Lines That Were closed due to Accidents or Vandalism

[Western Sunset]

Has anyone mentioned the "Back Line" on the ex-GN via Gedling - premature closure at the beginning of 1960 due to the state of Mapperley Tunnel?

 

[thedbdiboy]

Through services on the Chesterfield Market Place line were curtailed in 1951 due to the dire state of Bolsover tunnel - although not really an 'accident', more an 'accident waiting to happen'

 

[d9009alycidon]

I can think of a couple of others since we are expanding the scope to include poor state of infrastructure. The LNER Shettleston to Hamilton branch was closed beyond Bothwell due to the poor state of the viaduct over the Clyde, a new spur was laid in at Hamilton to allow freight to continue to serve companies South of the Clyde. Similarly the Caledonian Railway Calder viaduct caused the Airdrie to Newhouse line to be severed.

 

[Harvester]

A derailment on the ECML at Pilmoor in March 1963, wrecked the junction to the Gilling branch. The junction was relaid with plain track, which ended the use of the Gilling route for holiday traffic to and from Scarborough. From then on the Saturday extras (many still steam hauled) from the north, were routed via York where an inconvenient reversal was required.

 

[DerekC]

Patricroft-Clifton Junction closed after Clifton Hall (‘Black Harry’) Tunnel collapsed.

We should remember the five people who died. They were occupants of houses in Temple Drive, Swinton which instantly collapsed into the sealed shaft when the shaft fill fell into the tunnel. The inquiry determined that the construction formwork had been left in place above the tunnel crown, supporting the brick lining of the shaft, when the tunnel was built in 1849/50. In 1953, after over a hundred years of deterioration, the timberwork suddenly failed and the whole weight of the shaft and its fill came down on the tunnel crown, collapsing it into the tunnel. There is still a gap in the houses in Temple Drive.

 

[Dr_Paul]

“Readers Digest” version: signalman was getting rid of old armchair, decided to get it smouldering and kick it downstairs but couldn’t get it out the door…..

A surefire (sorry about the pun) candidate for the 'Darwin Awards' had they been going then. Rather like a bloke up my street when I was a kid, who tried to get rid of a stale chunk of bread by flushing it down the khazi. Not surprisingly, it swelled up in the wet sewer and blocked it.

 

[MadMac]

A surefire (sorry about the pun) candidate for the 'Darwin Awards' had they been going then. Rather like a bloke up my street when I was a kid, who tried to get rid of a stale chunk of bread by flushing it down the khazi. Not surprisingly, it swelled up in the wet sewer and blocked it.

In mitigation, I was told that the door of the box had been replaced at some point by one that was narrower than it was when the chair was first brought there.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...signalman was getting rid of old armchair, decided to get it smouldering and kick it downstairs but couldn’t get it out the door…..

In mitigation, I was told that the door of the box had been replaced at some point by one that was narrower than it was when the chair was first brought there.

That explanation must have cut a lot of ice with management!

 

[billh]

We should remember the five people who died. They were occupants of houses in Temple Drive, Swinton which instantly collapsed into the sealed shaft when the shaft fill fell into the tunnel. The inquiry determined that the construction formwork had been left in place above the tunnel crown, supporting the brick lining of the shaft, when the tunnel was built in 1849/50. In 1953, after over a hundred years of deterioration, the timberwork suddenly failed and the whole weight of the shaft and its fill came down on the tunnel crown, collapsing it into the tunnel. There is still a gap in the houses in Temple Drive.

Is it true to say that ever since that accident, new housing has not been permitted to be built over "old " tunnels? I know of two examples: Hooley Hill tunnel(LNWR,Guide Bridge avoiding line) in Audenshaw, where there are unexpected gaps in the housing , mostly built in 1980s and Disley Tunnel near High Lane, Bow Fell Drive where land between 60's(?) housing is still owned by the Railway , immediately over the tunnel.