RM Archive
FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES
20 YEARS AGO: Virgin Trains No. 87002 at Willesden depot on May 28, 2003 after repainting in Porterbrook’s purple and white house colours (but still awaiting logos). Behind is Deltic No. D9016 (55016), which was to be repainted back to its original BR two-tone green colour scheme.
CHRIS MILNER
100 YEARS AGO
JULY 1923
Accident inquiries in 1922
DURING the year 1922 there were 27 inquiries into railway accidents as compared with 18 in 1921, 25 in 1920, 30 in 1919, 69 in the five war years 1914- 1918, and 30 in 1913. The 27 accidents in 1922 included 15 train collisions, two buffer-stop collisions, five derailments and five locomotive failures. Of the 15 collisions, six were due to drivers passing signals at danger in clear weather, and two occurring during fog. One collision arose through a signal being frozen in the ‘clear’ position. Of the five derailments, three were caused by the permanent way being defective, one by a failure of signalling apparatus and one by four-wheeled vehicles being placed in front of heavier stock.