DMU Accidents
DMUs have had their fair share of mishaps through the years and this section is an attempt to document them.
If you have any notes or photographs please submit them to be added here. I would also welcome further information on any of the accidents featured here.
Many of the accident reports are available on-line at www.railwaysarchive.co.uk.
1960s
15/01/60 - Freckenham Crossing, ER
Collision involving Derby Lightweight
Info from Darren Kitson
A Derby Lightweight containing E79614 working the 7.34am ex Mildenhall struck a lorry on an occupation crossing between Worlington and Isleham on the Mildenhall branch. The location of the accident is sometimes given as "Freckenham crossing", and thought to be Smith's occupation crossing No. 61 just west of Worlington Golf Links Halt. The lorry, which was destroyed, had three occupants of which two died at the scene and the third subsequently. This may suggest the DMU struck the front, i.e. cab, end of the lorry. The Mildenhall branch had a blanket speed limit of 30mph so the DMU would not have been travelling any faster.
25/04/60 - Between Garforth and Micklefield
Collision involving Class 104 / Steam
Info from Bill Read
A 6-car DMU travelling from Leeds City to Hull collided at speed with the rear of an unfitted goods train running at about 25mph, and hauled by an 8F. 5 persons injured. The freight train divided and the DMU continued forward for 75 yards, with the leading bogie derailed, pushing in front of it a 20-ton brake van and two wagons. The front of the leading coach (thought to be E50554) was stove in and there was damage to the cab floor and fittings. The DMU passed a red signal.
18/08/60 - Between Castleton South Junction and Mills Hill, LMR
Collision involving DMU / Trolley
Info from Richard Greenwood
A Manchester-Heywood-Bury-Bacup late morning dmu hit a platelayers trolley on the line. Delays of up to 55 minutes before normal traffic resumed.
18/08/60 - Ince Moss
Derailment involving Class 112
The 2.10pm Liverpool-Wigan, formed 51722 (leading) + 51691 and 51719 + 51701, was noted at St Helens to be missing the freewheel on 51691. The driver did not stop or isolate the final drive and continued to Wigan at reduced speed. After passing a 15mph speed restriction at Ince Moss the guard heard bumping noises underneath and applied the brake. The driver, unaware of any incident went to investigate. Oil was leaking the the engines on the rear three cars and the rear vehicle 51701 was completely derailed. A gearbox was found in the "4 foot" rearwards of the train and a freewheel lay nearby.
02/09/60 - Castlecary, ScR
Collision involving Swindon 79xxx series / Steam
Info from Bill Read
A 6-car Inter City DMU travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh collided at about 25 mph with the rear of a slow-moving ECS train hauled by a Class 5MT running tender first. 3 passengers injured. Damage to the DMU was confined to buffers, headstocks, gangway frames and couplers. The shock of the collision was transferred through the 4-coach ECS train resulting in the first coach being forced upwards from its leading bogie and impacting with the smokebox of the locomotive. The DMU had been irregularly admitted into an occupied block section.
12/10/60 - New Mills (Central) Station, LMR
Collision involving Derby Lightweight / Steam
Info from Bill Read, John Darwent
Three Derby Lightweight twin units, built 1955, collided with the rear of a goods train hauled by a Class 8F (48443), which was standing at New Mills (Central) Up home signal. 3 injured. The leading power car (M79170) was wrecked and the following trailer car was crumpled by collision with the leading car. The two rear units were little damaged. The DMU had passed the Strines Station starting signal at danger.
24/11/60 - Between Pontrhydyfen and Cwmavon, WR
Collision involving Class 116 / Steam
Info from Bill Read, Railway Observer January 1961 p14
A 3-car DMU (set CAT343, 50125 + 59343 + 50083) working the 4.55pm Swansea High Street to Barry Island was in a head-on collision with an unfitted goods train (weighing 620 tons) hauled by a Class 57XX Tank locomotive (9737) running bunker first. 2 persons killed and 26 injured. The point of collision was on a single-line section with a gradient of 1 in 42. The locomotive drove some five feet into the leading power car which telescoped some ten feet into the intermediate trailer. The locomotive was also extensively damaged and 8 wagons were wrecked. The goods train was travelling too fast down the gradient and had an insufficient number of wagon brakes applied to enable it to stop at the Pontrhydyfen signal.
