Cowan rail disaster

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The Cowan rail disaster occurred on 6 May 1990 when a special passenger train hauled by steam locomotive 3801 was rammed by an interurban v-set while attempting to climb the steep gradient from the Hawkesbury River to Cowan, New South Wales, Australia.

The crash occurred 5km south of Brooklyn, New South Wales, near Boronia tunnel. the 3801 loco's driver dumped sand on the track to gain traction up cowan bank. the interurban train was halted on the northern entrance to boronia tunnel, the signal there was fluctuating between colours, until the signal stayed green, the interurban v-set began to proceed thorough the tunnel. seconds later the interurban crashed into the back car of the 3801's consist, the force of the crash guttered the front four cars of the interurban and the last carriage of the 3801 also breaking the couplings on the consist. the driver and a companion of the interurban were killed along with 5 others.

The engine had applied a lot of sand onto the rails in an attempt to improve traction. The sand insulated the wheels from the rails, causing the track circuits to not detect the presence of the train in the block. Consequently, the stationary signal behind the train displayed a clear aspect (green) the following interurban 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 may had been applied as a stunt.