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Class 101 Met-Camm 2,3 & 4-car DMUs

Accidents

These are some of the accidents that are known to involve Class 101s.

1/7/57 - Hexham Station

Collision involving Class 101 / Steam

Info from John Darwent, Jim Poor

A coal train of 35 wagons headed by a K1 embedded itself in the rear of a 4-car set, crushing through the rear driving and rear compartments and pushing the set right the way through the station (the brakes on the set were released). Car 50173 was badly stoved in and withdrawn. However, there were no casualties, despite the vehicle being forced high in the air and the fuel tank rupturing (there was evidently no fire). The DMU had worked the terminating 11.20am from Newcastle and all the passengers had alighted.

15/09/59 - Stobswood Occupational Level Crossing (NER)

Collision involving Class 101 / Road Vehicle

Info from Peter Mullen, Elizabeth Weston

An Up Alnwick to Newcastle 2-car Metro Cammell struck a dump truck. More Details.

10/08/61 - Leeds City Station

Collision involving Class 101 / Class 45

Info from John Darwent and Bill Read

Peak D103 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 traffic. The driver of the locomotive mistakenly accepted the signal that had been cleared for the DMU.

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.

Taken at York when the incoming 15.57 Scarborough - Leeds DMU collided with a reversing ECS on June 15, 1965. Probably E50236 withdrawn soon afterwards.

15/06/65 - Near York, NER

Collision involving Class 101 / Class 104

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.

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.

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.

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.

c. early June 1971 - Dundee, ScR

Collision involving Class 101

Info from Railway Observer p285 August 1971

Sc50345 was involved in a collision at Dundee, details unknown. The damaged vehicle was noted at Leith Central depot on 9/6/71.

15/3/72 - Whittlesea, ER

Collision involving Class 101 / Parcels Train

Info from Peter Mullen, Ipswich Transport Society

A communication failure saw a DMU formed of 56364 + 51207 run into the back of a Parcels Train during 'Time Interval Working'. 56364 was the damaged vehicle. More Details.

Sc56395 at Arnott Young, Fighting Cocks, on March 23, 1980. A familiar sight for several years next to the road into Middleton St George was this condemned 101 trailer car. This scrapyard had broken up many steam engines but by this time seemed to handle only occasional items of rolling stock. The site is now a modern housing estate. For a while a SR EMU trailer car resided a short distance away as a dining room attachment to the Fighting Cocks pub

circa Dec-73 - Unknown, ScR

Collision involving Class 101

Sc56395 sustained collision damage to the drivers side of the cab, details of incident unknown.

Damaged 50745 seen in Glasgow Works during the open day on June 27 1981. Low quality as from a 110 print.

circa October 1974 - Unknown

Collision involving Class 101

SC50745 suffered collision damage. Details of the incident are unknown.

Off the rails.

Class 101 DMCL SC51540 derailed at Edinburgh Waverley on Tuesday 17th August 1976.

17/08/76 - Edinburgh Waverley

Derailment involving Class 101

Class 101 DMSL SC51540 became derailed in Edinburgh Waverley.

11/11/76 - Melton Lane Signal Box

Collision involving Class 101 / Brake van

51238 + 56073 collided with a brake van that was left on the Up Slow line at Melton Lane Signal Box while working the 10:15 Hull - Goole service. The signalman had not realised that the brake van and a number of wagons had been left on the Up Slow as part of a shunt and he accepted the passenger train in error.

Burnt out Class 101 DMCL SC51540 is seen dumped in Millerhill Yard, east of Edinburgh on the 22nd January 1978. The vehicle caught fire at Bathgate Junction whilst working the 08:04 Perth to Edinburgh Waverley service on the 31st December 1976 and withdrawn during January 1977. It was scrapped in Millerhill C&W Yard during March 1978 shortly after this image was taken.

31/12/76 - Bathgate Jct., ScR

Fire involving Class 101

The 08.04 Perth - Edinburgh DMU caught fire at Bathgate Jct, SC51540 was completely gutted and later withdrawn. Could the fire be as a result of underframe damage it sustained in a derailment a few months earlier - maybe something was missed when inspected?

Class 101 DMBS 50213 is seen at NH on 27/06/81. It had been withdrawn four years earlier after colliding with a Deltic at Darlington on 16/02/77.

16/02/77 - Darlington, ER

Collision involving Class 101 / Deltic

Info from Jerry Glover and James Howie

50213 was struck by Deltic 55008 at Darlington on 16th February 1977 after the failure of the train brakes on the express. Full details in the accident report on Railways Archive (pdf). It is seen at NH on 27/06/81. Jerry Glover.

30/6/77 - Newcastle Station, ER

Collision involving Class 101 / Buffer-stop

Info from Peter Mullen

A 2-car Class 101 travelling under clear signals was running into unoccupied Nº3 Bay Platform when it failed to stop and collided with the buffer-stop. More Details.

Refurbished Class 101 DMBS SC51447 is seen burnt out in the yard at BREL Glasgow Works on the 2nd April 1978. Refurbished and restored to traffic during July 1977 SC51447 was unfortunately destroyed by fire in Cowlairs Carriage Sidings, Glasgow on the 4th September of that year. Withdrawn the same month, she was eventually cut up at Glasgow Works 2 years later during September 1979.

