The Little Salkeld rail accident occurred on 19 January 1918 in Long Meg cutting, between

Little Salkeld Little Salkeld is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hunsonby, in the Eden district of Cumbria, England, a few miles to the north east of Penrith. In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 91. History The manor ...

and

Lazonby Lazonby is a village and civil parish in the Lower Eden Valley of Cumbria; it is located about north north-east of Penrith and 24 miles (38 km) south of the Scottish Borders. The total population of the ward of Lazonby, which also includ ...

railway stations (about 15 miles south of Carlisle on the Settle-Carlisle Line). As the 11 carriage 08:50

London St Pancras St Pancras railway station (), also known as London St Pancras or St Pancras International and officially since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a London station group, central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Bor ...

to Glasgow St Enoch express approached the cutting, a heavy

landslip 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 slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...

caused by a sudden thaw blocked both tracks ahead of the train. Just five minutes earlier a

platelayer A platelayer (British English), fettler (British English – UK, Australia, NZ) or trackman (American English) is a railway employee who inspects and maintains the permanent way of a railway, usually under the charge of a foreman called (in UK ...

had walked past the spot and seen nothing amiss. The engine, a

Midland Railway 1000 Class Midland Railway 1000 Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed for passenger work. They were known to reach speeds of up to 85 mph (137 km/h). Overview These were developed from a series of five locomotives (2631–2635) introduced ...

No. 1010, ploughed into the mass of clay at a speed of 50–60 mph, telescoping the front two carriages. 6 passengers were killed immediately and another fatally injured, whilst 37 passengers and 9 railway staff received non-fatal injuries. The more seriously injured were taken either to the

Cumberland Infirmary Cumberland Infirmary is a hospital in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. It is managed by the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. History The original Cumberland Infirmary is a Grade II* listed building which was designed by Richard ...

or Fusehill Military Hospital, both in Carlisle.

References

External links

Official report
{{Railway accidents in the United Kingdom, 1900–1999, state=collapsed Railway accidents and incidents in Cumbria Railway accidents in 1918 1918 disasters in the United Kingdom 1918 in England History of Cumbria 20th century in Cumbria Accidents and incidents involving Midland Railway January 1918 events Hunsonby