1961 - Bradford Hammerton St depot, LMR
Derailment involving Class 108
A Class 108 derailed over points in Bradford Hammerton Street depot.
08/02/61 - Royton Station, LMR
Collision involving Class 112 / Class 105
Info from Bill Read, Richard Greenwood, Peter Dawson
Two ECS Cravens twin-units collided at about 40mph with the buffer stops at Royton Station at 6.12am. 5 persons injured. More Details.
17/03/61 - Glasgow St Enoch
Collision involving Class 126 / steam
The 11.0pm Glasgow - Ayr service (a Swindon Inter-City set formed 51022 + 59392 + 51032) was involved in a sidelong collision with Clan 72001 'Clan Cameron' when departing from St Enoch. 51022 would be derailed and came to rest at a 45 degree angle.
20/06/61 - Ayr
Collision involving Class 126 / wagons
At Ayr Kyle Street Sidings Swindon Inter-City DMU was routed into the wrong siding which contained four tank wagons. DMBS 51047 hit them with enough force to make one of the tank wagons ride up onto the buffers.
circa July 1961 - Unknown, ER
Fire involving Derby Lightweight
E79042 was withdrawn after underframe components caught fire, details unknown.
16/07/61 - Singleton Bank (near Weeton), LMR
Collision involving Class 105 / Class 113 / Freight Train
Info from Bill Read and Andrew Dyson
Class 105 power-twin (leading) + 2 x Class 113 units struck the rear of a stationary ballast train which had been carrying out track work. Seven persons killed and 116 injured. The first three cars were severely damaged and withdrawn. More Details.
10/08/61 - Leeds City Station
Collision involving Class 101 / Class 45
Info from John Darwent and Bill Read
Peak D105 running light to Neville Hill over-ran signals and collided with a Leeds - Scarborough DMU (two 4-car units) almost opposite Leeds East Signal Box. Leaking diesel caught fire and the leading two DMU vehicles (51440 & 59533) overturned, but were returned to traffic after repair. One killed, two injured. The leading motor coach (51440) turned over and slid on its side, demolishing the parapet wall of a bridge and releasing fuel oil which then ignited. The second coach (59533) also fell on its side, but the remaining six coaches were little damaged. All returned to trafic. The driver of the locomotive mistakenly accepted the signal that had been cleared for the DMU.
circa early 1960s - Unknown, LMR
Derailment involving Derby Lightweight
M79185 suffered a broken axle and twisted bogie frame.
17/06/62 - Cowlairs
Derailment involving Class 101
A three-car Met-Camm DMU derailed at Cowlairs, with at least two vehicles coming off the rails.
circa 1962 - Grantham station
Collision involving Class 114
Info from Paul Green
In bay platform 4 (now platform 3) of Grantham station in the early 1960s, a unit ran through the buffer stops and into the end of the building between then platforms 3 and 5 (now 2 and 4). The repair to the building could be seen for many years. This could be the cause of the withdrawal of E50028.
October 1962 - Hessle Road, Hull
Derailment involving Class 104
Info from Ian Fleming and Mick Nicholson
In the final week of the old mechanical cabin trains were being hand signalled. The Class 104 (59226 closest) ‘split’ a set of wrongly clamped points. The photographer said: “Within hours the mess was cleaned up and normal working soon resumed, today it would be a ‘scene of crime’ and the job stopped for a week”! Mick Nicholson. A list of photos on the Transport Treasury website contains images showing E50572 + E50561 + E59228 being re-railed (Miscellaneous Glass Plate Negatives section, negatives G871-8).
