1890 Bathurst rail collision

1890 train collision in Bathurst, Australia July 2026 1890 Bathurst rail collision 25 April 1890 approx. 7:00 pm Bathurst, New South Wales Australia Collision, runaway train and mechanical failure Faulty coupling system which led to carriages breaking off and colliding with following train 2 2 4 3 33 25 25 S 149 35 9 E inline,title 1890 Bathurst Collision Diagram made on Paint.png Diagram of the accident 260px Between 6 and 7 pm AEST, on 25 April 1890, sixteen carriages of a mixed-use train detached from the leading carriages and rolled down a steep grade east of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The runaway carriages then collided with the front of a following goods train at the Russell Street level crossing.The Bathurst Accident. Fookes, R.S. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, March 1955 pp28-36 Four passengers who were still in the rear carriages died as well as hundreds of sheep.26 April 1890 Terrible Railway Accident https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65343315 5 June 2026 The Bathurst Daily Free Press & Mining Journal 1 The National Library of Australia 14 December 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241214101041/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65343315 live Three others were injured in the collision.3 May 1890 The Bathurst Railway Catastrophe https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111117141 5 June 2026 The Freeman's Journal The National Library of Australia Pre-incident On 25 April 1890, a sixteen-carriage mixed train led by a J131 class steam locomotive was scheduled to depart Bathurst for Sydney at 4:50 pm.26 April 1890 Shocking Railway Accident at Bathurst https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13768245 5 June 2026 Sydney Morning Herald 1 The National Library of Australia25 April Railways and Tramways of Australia https://www.railtram.com.au/25-april 5 June 2026 mysite en15 May 1890 The Bathurst Railway Accident https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13796258 5 June 2026 Sydney Morning Herald The National Library of Australia However, it ran 50 minutes late and left at 5:40 pm.31 May 1890 The Late Railway Accident at Bathurst https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65355271 5 June 2026 The Bathurst Daily Free Press and Mining Journal The National Library of Australia This mixed train consisted of passenger carriages, sheep trucks, an empty horse truck, a guard's van and several mail trucks. The service was designated Number 26. Departure Number 26 departed Bathurst station at exactly 5:41 pm and continued heading east. The train arrived at Kelso at 5:46 pm, where four goods carriages were detached and replaced with eight new carriages, each filled with 100 sheep. Number 26 then left Kelso at 6:30 pm29 April 1890 Fatal Railway Accident https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BH18900429.2.12 5 June 2026 Bruce Herald 3 21 National Library of New Zealand with nineteen carriages, being delayed by waiting for another goods train down the track. After departing Kelso, the train climbed a very steep 1 in 50 or 2% gradient leading up to its next stop, Raglan station. Nothing unusual was reported during the climb. At 6:23 pm, Number 26 had arrived at Raglan station, where the brake van came to a stop at the wooden columns that helped support the awning at the end of the platform. Coupling failure Immediately after Number 26 stopped, the whole vehicle jerked as it halted, and the drawbar between cars three and four snapped. Due to the rebound after the sudden halt and lack of side couplings or side chains,28 April 1890 The Bathurst Railway Disaster https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235721648 5 June 2026 The Daily Telegraph National Library of Australia it gave the now-detached sixteen carriages weighing 154 tonnes enough energy to begin moving back down the incline. The guard, after failing the attempt to halt the runaway carriages using the brakes, had jumped out of his carriage to try and activate the sprag clutch on the wheels, but that again failed, and within a few seconds, the runaway carriages had begun rolling downwards at an alarming speed. The three remaining carriages left at Raglan station were placed into a siding by the station master. Descent and collision Immediately after the sixteen carriages had broken off, the guard sent telegraph messages to both Kelso and Bathurst stations warning of the runaway carriages. Because of the sheer weight of the sixteen carriages, they rapidly gained speed and were reportedly travelling at 96 km/h when they were last seen at Raglan. At 6:30 pm in Bathurst, the station master dispatched goods train number 28, also led by a J131 class steam locomotive, moments before they received the telegraph message, but it was too late to stop Number 28. The runaway carriages of Number 26 passed by Kelso at an alarming speed of 128 km/h. Number 28 failed to move out of the way of Number 26 and crossed the Russel Street level crossing. The runaway carriages came into sight as the goods train was 70 yd east of the crossing. At approximately 7 pm, the rearmost carriage of Number 26 collided with the front of Number 28 at 128 km/h, completely reducing the wooden carriages to splinters. Number 28 was pushed back a whole 70 yd to the level crossing due to the immense impact. Number 28's steam engine exploded, and the sound was heard all across Bathurst. Four people were instantly killed due to the impact and 300 of the 800 sheep were killed. The crew of the number 28 goods train escaped injured, but alive. Post-incident After the collision, around 1,000 people took part in the three-hour cleanup operation, which included taking the injured and dead to the hospitals, and clearing the line for the upcoming 10:20 passenger train going to Sydney. At 9 pm, a steam engine was hooked to all the remaining carriages of the runaway to be taken away. Coronial inquiry A coronial inquiry was announced following the incident in accordance with Section 51 of the 1868 Government Railways Act16 May 1890 The Bathurst Railway Accident https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156374550 7 June 2026 The National Advocate National Library of Australia 3 June 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250603013728/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156374550 live and was presented to the parliament on 14 May.Report of Board of Inquiry into causes of Railway accident at Bathurst https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/papers/Pages/tabled-paper-details.aspx?pk=113080&houseCode=la 6 June 2026 www.parliament.nsw.gov.au Evidence from the station masters of Raglan and Kelso were taken as well as evidence from the train crew and eyewitnesses.1 May 1890 Bathurst Railway Accident https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128777710 6 June 2026 Evening News National Library of Australia The inquiry board concluded that the cause of the accident was due to the breaking of the drawbar that connected the third and fourth carriages, which found to have fractured from the strain it underwent during the train's violent rebound at Raglan. It also found that if the side chains had been utilized, the incident would have been prevented. Aftermath After the incident, goods trains were fitted with automatic air brakes, which would automatically apply the brakes if a part of the train detached. Raglan station was moved further east, where there was a gentler grade, as part of a request from the inquiry board.7 May 1890 Bathurst railway accident https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79799380 7 June 2026 The Singleton Argus National Library of Australia See also 2003 Melbourne runaway train — Involved a Comeng train rolling down a steep grade from Broadmeadows and crashing into a train at Spencer Street. 1976 Glenbrook collision — Involved a 46 class locomotive colliding with a broken-down PTC V set at Glenbrook. Railway accidents in New South Wales — List of accidents. References Category:1890 disasters Category:1890 in Australia Category:Train collisions in Australia Category:Disasters in Australia Category:April 1890 in Australia Category:Railway accidents in 1890 Category:Railway accidents and incidents in New South Wales