Discovering Edinburgh...
By Bob McCulloch ©
Quintinshill Rail Disaster
2 Q W K H I D W H I X O G D \ W U D I À F Z D V K H D Y \ G X H W R W K H crossover he should have put a metal collar over
war and both these passing loops were occupied the signal levers to prevent them from being
Travel on the railway today is, on the whole, a
Z L W K I U H L J K W W U D I À F V K X Q W H G W K H U H W R P D N H Z D \ pulled and when the troop special encountered
pleasant experience in fast clean comfortable
for passenger trains. The 06:10 local passenger
the signal at danger it would have had time
trains; with drinkable coffee and the latest in
W U D L Q O H I W & D U O L V O H & L W D G H O 6 W D W L R Q R Q W L P H E X W W K H
to come to a halt at a safe distance from the
signalling technology, but in the early years of
crew expected to be shunted at Quintinshill to
stationary train. When Gretna signal box to
last century this was not always the case. Trains
make way for the Euston to Glasgow express
the south asked him to accept the late running
Z H U H Y H U \ E D V L F D Q G G X H W R W K H F R D O À U H G O R F R V
sleeper train, which was running 30 minutes late.
express sleeper he did so as the line was clear
dirty, smelly and devoid of any extravagances
% H F D X V H W K H ´ ' R Z Q µ S D V V L Q J O R R S Z D V R F F X S L H G
and cleared the signals to green. The special
such as toilets or buffet cars. The carriages that
the local passenger was shunted through the
troop train with clear signals was running at full
were the norm for 3
rd
class passengers had
crossover from the “Down to the “Up” main line
V S H H G W R Z D U G V D V W D W L R Q D U \ W U D L Q D Q G W K H G U L Y H U · V
no corridor only a door with a window that was
where it would stand outside the signal box until
vision of the line ahead was obscured by the
opened by means of a leather strap at each side
the sleeper train passed then would proceed
freight train standing on the “Down” passing
of the compartment. There were four seats with
through the crossover to continue on the “Down”
loop and with the sleeper train speeding from
no arm rests on each side with a luggage rack
line. This was standard operating procedure and
the south with clear signals disaster was only
above the seats, a mirror and a print of a railway
was carried out many times a day. The dayshift
moments away. The loco on the 06:10 was
destination on the dividing walls and that was it.
a “Carndean” class loco number 907 and an
engine of this size would usually never have
The heating was steam from the loco and strict
been used on a local train but had just came from
instructions were issued to train crews as to
a workshop overhaul and was being run in. The
the dates it was to be used between April and
loco on the troop train was a Caledonian 440
October, regardless of the temperature. As a
number 121. The fact that the standing train had
À U H P D Q R Q V W H D P O R F R P R W L Y H V L Q W K H V ,
its brakes applied made the impact worse and
was reported to my boss for providing heat on
its four carriages were propelled down the track
a passenger train from Perth to Edinburgh on a
on their own with two passengers dead from the
freezing cold day in May and was warned as to
my future conduct. The person who reported me
collision. Tinsley realizing what had happened
Z D V W K H Z L I H W U D Y H O O L Q J I U H H R I D Q R I À F H F O H U N L Q
returned the signals to danger in an attempt to
the Waverley station who was sitting in a coal
stop the north bound express, but it was too late
À U H G K H D W H G R I À F H P D N L Q J R X W Z H L J K E L O O V I R U F R D O
for the driver to apply the brakes and stop the
merchants .He had reached the zenith of his
train before it collided with the wreckage of the
railway career and had never done a lick of work
troop train. The twenty one carriages of the troop
since joining the railways but had studied the rules
train telescoped up in the air so that the length of
and regulations on a correspondence course so
the train was halved and some carriages and the
Z D V R E Y L R X V O \ Z H O O T X D O L À H G W R P D N H D G H F L V L R Q R Q
tender from one of the locos fell across the “Up”
the weather conditions forty miles away.
line on which the late running sleeper train of loco
D Q G À I W H H Q K H D Y \ F R U U L G R U F R D F K H V Z D V K X U W O L Q J
There have been numerous accidents on the
along in an attempt to make up some time. Many
railways over the years some very serious,
of the injured soldiers dazed and roused from
many caused by equipment failure or inclement
signalman James Tinsley had already broken
sleep and completely disoriented jumped from
weather, some by excessive speed or poor
two rules that morning, one, his shift was a 5am
the wreckage of the troop train into the path of
permanent way maintenance and others due to
start but as there was no public transport running
the oncoming express, others trapped in the
human error, as was the case in the Quintinshill
at that time of day he could not get there from
wreckage were burned alive as the gas bottles
rail disaster on the 22
nd
May 1915.