13th January 1963 - Sowerby Bridge
Fire involving Class 110
Info from Railway Observer, p87 March 1963, John Hall
The rear vehicle of the well loaded 7.31pm York - Liverpool service burst into flames when leaving Sowerby Bridge station on 13 January 1963. The train was quickly cleared and the passengers managed to escape unhurt.
Three vehicles (51821 + 59706 + 51837) were withdrawn in November 1963, and most sources claim all were due to this fire (and moved to Sowerby Bridge depot where Hammerton Street staff stripped them and they were cut up on site). Another source notes only one power car was destroyed, the other two vehicles were involved in separate incidents. Rolling Stock Library Ledger FG07 shows the three vehicles as condemned at York Works circa December 1963 and scrapped at the works in April 1964.
A file (including photographs) on the fire is held in the National Archives - catalogue number MT114/501.
25/01/63 - Bracebridge Gas Sidings Signalbox (near Lincoln), ER
Collision involving Class 114 / Steam
Info from Bill Read
A 2-car power/trailer DMU travelling from Grantham to Lincoln Central collided with the rear (tender) of a stationary Class B1. 2 persons killed, 3 injured. The power car of the DMU was extensively damaged at the front end and the leading bogie was driven back two feet. The light engine had been allowed to wait on the Down line in preparation for reversal and its presence there had been forgotten by the signalman. More Details.
14/02/63 - Ayr station
Collision involving Class 126
On the evening of 14/02/63 a 33 wagon laden coal train from Waterside 'ran away' on the downhill stretch of the Dalmellington branch to the main line at Dalrymple Jct. The crew, seeing the signals at danger jumped off, expecting to be derailed at the catch points. However the line had been set for the train and it continued crewless on the main line downhill into Ayr station. At Ayr No2 signal box 26 of the wagons became derailed and ripped up the track, the loco and one wagon continued on its path until it collided tender first with a 3-car Swindon DMU (51042 + 59411 + 51009) underneath a road bridge at Ayr station. Fortunately the DMU was empty, but the driver and guard were both injured. That night cranes were brought in from Polmadie and Hurlford, the clean up proved difficult as the Black Five 45481 and DMBS 51042 were locked together underneath the road bridge. Passengers to and from Girvan were conveyed to Ayr by bus. The line was finally cleared at 6.30pm the following day.
10/12/63 - Between Glendon Junction and Kettering, LMR
Derailment involving Class 127
Info from Bill Read
Derailment of Class 127 + unidentified twin unit. M51609 – no other cars identified. Minor injuries. While travelling at 60mph, a complete engine and torque converter weighing 2.5 tons fell from M51609 causing extensive damage to the vehicle and derailing all cars. A small fire broke out. The conclusion was that the unit was released into service, after overhaul at Derby Works, with loose torque-converter securing bolts. This caused progressive overloading of other bolts, brackets and cardan shaft until final failure.
circa early Feb-64 - Unknown, WR
Collision involving Class 118
TC W59472 appeared in Swindon Works with damage to one end, details of incident unknown. It was repaired and returned to traffic.
12/03/64 - Shoe Mill, Baxenden, LMR
Fire involving Class 113
Info from Andrew Dyson
An engine fire destroyed a vehicle. More Details.
24/04/64 - Leeds City Junction, ER
Collision involving Class 111 / Class 24
Info from Martin Baumann, https://www.derbysulzers.com
E50285 working the 5.36pm Leeds City North - Knottingley service was involved in a collision with D5195 on the 'Devonian' (Leeds City South to Bradford) at Leeds City Junction. E50285 did not return to traffic and was withdrawn in November 1966.
27/05/64 - Castleton
Fire involving Class 110
Info from Richard Greenwood
In the late afternoon a down Calder Valley train suffered a fire at Castleton station. It was extinguished in the platform and the unit removed into the yard at Castleton by 46439 More Details.
