Cowan rail crash

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The Cowan rail disaster occurred on 6 June 1990 when a special passenger train hauled by steam locomotive 3801 failed while attempting to climb the steep gradient from the Hawkesbury River to Cowan, New South Wales, Australia.

The engine had applied plenty of sand onto the rails in an attempt to get a grip. The sand insulated the Track circuits causing the stationary signal behind the train to show green for a following train, resulting in a collision and the loss of several lives.

Contributing factors include:

• Old style AC track circuits which were insensitive.
• No indication of track circuit to any signal box which might have alerted signalman on a short term or long term basis to any "shunting" problem caused by sand.
• It is believed that the handbrakes on one of the carriages had been applied as a stunt.

[edit] See also

• Poor shunting