|
Great Western Railway Accidents
Great Western Railway accidents include several notable incidents that influenced rail safety in the United Kingdom. Notable accidents Sonning In common with other railway companies, the GWR experienced accidents throughout its history, one of the most serious being the Sonning Cutting accident in December 1842. Nine workmen were killed when their train hit a landslip. The accident occurred in the early hours of 24 December 1841 in the Sonning Cutting, near Reading, in Berkshire, as a mixed passenger/goods train travelling from London Paddington to Bristol entered the cutting. The train comprised the Leo class broad-gauge locomotive ''Hecla'' and its tender, three third-class passenger waggons and some heavily laden goods waggons. The passenger waggons were between the tender and the goods waggons. Recent heavy rain had saturated the soil in the cutting causing it to slip, covering the line on which the train was travelling. On running into the slipped soil the engine was der ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838 with the initial route completed between London and Bristol in 1841. It was engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who chose a broad gauge of —later slightly widened to —but, from 1854, a series of amalgamations saw it also operate standard-gauge trains; the last broad-gauge services were operated in 1892. The GWR was the only company to keep its identity through the Railways Act 1921, which amalgamated it with the remaining independent railways within its territory, and it was finally merged at the end of 1947 when it was nationalised and became the Western Region of British Railways. The GWR was called by some "God's Wonderful Railway" and by others the "Great Way Round" but it was famed as the "Holiday ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world; it has buildings in every style of English architecture since late Anglo-Saxon. Oxford's industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing, information technology and science. History The history of Oxford in England dates back to its original settlement in the Saxon period. Originally of strategic significance due to its controlling location on the upper reaches of the River Thames at its junction with the River Cherwell, the town grew in national importance during the early Norman period, and in the late 12th century became home to the fledgling University of Oxford. The city was besieged during The Anarchy in 1142. The university rose to dom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GWR Hercules Class
The Hercules Class were four broad gauge steam locomotives for the Great Western Railway. They were the first 0-6-0 locomotives, being built in 1842 by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. They were all withdrawn in 1870 and 1871. From about 1865, the Hercules Class locomotives became part of the Fury Class, along with the Premier Class locomotives. Locomotives * ''Goliah'' (1842 - 1871) :This locomotives was named after the Biblical giant, Goliah. * ''Hercules'' (1842 - 1870) :This locomotive was named after the Greek mythological strongman, Hercules. * ''Sampson'' (1842 - 1870) :This locomotive was named after the Biblical strongman, Sampson. * ''Tityos'' (1842 - 1870) :This locomotive was named after Tityos, a giant in Greek mythology. Accidents and incidents *On 27 June 1849, the boiler of ''Goliah'' exploded whilst it was hauling a freight train on the South Devon Railway at . One person was killed. References ;Sources * * * {{GWR Locomotives Hercules Hercules ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GWR Iron Duke Class
The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class 4-2-2 was a class of broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work. History The prototype locomotive, ''Great Western'', was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846, but was soon converted to a 4-2-2 arrangement, with the leading wheels set rigidly within the sandwich framing, rather than in a separate bogie. The remainder of the class entered service between April 1847 and July 1855. Locomotives of the Iron Duke class were fast for their time and were recorded reaching . They were used to haul the Flying Dutchman express train which, for several decades, was the world's fastest train. In 1852, the daily service from London Paddington to Exeter () was achieved with an average speed of , with the flatter section between London and Swindon covered at an average speed of . From about 1865, the Iron Duke Class was known as the Alma Class. In May to July 1870, three locomotives (''Great Britain'', ''Prometheus'' and ''E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wharncliffe Viaduct
The Wharncliffe Viaduct is a brick-built viaduct that carries the Great Western Main Line railway across the Brent Valley, between Hanwell and Southall, Ealing, UK, at an elevation of . The viaduct, built in 1836–7, was constructed for the opening of the Great Western Railway (GWR). It is situated between Southall and Hanwell stations, the latter station being only a very short distance away to the east. The viaduct was the first major structural design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the first building contract to be let on the GWR project, and the first major engineering work to be completed. It was also the first railway viaduct to be built with hollow piers, a feature much appreciated by a colony of bats which has since taken up residence within. Design Constructed of engineering brick, the viaduct has eight semi-elliptical arches, each spanning and rising . It is wide. The supporting piers are hollow and tapered, rising to projecting stone cornices that held up the arch c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GWR Prince Class
