1857 Lewisham rail crash

Rear-end collision in London September 2015 September 2015 Lewisham rail crash (1857) 51.465 -0.0096 region:GB-DGY_type:landmark_scale:50000 inline,title 28 June 1857 22:55 near Lewisham railway station England North Kent Line South Eastern Railway Signal passed at danger 2 11 30 List of UK rail accidents by year On 28 June 1857, two trains collided just east of Lewisham railway station in London, killing 11 and injuring 30 more.Wilson Railway Accidentshttp://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=2209 Accident at Lewisham on 28th June 1857 The Railways Archive 12 September 2011 The 14-carriage 9:15p.m. from Strood, which was running 15 minutes late, pulled up 200 yards short of Lewisham station at a red signal. The guard took a red lamp to the rear of the train to warn the 9:30 train following. When he heard the approaching train he ran towards it blowing his whistle and waving the lamp. It appears that he was not seen by the driver and the standing train was struck at a speed of around 20 mph 10 on, destroying the brake van and rear carriage. A telegraph system was in place which should have prevented the second train from leaving the preceding Blackheath station until the leading train had cleared Lewisham, using a system of signal bells being rung in the signal boxes. The signals sent and received were recorded in registers kept in the signal boxes: the investigation determined that the line-clear signal had not been sent by the Lewisham signal box, despite being recorded in the Blackheath book. The driver and fireman of the second train and the Blackheath signalman were charged with "neglect of duty causing the deaths of 11 persons". References Sources The Times 1857 : 30 June page 5 "Frightful Accident on the North Kent Railway" 9 July page 12 "The Fatal Accident on the North Kent Railway" Category:Railway accidents in 1857 Category:1857 in England Category:Railway accidents and incidents in London Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lewisham Category:History of the London Borough of Lewisham Category:Accidents and incidents involving South Eastern Railway (England) Category:June 1857 Category:Train collisions in England Category:Rail accidents caused by a driver's error Category:1850s disasters in the United Kingdom