Howden rail crash

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The rail crash at Howden in Yorkshire, England on 7 August 1840 killed 4 passengers. It occurred when a large cast iron casting fell from a wagon and derailed the following carriages. It happened on the Hull and Selby Railway as the train was travellng from Leeds to Hull and was one of the first railway accidents to be investigated by the Railway Inspectorate. It was also one of the worst accidents to have occurred on the new rail network, a new phenomenon for the public, although shipwrecks and coal mining accidents were frequent.

[edit] Investigation

Sir Frederic Smith, the first head of the Railway Inspectorate found that the casting had been insecurely lashed to the wagon, and was unstable for carrying by train. The casting was part of a weighing machine intended to be used at Hull station, and itself weighed about 2.5 tons. It measured 12 feet 6.75 inches by 5 feet 7 inches, and since the wagon was only 10 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, it must have overhung the wagon when being carried. The casting fell from the wagon onto the rails when the train was about 3/4 mile from Howden station. Since the wagon was just behind the tender, the following passenger carriages were derailed. The first five carriages were empty, but the sixth carriage held several passengers, 4 of whom were either killed on the spot or died later of their injuries. The inspector interviewed railway staff involved directly (driver and guard) as well as many others involved in loading the casting, or had seen the casting on its wagon before the accident. There was conflicting testimony as to whether it had been lashed on to the wagon at all, but if it had, the ropes apparently used had chafed through owing to movement of the casting on the wagon. Smith recommended that goods should only be carried where they were secure, and wagons should be fitted with a frame to enclose large items, and so prevent them falling off. He also recommended that the foreman of the goods department should personally inspect goods wagons to ensure their security and safety.