Great Western Railway accident

[Rod Neep]

It is January 1847..... as reported in the Illustrated London News.

An accident on the GWR

[Mythology]

Admittedly I am not one to follow the news a lot, but I don't recall anyone pointing out the coincidence in the coverage of the more recent Southall train crash.

Southall is obviously jinxed. ;)
If coming to London from the west, get off at Reading and get the coach!

[Rod Neep]

I love these old accident reports. The Victorians were always fairly explicit and dramatic in their descriptions of injuries... brains splattered all over the place.

The Illustrated London News is a great resource for current events. We have several of them already on CD. Plus this new set for the first 6 months of 1847 that has been scanned and almost ready for release.

Cheers
Rod

[Ladkyis]

Would God's Wonderful Railway still have been using the wide gauge or had they been forced to change over yet?

That's one heck of a piece of scrap to have flying through the air, more than 2 hundredweight in real money
Ann

[Terry]

Definitely broad gauge at that time- the conversion of the whole of the GWR took place over one weekend. The last broad gauge down train from London to Kingswear (for Dartmouth) departed Friday 20th May 1892.

[Pam Downes]

Definitely broad gauge at that time- the conversion of the whole of the GWR took place over one weekend. .That is one of those 'impossible to believe' facts. Wonder how long it would take nowadays?
Pam

[Rod Neep]

They "cheated" Pam.

What they had was "dual gauge" (three rails) for quite some time, and then just scrapped the broad gauge locomotives and pulled up the extra rail.

Rod

[Pam Downes]

I'd guessed about the three rails, but hadn't got all my brain 'on track' (sorry :D ) by realising that they could have run the smaller gauge trains along the smaller gauge rails whilst still running the broad gauge trains.
(Runs off to find dunces cap.)
Pam

[peter nicholl]

The Victorians obviously had an eye for detail:eek: , but considering the amount of banter going both ways across the Pond when it comes to spelling, it is interesting that the article refers to a "tire".

They "cheated" Pam.

What they had was "dual gauge" (three rails) for quite some time, and then just scrapped the broad gauge locomotives and pulled up the extra rail.

Rod
Pinching the idea from a well known American cartoon; can you image if they tried it today? One team starts from Paddington, the other from the West Country, they meet around Swindon. Exchange between "Team Leaders"- "NO!! I was supposed to take up the Right Hand rail"

[Pegasus]

If such an Undertaking was Attempted Now, It would Only be Started after Millions had been Spent on Consultations & Factfinding Committees!