03/06/64 - Bradford (Exchange) Station, NER
Collision involving Class 108 / Steam
Info from Bill Read, Malcolm Paul Peter Mullen, p600 July 1964 Railway Magazine
The 4.25pm Manchester-Leeds DMU descended the steep gradient into the station and collided with the stationary parcels train at about 50 mph. The leading car M51944 was destroyed. Damage to the steam locomotive (class 5 4-6-0 44695) and M52059 was minimal. More Details.
circa 1964 - North Wales
Collision involving Derby Lightweight
Derby Lightweight DMBS M79188 was noted in the sidings at Bangor with a damaged front end. Details of the incident unknown, possibly whilst working a Pwllheli service as this was on the destination blind.
10/10/64 - Between Milbrook and Wilshamstead, LMR
Fire involving Class 127
Class 127 on fire after breaking cardan shaft. M51591 (trailing car). 1 passenger killed, 4 injured. The rotating ends of the broken cardan shaft punctured the fuel tank. The resulting fire caused some damage to the trailing cab but did not penetrate the saloon. Examination of other units found that some 40 cardan shafts were bent, probably as a result of careless handling when torque converters were changed, and this was assumed to have caused the failure.
circa early 1965 - Doncaster
Collision involving Class 114
A Derby Heavyweight set was involved in a buffer stop collision at Doncaster. The DTC rode the buffer knocking the bogie off and causing some twisting to the lower from of the body. It is possible that the DTC was E56046 which was withdrawn in April 1965, dating the collision to early 1965.
21st May 1965 - Lancaster Castle station
Collision involving Derby Lightweight / steam
A Derby Lightweight working the 7.22am Lancaster - Barrow service collided with the 7.32am Morecambe - Lancaster local in Lancaster Castle station. The cab of the DMBS was destroyed, believed to be M79120 which would be withdrawn in October. In the image a DMBS has been lifted off it's bogies and sits on a wagon, and it is thought this was as a result of the Lancaster crash. There's a fair bit of debris at *this end* of the bogies but no visible damage to this end of the vehicle, the tarpaulin at the cab end suggests damage there so the vehicle may have been turned when being put on the wagon. The crane is from Lostock Hall MPD, and the photo was due to appear in Trans-Pennine Publishing Ltd's book "British Railway's Breakdown Cranes" by Peter Tatlow, Alan Earnshaw and David Carter. A photo after the collision appeared on page 468 of the August 1965 Railway Magazine, the DMBS with crushed cab having window bars on the passenger doors, which the vehicle in the image here does not.
25/05/65 - Llanddaniel Occupational Level Crossing, LMR
Collision involving DMU / Road Vehicle
Info from Peter Mullen
A Crewe – Holyhead DMU passenger train running at 45mph struck and wrecked a Vauxhall Victor saloon car which was going over an unclassified level crossing. More Details.
June 1965 - Barton-on-Humber
Collision involving Class 114
Info from Michael Reed
A Derby Heavyweight working the 8.06pm from New Holland hit the buffer on arrival at Barton-on-Humber, dislodging the buffers. It was re-railed by midnight. An article on the incident featured in the Scunthorpe Telegraph on 16/11/2009.
15/06/65 - Near York, NER
Collision involving Class 101 / Class 104 / Coaches
Info from Peter Mullen, Chris Moxon
A ECS move with loco / coaches reversing from the station went through signals at danger and hit an incoming DMU. More Details.
18/08/65 - Sandridge, near St.Albans, LMR
Fire involving Class 127
Info from Peter Mullen
A 4-car DMU was travelling from St. Pancras to Luton when a fire broke out under the rear power car (M51594) about 1 mile north of St. Albans. More Details.
29/08/65 - Connah's Quay
Fire involving Class 101 / Class 104
10:35 Excursion from Wigan to Llandudno formed M50318/M59129/M50336 & M50490/M59146/M50438 caught fire near Connah's Quay. The failure of a universal joint in the transmission caused the gearbox to become detached and fall to the track rupturing fuel tanks, the spilt fuel was ignited by sparks after vapourizing on hot exhaust parts.
