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Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Reston on 27th November 1854

Document Summary

The report on a collision between an express passenger train and a portion of a freight train, which was followed by the runaway of the freight locomotive.

This document was published on 28th December 1854 by Board of Trade.

It was written by Col. W. Yolland.

This item is linked to the Accident at Reston on 27th November 1854

The original document format was Bound Volume, and comprised 2 pages.

This document was kindly sourced from Bill King and is in our Accident reports collection. It was added to the Archive on 2nd October 2011 by Stuart Johnson.

Copyright Information

This document is Crown Copyright, and is subject to the terms governing the reproduction of crown copyright material. Depending on the status and age of the original document, you may need an OPSI click-use license if you wish to reproduce this material, and other restrictions may apply. Please see this explanation for further details.

"The 9.15 down express from Edinburgh became due at Reston at 10.45, but is not timed to stop, and the driver on seeing the "all right" signal, passed at full speed at about 10.52 p.m. In the meanwhile the engine-driver of the 6.40 meat train, according to his own statement, discovered when he had gone somewhat more than two miles
beyond Reston, that he had lost part of his train, whereupon he stopped, sent his fireman back on the line with a hand signal lamp, and after an Interval of three or four minutes, to allow the fireman to get ahead, followed slowly with the engine, tender, and the six remaining trucks; and after proceeding rather more than a mile towards Reston, was suddenly run into by the express train,whilst passing through a slight cutting with a considerable curve.
...

The goods engine and tender were separated from the trucks by the collision, and thus freed from its load, with the regulator open and the engine in forward gear, and without driver or fireman, ran down the line, fortunately without doing any damage, passing through Ayton, Barnmouth, and Berwick stations, and Tweedmouth junction, but having been observed at Berwick, was followed and overtaken by another engine when about four miles south of Berwick, having run short of steam and water from the lead plug having melted."

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