The Great Western Railway Prince Class 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service between August 1846 and March 1847, and withdrawn between January and September 1870. From about 1865, the Prince Class locomotives became part of the Priam Class, along with the Fire Fly Class locomotives. Locomotives * ''Moose'' (1846 - 1870) :Named after the animal, the elk. * ''Peri'' (1846 - 1870) :A peri is a fallen angel in Persian mythology. * ''Prince'' (1846 - 1870) :Named in honour of Albert, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria. * ''Queen'' (1847 - 1870) :Named in honour of Queen Victoria * ''Sylph'' (1847 - 1870) :A sylph is an invisible, mythological creature. * ''Witch'' (1846 - 1870) :This locomotive was fitted with slightly larger driving wheels. It was named after a female practitioner of witchcraft, a witch. References * * * {{GWR Locomotives Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Landslide
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are called submarine landslides. Gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, but there are other factors affecting slope stability that produce specific conditions that make a slope prone to failure. In many cases, the landslide is triggered by a specific event (such as a heavy rainfall, an earthquake, a slope cut to build a road, and many others), although this is not always identifiable. Causes Landslides occur when the slope (or a portion of it) undergoes some processes that change its condition from stable to unstable. This is essentially due to a decrease in the She ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tay Rail Bridge
The Tay Bridge ( gd, Drochaid-rèile na Tatha) carries the railway across the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife. Its span is . It is the second bridge to occupy the site. Plans for a bridge over the Tay to replace the train ferry service emerged in 1854, but the first Tay Bridge did not open until 1878. It was a lightweight lattice design of relatively low cost with a single track. On 28 December 1879, the bridge suddenly collapsed in high winds. The incident is one of the greatest bridge-related engineering disasters to have occurred. An enquiry determined that the bridge was insufficiently engineered to cope with high winds. It was replaced by a second bridge constructed of iron and steel, with a double-track, parallel to the remains of the first bridge. Work commenced on 6 July 1883 and the bridge opened in 1887. The new bridge was subject to extensive testing by the Board of Trade, which resulted in a favourable report. In 2003, the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event of great loss, usually of human life. Such an event is said to be ''tragic''. Traditionally, the event would require "some element of moral failure, some flaw in character, or some extraordinary combination of elements" to be tragic. Not every death is considered a tragedy. Rather, it is a precise set of symptoms surrounding the loss that define it as such. There are a variety of factors that define a death as ''tragic''. An event in which a massive number of deaths occur may be seen as a tragedy. This can be re-enforced by media attention or other public outcry. A tragedy does not necessarily involve massive death. The death of a single person, e.g., a public figure or a child, may be seen as a tragedy. The person need not necessarily have been famous before death. Factors that make death a tragedy Generally, the label of "tragedy" is given to an event based on public perception. There are a number of factors that can make a death be considered a traged ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Inspectorate
Established in 1840, His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is the organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain's railways and tramways. It was previously a separate non-departmental public body, but from 1990 to April 2006 it was part of the Health and Safety Executive. It was then transferred to the Office of Rail and Road and ceased to exist by that name in May 2009 when it was renamed the Safety Directorate. However, in summer 2015 its name was re-established as the safety arm of ORR. Modern HMRI inspectorate The modern HMRI within the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) identifies as "The Railway Inspectorate". HMRI works in tandem with the rest of the ORR, and as such may be consulted on matters effecting industry efficiency. Internally, most of HMRI's inspectors are part of the Railway Safety Directorate (RSD) of the ORR, although some Railway Performance and Planning (RPP) engineers have some more limited powers as warranted HMRI individuals. HMRI's role a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vacuum Brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in the United States, primarily on narrow-gauge railroads. Their limitations caused them to be progressively superseded by compressed air systems starting in the United Kingdom from the 1970s onward. The vacuum brake system is now obsolete; it is not in large-scale usage anywhere in the world, other than in South Africa, largely supplanted by air brakes. Introduction In the earliest days of railways, trains were slowed or stopped by the application of manually applied brakes on the locomotive and in brake vehicles through the train, and later by steam power brakes on locomotives. This was clearly unsatisfactory, given the slow and unreliable response times (each brake being separately applied by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westinghouse Air Brake
The Westinghouse Air Brake Company (sometimes nicknamed or abbreviated WABCO although this was also confusingly used for spinoffs) was founded on September 28, 1869 by George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Earlier in the year he had invented the railway air brake in New York state. After having manufactured equipment in Pittsburgh for a number of years, he began to construct facilities and plants east of the city where homes for his employees were built. In 1889, the air brake manufacturing facility was moved to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, and the company's general office building was built there in 1890. In 1921 the company began manufacturing a modified air brake system for installation in trucks and heavy vehicles. In 1953 WABCO entered the heavy equipment marketplace, buying the assets of leading equipment designer R.G LeTourneau. An entity known as LeTourneau-Westinghouse sold a range of innovative products, including scrapers, cranes and bulldozers until ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_vacuum_brake_1.jpg "Click for more on -> Vacuum Brake")