29/12/65 - Bold Colliery, LMR
Derailment involving Class 124
Info from Peter Mullen
A 6-car Trans-Pennine DMU travelling from Leeds (City) to Liverpool (Lime Street) was approaching Bold Colliery Sidings at 50 m.p.h. under clear signals when it became derailed over facing points, the leading bogie continuing down the main line whilst the remainder of the train became derailed to the left into a colliery reception siding. More Details.
early 1966 - Unknown
Collision involving Class 127
A Class 127 DMBS was photographed in Cricklewood with damage to the cab, cause unknown.
09/02/66 - Napsbury, LMR
Fire involving Class 127
Info from Bill Read
During investigation of excessive wear in the torque convertors of the Class 127 units, M51622 was fitted with test equipment which caused the cardan shaft to break up, rupture the fuel tank and catch fire. More Details.
circa early 1966 - Unknown location
Collision involving Class 108
Info from Vic Smith
56226 sustained collision to the cab, details of the incident unknown. It would spend some time at Patricroft (image on Flickr) before withdrawal in September. Partner 50943 sustained some rear end damage but was repaired and returned to traffic.
06/08/66 - Outside Accrington station
Derailment involving Class 113
A Rolls-Royce/hydraulic transmission Cravens DMU (later known as a Class 113) derailed in the sidings outside Accrington station.
31/08/66 - Thornton, ScR
Collision involving Class 108
Info from Railway Observer
A DMU that included DMBS 50611 was involved in a collision at Thornton, no other details known.
14/12/66 - Hitchin
Collision involving Class 105
Info from Railway Observer p63 February 1967
A Cravens set was being reversed into one end of Hitchin station at 19:30 while a train of stock was being reversed in from the other end. DMBS E51264 suffered considerable damage, demolishing the cab and most of the front saloon.
23/12/66 - Kentish Town
Collision involving Class 127
51611 was damaged in an incident at Kentish Town.
06/01/67 - Huddersfield
Collision involving Class 101 / buffers
Info from p95 March 1967 Railway Observer
NE51498 was damaged when it over-ran buffers at Huddersfield.
circa 1967 - Dundee, ScR
Derailment involving Class 105
Sc56481 derailed at Dundee.
19/05/67 - Birmingham Snow Hill
Collision involving Class 122 / Class 116
Info from Railway Observer p264 August 1967
The single car (presumably GRC&W built) working the 17:18 Snow Hill to Langley Green collided with the incoming 16:40 Wolverhampton - Snow Hlll worked by a three-car set (probably Derby built, maybe Met-Camm?) at the points leading to the old bay platforms at Snow Hill. Little damage was done apart from broken windows.
23/05/67 - approaching Albrighton, LMR
Fire involving unknown
Info from Railway Observer p264 August 1967
The rear car of the 09:40 Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton service, formed of three three-car sets, was noticed to be on fire as it approached Albrighton. There the rear set was detached and the train continued as a six-car. The rear coach of the detached set was completely burnt out. The vehicles, and the type of vehicles, is unknown. Assuming that the vehicle was withdrawn, the only power car from the Midlands withdrawn in the following period was 50096, along with 59025, but they were noted as having collision not fire damage.
11th July 1967 - Winwick Junction, LMR
Collision involving Class 101 / freight train
A two-car Met-Camm DMU (51194 + 56358) working on the 10.11 Chester to Manchester Exchange service collided at a speed of approx. 20mph with the rear of the 02.00 Margam to Carlisle Class 5 freight train which was standing at the Winwick Junction Down Fast Home signal. The DMBS which was leading sustained lower front end damage.
01/08/67 - Greenfield, LMR
Derailment involving unknown
Info from Railway Observer p330 October 1967
The 17:51 Greenfield - Edgeley derailed at Greenfield.
Lancashire Telegraph
October 1967 - Sough Tunnel (near Darwen), LMR
Fire involving Class 112
Info from Andrew Dyson
51705/24 caught fire in Sough Tunnel. These were cut up at Spring Vale in April 1968 by staff from Accrington depot. Cutting the unit up was only undertaken on Sundays, as staff had to work Monday to Friday, and management wouldn't free them on these days to cut the unit up. The fire was so intense that the sole bars in the middle on the units melted, causing the unit to sag. The cause given was the cardan shaft shearing, flailing about rupturing the fuel tank. An article and photo can be found in the book 'Railways Around Blackburn' and an online Lancashire Telegraph article. An expanded print version of the latter can be found on the Blackburn Fire History Phoenix Project website.
