs in a straight line underneath the A5 main road between Weedon and Towcester from about south-east to north west. The tunnel has a single bore with twin...
.
1951 rail crash
On Friday, 21 September 1951 the 08:20 Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston consisting of 15 coaches hauled by a Princess class Stanier PacificLMS Princess Royal Class
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Princess Royal Class is a class of an express passenger steam locomotive designed by William Stanier. They were Pacifics...
began to de-rail south of Weedon on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
south of Rugby at a speed of 65 mph and finally crashed, killing 15 people and injuring 35 more. The footplate crew survived and protected their train in spite of being severely shocked.
The accident enquiry, conducted by Lt Col G R S Wilson, found the track to be in good condition and the speed of the train not to be excessive. However this was the first trip out for the locomotive, No 46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught after its bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
wheelsets had been swapped round. The enquiry concluded that the derailment was caused by an excessively tight bogie axlebox. The approximate location of the collision was 52.22559°N 1.07219°W, less than a mile south-east of the 1915 derailment and close to the signal-box at Heyford
Nether Heyford
Nether Heyford is an English village west of Northampton off the A45 road, in the shire county of Northamptonshire, known as "Northants". It is by road to the M1 London to Yorkshire motorway junction 16, north of London and southeast of Birmingham...
south of Stowe Hill tunnel where the occupants were able to see the accident.