Audenshaw Junction rail accident
Encyclopedia
The Audenshaw Junction rail accident occurred on the evening of 20 May 1970 near Guide Bridge railway station
, Greater Manchester
, England
. A Class 506
electric multiple unit
train from Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield
had started away from a signal when a set of points
moved underneath the train, causing it to be derailed and throwing the centre carriage onto its side. Two passengers were killed and 13 were injured.
at Stockport Junction signal box
was at fault.
The lever frame
at Stockport Junction was equipped with electro-pneumatic slides instead of levers, with electrical economising contacts located above them. The signalman wanted to cross a freight train travelling in the opposite direction behind the passenger train, but the points were locked by a track circuit
until the passenger train was well clear of them.
In order to defeat the interlocking
and speed things up, he had pulled the points slide slightly out of the frame. This action held the protecting signal at red as a safety measure, so in order to clear it, he obtained a false feed between two of the economiser contacts, most likely using a Bardic lamp or a broken hinge
that was subsequently found. It was likely that he then accidentally inched the points slide too far, and they moved under the train.
False-feeding was apparently common knowledge between signalmen in the 10 similar signal boxes in the area, and the frames were subsequently boxed in.
Guide Bridge railway station
Guide Bridge railway station serves Guide Bridge, a part of Audenshaw, Tameside in Greater Manchester, England and is operated by Northern Rail. The station is 4¾ miles east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line.-History:...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. A Class 506
British Rail Class 506
The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit built for local services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield on the Woodhead Line, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500V dc overhead system.-Design:...
electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
train from Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield
Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
had started away from a signal when a set of points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
moved underneath the train, causing it to be derailed and throwing the centre carriage onto its side. Two passengers were killed and 13 were injured.
Investigation
The investigation found that the signalmanSignalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...
at Stockport Junction signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was at fault.
The lever frame
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
at Stockport Junction was equipped with electro-pneumatic slides instead of levers, with electrical economising contacts located above them. The signalman wanted to cross a freight train travelling in the opposite direction behind the passenger train, but the points were locked by a track circuit
Track circuit
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...
until the passenger train was well clear of them.
In order to defeat the interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
and speed things up, he had pulled the points slide slightly out of the frame. This action held the protecting signal at red as a safety measure, so in order to clear it, he obtained a false feed between two of the economiser contacts, most likely using a Bardic lamp or a broken hinge
Hinge
A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. Hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components...
that was subsequently found. It was likely that he then accidentally inched the points slide too far, and they moved under the train.
False-feeding was apparently common knowledge between signalmen in the 10 similar signal boxes in the area, and the frames were subsequently boxed in.
See also
- Connington South rail crashConnington South rail crashThe Connington South rail crash occurred on 5 March 1967 on the East Coast Main Line near the village of Conington, Huntingdonshire, England. Five passengers were killed and 18 were injured....