November 1967 - Inverurie Works
Fire involving Class 105
Sc51488 caught fire while under overhaul, causing sufficient damage for the vehicle to be withdrawn.
12th February 1968 - Retford
Collision involving Class 114 / Coal train
Info from Ian Prince, Retford Times
A coal train ran into the 06:48 Sheffield - Cleethorpes before the 7:45 departure from Retford low level in platform 4. Fourteen passengers required hospital treatment, two being detained for x-rays. The Class 114 had a parcel van as a tail load which took the brint of the impact, but the cab of the DMU was still severely crushed. The wreckage of the Hop AB wagon bodies remained on the adjacent embankment for many years.
circa Mar-68 - Unknown, WR
Fire involving Class 117
W51357 sustained fire damage, details unknown, it would be withdrawn.
circa spring 1968 - Unknown, LMR
Collision involving Derby Lightweight
Info from Pete LG99
Details unknown. Derby Lightweight DMBS M79134 was noted on Barrow shed with collision damage to the cab and the headstock missing.
12/06/68 - Sandridge (near St.Albans), LMR
Fire involving Class 112 / Class 127
Info from Vehicle numbers: Railway Observer p404 November 1968
A train consisting of a 4-car Class 127 (leading) and two 2-car Class 112s (believed to include 51690 and 51726) suffered severe vibration under the seventh coach. Almost at once there seemed to be a minor explosion and seconds later the vehicle became full of choking smoke and fumes, while smoke & fumes emanated from the underside of both rear coaches. As the train slowed down passengers began to jump, killing two and injuring ten others. More Details.
circa autumn 1968 - Unknown, ER
Collision involving Class 105
Info from Railway Observer p404 November 1968
E50375 was noted in the sidings at Lincoln (with partner E56125) with severe damage to the cab and leading compartment.
27/08/68 - Bury, LMR
Split Points involving Class 105
The DMCL (thought to be M50807) of a Cravens power twin was photographed with each bogie on a different line at Bury under Knowley Street bridge.
09/09/68 - Castlecary, ScR
Collision involving Class 126 / Class 24
Info from Bill Read
A 6-car Inter City DMU travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh was standing at a signal when it was run into at the rear by a light engine, Class 24 Diesel locomotive D5122. 2 persons killed and 3 injured. The rear car of the DMU, SC 79092, and the Class 24 locomotive were destroyed by the collision and subsequent fire. During a track-circuit failure, general confusion and slack working practices resulted in the Class 24 being admitted to an occupied block section. Having done so, the locomotive travelled too quickly to be able to stop short of an obstruction.
15/02/69 - Catholme Level Crossing, LMR
Collision involving Class 105 / Tractor
Info from Peter Mullen
A tractor drove into the path of a DMU. More Details.
Aug-68 - Unknown, ER
Collision involving Class 108
Info from p69 The Allocation History of BR Diesel Multiple Units Part 1, Roger Harris
E50615 suffered collision damage to the cab end, details unknown.
circa late 1969 - Unknown, LMR
Collision involving Class 108
A Class 108 twin (50984 + 56255) was withdrawn in November 1969, images taken later suggest the DMBS sustained collision damage to the cab, but details of the incident are unknown. The two vehicles sat as grounded bodies on Accrington depot until cut up on site in August 1970.
28/11/69 - Great Coates Level Crossing near Grimsby, ER
Collision involving Class 114 / Lorry
Info from Bill Read
E50031-E56031 ran through level crossing gates, striking a Dodge articulated lorry and carrying it 46 feet into the station. 3 people needed hospital treatment. Both bogies of E50031 were derailed. The train ran past a red signal.