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Edinburgh Railways Passing Craigentinny |
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and a report
of an accident involving the same |
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Richard Keltie, Glasgow
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Passing Craigentinny |
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Thank you to Richard Keltie for allowing me to reproduce this photo. Richard wrote: The Locomotive "Here is a photo of LNER locomotive, 9449. The information given on the back of this photo is:
Grandfather "My grandfather who lived in Cambusnethan Street, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh, drove this particular locomotive. He joined the railways following a spell in the Royal Navy between 1906 and 1908, during which period he served on HMS Acheron, HMS Charybdis and HMS Pathfinder." Richard Keltie, Glasgow, Scotland: January 14+19, 2008 AND February 26, 2009 |
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Haddington Accident Loco 9449 |
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Thank you to Richard Keltie for sending me details of an accident involving his grandfather and the same loco as in the photo above. Richard wrote: 1937 "The accident happened while the loco was being driven by my grandfather, Fred Butler. On Friday, 10 December 1937, he was driving the Reid class ‘C16’ locomotive L.N.E.R 9449, pulling the market train with about 20 passengers from Edinburgh and scheduled to arrive at Haddington at 11.19am. On approaching the terminus, he applied the brakes, but due to ice on the rails, they failed to operate. Fred put the engine into reverse and the guard at the rear of the train also applied the brakes, but the train carried on and ploughed through the buffers, crossed a roadway, smashed through a wooden gate and hoarding before finally coming to a halt on an embankment. Three passengers suffered minor injuries and my grandfather was treated for shock. Breakdown workers who attended the incident were called away to assist at the scene of a far worse rail accident which occurred that same day, later in the afternoon – the Castlecary disaster in which 2 trains collided, killing 35 people and injuring 179." Richard Keltie, Glasgow, Scotland: January 19, 2008 |
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The Castlecary disaster occurred in heavy snow on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line between Falkirk and Glasgow when an express train crashed into the back of a stationery train. |
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Newspaper Report of the Accident 'The Scotsman' newspaper on December 11, 1937 included a report and photograph of the accident, showing the engine overhanging a high wall and embankment overlooking the station yard. On the wall was an advert for Bovril: 'Get up Steam on Bovril'! The article reported: "The railway stands on an embankment about 40 feet above the station courtyard and adjoining the main road. A special train arrives each Friday at Haddington at 11.19am for those attending the grain market, and it was this train which was involved in the accident. The engine came to rest overhanging the embankment, and, had it gone a few feet further, would in all probability have toppled into the yard below. As it was, the buffers went with the engine and these landed in the courtyard." The Scotsman: December 11, 1937 |