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Collision at Bristol Temple Meads?

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ng1980

ng1980

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Hi guys!

Just joined this forum - this is my first post! Hello!

My dad was discussing rail accidents with me the other day, specifically the Lawrence Hill, Bristol, incident back in 2000.

I have been looking at other rail accidents in the Bristol area on http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventlisting.php and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_in_the_United_Kingdom .

Railways Archive is a truely excellent site (although, unfortunately, there are lots of reports missing).

The Wikipedia list misses out many incidents (although mostly the more minor ones).

I recall seeing in a the Bristol Evening Post newspaper (published by the Bristol United Press) in the 1990s an article about a collision at Bristol Temple Meads. I believe that a Class 156 Sprinter drove into a stationary Class 43 HST / InterCity 125, but this may be incorrect.

I have not found any evidence of this on the Railways Archive site nor the Wikipedia list, nor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Temple_Meads . I have also looked at www.thisisbristol.co.uk , which is the new website for the Bristol Evening Post, but it is not possible to search the archives that far back.

What I am asking is if anybody else has any recollection of this incident, this article, etc. If anybody has any information, please do reply to this post. Your help would be very much appreciated.

Whilst writing, if you are aware of any other rail incidents at Brsitol Temple Meads or in the Bristol area not listed on Railways Archive, please feel free to mention those, too.

Thank you in advance for your contributions.
 
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33011

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It was a 158 that ran into the back of the HST in Severn Tunnel IIRC. I'm sure the HST was moving under caution due to Signal failure. When the 158 approach the problem signal the signal turned green so the 158 continued at line speed and caught up with the slow moving HST and collided with it or something like that. According to wiki it was a class 155 not 158 that hit the HST whether that is correct or not I'm unsure.
 
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driver9000

driver9000

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Schnellzug said:
There was one at Newton Abbot as well when a 158 went into the back of an HST.
Click to expand...



25 March 1994.158833 hit 43071 which was standing in the station. The 158 had passed the signal protecting the platform at danger.

Taken from The second generation DMU book which also has a photograph.
 
BestWestern

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33011 said:
It was a 158 that ran into the back of the HST in Severn Tunnel IIRC. I'm sure the HST was moving under caution due to Signal failure. When the 158 approach the problem signal the signal turned green so the 158 continued at line speed and caught up with the slow moving HST and collided with it or something like that. According to wiki it was a class 155 not 158 that hit the HST whether that is correct or not I'm unsure.
Click to expand...

I think the post above this relates to the accident at Temple Meads itself which the OP was presumably referring to, but just for clarity the Severn Tunnel incident you mention was indeed a Class 155. As you rightly say the Sprinter approached the tunnel on a red, the signal is believed to have then cleared and the unit caught up with the HST and collided. Due to the absence of TPWS and OTMR at the time, it was never conclusively proved that the signals were at fault, and I believe the official verdict also remained open to the possibility of it having been driver error. However witnesses on the train gave statements recalling the unit slowing and then powering up on the approach, which would indeed suggest that the signal cleared. I'm unsure about the HST, though I'd guess it was a PAD-Swansea or similar, but the Sprinter was working a Portsmouth-Cardiff with a Fratton crew on board.
 
richw

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driver9000 said:
25 March 1994.158833 hit 43071 which was standing in the station. The 158 had passed the signal protecting the platform at danger.

Taken from The second generation DMU book which also has a photograph.
Click to expand...

Schnellzug said:
There was one at Newton Abbot as well when a 158 went into the back of an HST.
Click to expand...

I recall this living in the area, however cant find anything online relating to it!
 
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JoeM

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Heres the HSE report on the Severn Tunnel collision:
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/HSE_Severn%20Tunnel1991.pdf

In the book The Power of the HST's there are a few photos of the HST that was involved in the Newton Abbott collision - 158833 hit PC 43071 at 10mph and still made a right mess of it. There was another HST in the same place when the 1535 Padd-Penzance completely derailed (March 1997)
I expect there is something about these in the Rail Mishaps book which I should have received today but I apparently wasn't in to sign for it...even though I haven't been anywhere today!
 
Matt Taylor

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The Severn Tunnel collisions was definitely a 155, the 158s were introduced shortly afterwards.
 
ng1980

ng1980

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WOW! So many responses! Thank you, guys!

Driver 9000:
25 March 1994.158833 hit 43071 which was standing in the station. The 158 had passed the signal protecting the platform at danger.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Exactly the information that I was looking for. Much appreciated!

Thanks also to those re the Severn Tunnel crash. I have previously downloaded and read this report. A HST was directed to pass a danger signal at caution and obey all others when a 155 crashed into the back.

I wasn't aware of the one at Newton Abbott - it's a bit out of my area - but thanks for sharing.

Re www.raib.gov.uk , I was unable to find reports going back over a hundred years, but only back to mid 2005 (presumably when they took over?). If I am doing something wrong, it would be great if someone could tell me how to search back further.

Anyway, thank you for all your responses.
 
Old Timer

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ng1980 said:
...Re www.raib.gov.uk , I was unable to find reports going back over a hundred years, but only back to mid 2005 (presumably when they took over?). If I am doing something wrong, it would be great if someone could tell me how to search back further.

Anyway, thank you for all your responses.
Click to expand...
Bedford Library (the former County Library) specialised in HMRI Railway Accident reports, so I would try there first.
 
richw

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ng1980 said:
WOW! So many responses! Thank you, guys!

Driver 9000:


THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Exactly the information that I was looking for. Much appreciated!

.
Click to expand...

This info was the newton abbot crash, not the one in bristol!
 
12CSVT

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ng1980 said:
My dad was discussing rail accidents with me the other day, specifically the Lawrence Hill, Bristol, incident back in 2000.
Click to expand...

Is that the one where a class 67 was badly damaged ?
 
ng1980

ng1980

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Thanks for your further responses, guys.

Thanks for the suggestion, Old Timer!

Yes, Lawrence Hill was the 67 when a mail train went into the back of a coal train.
 
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