4th September 1977 - Cowlairs Carriage Sidings, ScR

Fire involving Class 101

Info from Railway Observer p353 October 1977

Class 101 DMBS 51447 was badly damaged in a fire at Cowlairs Carriage Sidings.

The Thornaby 45 ton Steam Crane re-railing a Class 101 DMU beside Middlesbrough docks in 1978.

1978 - Middlesbrough docks

Derailment involving Class 101

A Class 101 derailed alongside Middlesbrough docks and was assisted by the Thornaby steam crane.

DMBS W51799 (of set B810) has been the subject of a shunting mishap also involving a 350hp shunter and BR Mark 1 sleeping car W2541, within Bristol Marsh Junction Depot on an unknown date in 1980.

1980 - Bristol Marsh Junction

Collision involving Class 101

Info from John Savage

DMBS W51799 (of set B810) has been the subject of a shunting mishap also involving a 350hp shunter and BR Mark 1 sleeping car W2541, within Bristol Marsh Junction Depot on an unknown date in 1980.

DMBS Sc 51466 of set 101 338 at Eastfield Depot on 29/8/83, the day after colliding with a van that was allowed to roll away and drop 40 feet into the cutting near Eastfield shed where it was hit by the 20.58 Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen St service driven by Peter 'Diesel Pete' McQuade who promptly protected the opposite line preventing further disaster.

28/08/83 - Eastfield

Collision involving Class 101 / Road vehicle

Info from Spannerman37025

The 20.58 Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen St service collided with a van that was allowed to roll away and drop 40 feet into the cutting near Eastfield shed. DMBS 51466 was leading. For an image of the van see this flickr image.

The distorted remains of Class 107 DMBS Sc52009 at Ayr depot on February 15, 1984. It was damaged during a fire there on January 2, 1984.

02/01/84 - Ayr depot

Fire involving Class 101 / Class 107

A fire at the depot, thought to be caused by vandalism, destroyed several DMU vehicles. More Details.

circa early Aug-84 - Polmont

Fire involving Class 101

Info from John McGrevey

51448 caught fire (photos suggest it was an engine fire) while running in set 101325 (the other power car being 51529) in the Polmont area. It was put into a siding at Polmont Junction where the fire brigade attended, the vehicle having most of the windows broken. It would be withdrawn soon after.

This was a 4-car formation of 2x101 power twins which hit a farm tractor at speed on a crossing about one mile north of Llandrindod Wells while travelling south on the afternoon of Saturday August 8th, 1987. Fortunately there were no injuries.

08/08/87 - One mile north of Llandrindod Wells.

Collision involving Class 101 / Tractor

Info from David Rowe

A 4-car formation of 2x101 power twins which hit a farm tractor at speed on a crossing about one mile north of Llandrindod Wells while travelling south on the afternoon of Saturday August 8th, 1987. Fortunately there were no injuries.

On 28th January 1988 a lorry toppled from the A736 road bridge over the G&SW line at the south end of Uplawmoor, some of its load falling onto the track as did some bridge parapet masonry derailing the leading vehicle 10:45 Kilmarnock to Glasgow Central. There were no casualties amongst the 30 passengers, the lorry driver was unhurt.

It was worked by a hybrid set, Class 101 DMBS 51248 (closest, it would be withdrawn afterwards), a Class 101 TBSL (likely 59112, the only BG TBSL at Ayr) and a Class 120 DMSL.

28/01/88 - Uplawmoor, ScR

Derailment involving Class 101

Info from John Reddyhoff, Fraser Cochrane and John W.

The leading bogie of a 101 DMBS derailed after hitting debris from a lorry that shed it's load. On 28th January 1988 a lorry toppled from the A736 road bridge over the G&SW line at the south end of Uplawmoor, some of its load falling onto the track derailing the leading vehicle on the 10:45 Kilmarnock to Glasgow Central. There were no casualties amongst the 30 passengers, the lorry driver was unhurt. It was worked by a hybrid set, Class 101 DMBS 51248 (leading, it would be withdrawn afterwards), a Class 101 TBSL (likely 59112, the only BG TBSL at Ayr) and a Class 120 DMSL. More Details.

This Class 101 DMC, and part of the TBS centre car behind, with fire damage at Wensum Sidings, Norwich, on 6/7/91. Identities unknown.

circa 1989 - Norwich, ER

Fire involving Class 101

Info from Mark Rowe

While travelling empty stock from Ipswich to Crown Point a fire broke out, and driver Mick Kassa brought the train to a stand at Trowse Upper Junction in the Lakenham area of Norwich. It was around midnight & damage was also done to the relatively new OHL which had been installed for the 1987 inaugaration of electric services to London Liverpool Street. The DMC and TBS are seen in Wensum Sidings, Norwich on 6/7/91. Picture by Jerry Glover. Their identities are still unknown. The DMC does not seem to have had a headlamp fitted, and looking at the condition of the underframe / bogies it has been out of use for some time.

51501 still ablaze in Mossend Yard on 17th November 1999.

17/11/99 - Near Mossend Yard, ScR

Fire involving Class 101

Class 101 set 101 688 caught fire near Mossend Yard in-between duties at around 5.45am. More Details.

Details about preserved Class 101s can be found here.

Many thanks to Mac Winfield and Eddie Knorn for their assistance in the preparation of this section.

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