Wennington Junction rail crash

Railway crash at Wennington, Lancashire, England

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Wennington Junction rail crash
View of the location (2007). The junction was situated at the end of the cutting.
Details
Date	11 August 1880
Location	Wennington, Lancashire
Coordinates	54°07′23″N 2°35′24″W / 54.123°N 2.590°W / 54.123; -2.590
Country	England
Line	Leeds to Morecambe Line
Cause	Excessive speed over junction
Statistics
Trains	1
Deaths	8
Injured	23
List of UK rail accidents by year

Just west of Wennington railway station was Wennington junction where the Furness and Midland Joint Railway left the North Western section of the Midland Railway. On 11 August 1880 the 12:15 Leeds to Lancaster train completely derailed at the junction points then continued for 166 yards (152 m) before striking the abutment of a bridge.

The junction had no super-elevation as continuous crossing timbers were in use thus reducing the safe speed, and the Midland Railway were advised to correct this. But the enquiry also found the braking power of the train to be grossly inadequate; the train should have been able to stop before reaching the bridge. Only the locomotive was fitted with a Westinghouse brake and there was only one brake van on the train. Although the Midland Railway was fitting continuous brakes to its passenger trains the enquiry pointed out that such a recommendation had been made twenty years previously and the actions had still not been completed.

Sources

Rolt, L.T.C.; Kichenside, Geoffrey (1982) . Red for Danger (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-7153-8362-0.

External links

Board of Trade report transcription

v t e Railway accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom, 1815–1899
Before 1850	Philadelphia (Jul 1815) Parkside (Sep 1830) Wetheral (Dec 1836) Harrow (Aug 1838) Howden (Aug 1840) Sonning Cutting (Dec 1841) Penistone (Oct 1845) Dee Bridge (May 1847)
1850s	Sutton Tunnel (Apr 1851) Burnley (Jun 1852) Straffan (Oct 1853) Reading Southern (Sep 1855) Lewisham (Jun 1857) Round Oak (Aug 1858)
1860s	Helmshore (Sep 1860) Atherstone (Nov 1860) Wootton (Jun 1861) Clayton Tunnel (Aug 1861) ‡ Kentish Town (Sep 1861) Winchburgh (Oct 1862) Rednal (Jun 1865) Staplehurst (Jun 1865) Welwyn Tunnel (Jun 1866) Yanwath (Feb 1867) Warrington (Jun 1867) Abergele (Aug 1868) ‡ Maesycwmmer (Jun 1869) Dalton Junction (Dec 1869)
1870s	Newark (Jun 1870) Tamworth (Sep 1870) Stairfoot (Dec 1870) Hatfield (Dec 1870) Kirtlebridge (Oct 1872) Wigan (Aug 1873) Menheniot (Dec 1873) Bo'ness Junction (Jan 1874) Thorpe (Sep 1874) ‡ Shipton-on-Cherwell (Dec 1874) ‡ Kildwick & Crosshills (Aug 1875) Abbots Ripton (Jan 1876) Radstock (Aug 1876) Heeley (Nov 1876) Morpeth (Mar 1877) Tay Bridge (Dec 1879) ‡
1880s	Burscough Junction (Jan 1880) Wennington Junction (Aug 1880) Inverythan (Nov 1882) Penistone (Jul 1884) ‡ Penistone (Jan 1885) Hexthorpe (Sep 1887) ‡ Penistone (Mar 1889) Armagh (Jun 1889) ‡
1890s	Norton Fitzwarren (Nov 1890) Norwood Junction (May 1891) Esholt Junction (Jun 1892) Thirsk (Nov 1892) Llantrisant (Aug 1893) Chelford (Dec 1894) St Neots (Nov 1895) Snowdon (Apr 1896) Menheniot (Feb 1897) Welshampton (Jun 1897) Penistone (Oct 1897) Menheniot (Nov 1897) Potters Bar (Mar 1898) St Johns (Mar 1898) Wellingborough (Sep 1898) Wrawby Junction (Oct 1898) Potters Bar (May 1899)
‡ indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 20 fatalities 1900–1999

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