Carlisle so had an arrangement with the nightshift
signalman Meakin that he would get a lift on the
X V H G I R U O L J K W L Q J F D X J K W À U H 7 K H À Q D O G H D W K W R O O
never more than a careful estimate was 227
7 K H ) L U V W : R U O G : D U Z D V V W D J Q D W L Q J L Q W U H Q F K
06:10 passenger and the changeover would be
G H D G R I Z K L F K Z H U H 5 R \ D O 6 F R W V Z L W K P R U H
warfare and more men were needed for Lord
06:30. There was nothing seriously wrong with
than twice that number injured. Every available
. L W F K H Q H U · V D U P \ 7 K H P H Q R I / H L W K D Q V Z H U H G
this arrangement, but it was frowned upon by
vehicle in nearby Carlisle was commandeered
the call and the 7
th
% D W W D O L R Q 5 R \ D O 6 F R W V Z D V
the Caledonian Railway Company. His second
to ferry the dead and injured to hospital with the
I R U P H G 7 K H \ E H F D P H N Q R Z Q D V ´ / H L W K · V 2 Z Q µ
breach of the rules was, no one was allowed
and after mustering at the drill hall on Dalmeny
on the footplate of the loco without express
drivers being issued with police whistles to clear
6 W U H H W W K H \ P D U F K H G W R : D Y H U O H \ 6 W D W L R Q E H L Q J
permission, but again this was common practice
the way. One of the survivors was 15-year-old
cheered along the way by family and friends
with signalmen at remote signal boxes getting a
: L O O L H % H O O D G U X P P H U E R \ Z K R O D W H U Z H Q W R Q W R
and other well-wishers. On arrival at Waverley
lift from loco crews.
Z R U N I R U W K H & D O H G R Q L D Q 5 D L O Z D \ & R P S D Q \ % R W K
Tinsley and Meachin were charged with culpable
they boarded four special troop trains bound
I R U / L Y H U S R R O Z K H U H W K H \ Z R X O G H P E D U N W R À J K W
When he took over duties from Meakin, James carelessness, found guilty and sentenced to a
in the Gallipoli campaign. The third of these
Tinsley who should have been alone in the term of imprisonment. The Caledonian Railway
V S H F L D O W U D L Q V Z R X O G E H L Q Y R O Y H G L Q % U L W D L Q · V
V L J Q D O E R [ Z D V Q R W S D \ L Q J D W W H Q W L R Q W R W K H W U D I À F Company played down the disaster and refused
worst rail disaster and of the men on board 214
movements and was no doubt distracted by the to have a memorial erected to commemorate
would have less than three hours to live. The
S U H V H Q F H R I W K H À U H P H Q I U R P W K H V K X Q W H G W U D L Q V the dead. Many of the dead were brought back
ingredients of the disaster were complicated but
who had gone there to comply with rule 55 which to Edinburgh and were buried with full military
the main cause was the failure of two signalmen
stated that one of the train crew must sign the K R Q R X U V L Q 5 R V H E D Q N F H P H W H U \ R Q 3 L O U L J 6 W U H H W
to follow basic operating rules and regulations
train register book. The nightshift signalman where a memorial to them was erected. As a
and shoddy working practices.
Meakin was still in the signal box reading the À U H P D Q , Z L W Q H V V H G P D Q \ R I W K H R O G H U J H Q H U D W L R Q
morning paper and was not paying attention to of engine drivers standing and removing their
The rail layout at Quintinshill north of Carlisle
what was happening only a few feet away. When hats when passing Quintinshill signal box.
was two main lines, the “Up” running south and
Kirkpatrick the signal box to the north asked if Today the signal box is gone as are the passing
the “Down” running north, with “Up” and “Down”
he would accept the troop train he did so and O R R S V D Q G F U R V V R Y H U D Q G L W L V Q R Z Y H U \ G L I À F X O W
passing loops used to allow slow moving trains
pulled the signals to clear completely forgetting to identify the spot which is what the railway
to be sidelined to allow faster moving ones to that the 06:10 local was standing in its path. It company always wanted.
overtake and a crossover between the “Up” and should have been impossible to clear the signals,
the “Down” main lines. as when Meakin shunted the 06:10 through the & R S \ U L J K W % R E 0 F & X O O R F K
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