Orgreave rail accident
53°22′01″N 1°21′32″W / 53.367°N 1.359°W
| Orgreave Train Collision 1926 | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 13 December 1926 |
| Location | Orgreave Colliery, South Yorkshire |
| Country | England, UK |
| Line | Great Central Railway |
| Cause | Derailment fouled line |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 3 |
| Passengers | 800 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 19 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
The Orgreave Train Collision occurred on 13 December 1926 near Orgreave Colliery signal box on the Great Central Railway line about 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) east of Sheffield. A goods train had collided with a preceding goods train on the same line, and the wreckage had obstructed the adjacent passenger line.
A workmen's train, known as a paddy mail, ran into the wreckage; paddy mails were workmen's trains operated in connection with all three shift changes at the collieries. These were hauled from Sheffield Victoria, as far as Orgreaves Colliery Sidings by the main line company, using whatever locomotive was available. At this point the colliery's own locomotives took over and in connection with this operation 'Rothervale No.6' was fitted with vacuum brakes. The train then ran to Orgreave Colliery platform and Treeton Colliery.