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Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Tranent on 25th November 1854

Document Summary

The report on a rear collision between a passenger train and the rear portion of a goods train at Tranent (later Prestonpans) in 1854.

This document was published on 30th December 1854 by Board of Trade.

It was written by Col. W. Yolland.

This item is linked to the Accident at Tranent on 25th November 1854

The original document format was Bound Volume, and comprised 8 pages.

This document was kindly sourced from Bill King and is in our Accident reports collection. It was added to the Archive on 13th 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 train preceeded safely, but apparently with considerable irregularity of driving, from Dunbar to within half a mile of Tranent Station, at which place three out of the 15 waggons of which it was composed became detached, the remainder being taken on to the Tranent Station by 8.18 p.m., where the station-master was on the look-out for the 6.15 p.m. down express train which was then more than ten minutes over-due. On ascertaining what train it was, and hearing from the guard that he believed he had lost two waggons, the station-master very properly turned on the "danger" signal, to attempt to stop the express, and as soon as practicable, telegraphed to Longniddry, the next station, with the same intent; he also directed the guard to go back on the line to look for the waggons, and to assist in slopping the express, but, before any effective measures could be accomplished, the latter train came up and ran into the detached waggons about 8.30 p.m., destroyed two of them, and threw the third obliquely across the up-lint. The express train was travelling at its usual speed, not being timed to stop at Tranent, and, in consequence, the collision was a serious one, a lady having had her leg broken, and several passengers complained of being a good deal shaken."

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