Was this event preventable? & Would you like to see more train disasters? Let me know!

I'm a train driver, just finished a shift tonight where I've been driving in thick freezing fog. I cannot stress how helpful the AWS system is in these adverse conditions. When visibility is almost zero having that little heads up what the next signal is helps so much. .

My grandad was in the Harrow crash, the only reason he survived was because the carriage he normally took was full, his normal one was decimated.

My Uncle Albert, Albert Perkins, was the driver of the Euston Liverpool train. I was only six at the time but I remember it clearly. He was my mother's brother and like a second Dad to me. He ended up underneath the engine and was sent home in a sealed coffin. My two other uncles also top link engine drivers examined the engine and found the brakes to be on. His fireman escaped as my uncle told him to jump. I give my uncle's name as I have never seen it in any report.

I am a signalman I the US, and this is my worst nightmare. On some commuter lines in the US (Chicago) have automatic train stop, where a engineer needs to acknowledge restricting signals or the train will stop. Before Positive train control (PTC) there is nothing stopping something like this from happening on our freight lines. We try to make the signals as visible as possible, and with LEDs you can see signals for miles. And we call detonators “torpedos” You do an excellent job of explaining ABS, of course we have different terms.

I was a light rail operator in Dallas, Texas, so I like, and appreciate the “boring bits”

This one definitely scores high on legacy - not just because of the safety changes, but also the assistance from the US Air Force medics was the first time that battlefield-style triage, was used at a peacetime mass casualty event in Britain, and forever changed the way emergency services respond to such incidents.

I clearly remember this crash, even though I was only six. I had always been interested by technical things and was obsessed with trains. I used to spend quite a lot of time at my grandmother's at that time and she had a television - with an oil filled magnifier that hung over the tiny screen to increase the image size. The sight of 'Princess Ann' lying on her side and obviously smashed beyond repair, was iconic and one which I have as an indelible memory. Oddly enough, there was another image that became the iconic image of Harrow & Wealdstone for me. Abbey Sweetwine USAF, kneeling on a platform, tending an injured survivor. The still photograph of this scene was published all over the world and, quite properly, 2nd Lt. Sweetwine became quite a celebrity. Apparently, she stayed in the US Air Force for many years and eventually retired with the rank of Major so, she wasn't just a pretty face. She passed away age 87 in 2009, but for me at least, she remains "The Angel of platform 6."

I am a current UK freight train driver in Anglia, if you need any assistance with research or explanations of railway rules and regulations just ask away, as we have access to a lot of materials. Another great video

Nothing like a bit of British rail tomfoolery to finish the day. Thanks for another great video.

So I never knew, until recently, that natural gas was odorless. You should talk about the disaster that led to world wide adoption of odorant as an additive to gas; I bet it goes pretty high on the legacy scale. ;)

I can't imagine the terror of, having survived the collision of the first two trains, suddenly realizing ANOTHER train is barreling towards you and there's nothing you can do.

Interesting point of loco trivia: One of the LMS locomotives destroyed in this disaster had only recently been converted back into a "traditional" locomotive after spending time as the (failed) experimental engine "Turbomotive", which used turbines instead of traditional cylinders.

22:11 One minor point. The Great Western ATC system had the ramp energized (not de-energized) when the signal was clear. This was to ensure that an electrical failure, on either the signal or the locomotive, would not give a false "clear" indication in the cab.

To quote the old National Geographic series, Seconds from Disaster, disasters don't just happen. They're a chain of critical events. A chain of events where if just one event had either not happened or gone differently could have prevented the entire disaster from happening or reduced the severity.

We had quite a similar disaster in similar conditions at Harmelen (Netherlands) in january of '62 (deadliest ever with 92 deaths) which also showed the need of speedy introduction ATB. (Automatische Trein Beïnvloeding). Most drivers here, like me, are shown this disaster in some form during initail driver training. To become aware of what the dangers are and why systems are in place. Excellent explaining on your part too the general public!

For me as a train driver in germany I find it interesting but also frightening at the same time to actually see how mighty railways can go wrong, if they go wrong. I got a minor derail a few months ago while shunting and it still give me the creeps when I heard how the first bogie of the wagon hit the ground.

I’m from wealdstone. One of the guys who used to come into the pub where I worked in the 1980’s was a railman when the accident happened. I remember him telling me about it. He said it was carnage. He said he worked all day helping to remove the dead and the injured and said the thing that always stuck with him was that they were all so exhausted he said he remembered that they all had to stop and rest he said he remembered sitting down on a sleeper and eating his sandwiches and having a cup of tea surrounded by the wreckage and the dead.

It's not just British signals; I have yet to fully comprehend any signaling system. In the US it varies by railroad company and time period so you can really go down a rabbit hole with it.

I used to live right next to this station. If you look closely, you can still see the rebuilt part of the walkway doesn't entirely match the rest of it. I always found that to be a chilling reminder of this tragedy.

I openly screamed at the computer when the talk of the Liverpool-bound train started. I don't know why I didn't catch that there were three trains involved from the start but it still got me. This was the train version of the Halifax shipping disaster - everything bad that could happen, did.

A macabre fact about the death toll is that 36 of the fatalities were of staff who worked in London Midland Headquarters offices at Euston House. There was a diktat at one time that rail staff should travel separately from other passengers, which explains why so many were in the rear coaches of the local train.

These stories always creep me out because this is exactly the kind of mistake I can see myself making... being too comfortable in my routine and missing a warning sign/looking at the wrong sign and misinterpreting what I've seen. Especially on a foggy day! Excellent summation of the events!

I used to live close to that station and I did not know the history. I do remember at a child in the 70s or 80s being evacuated because of a chemical leak locally and the time the high street flooded. The horror of Harrow indeed.

Amazing to see how detailed your explanation is to help understand the scene correctly. This is staple Saturday viewing for me!

Like, comment, engagement. Always a treat to watch a plainly difficult production. Satisfies my morbid curiosity.

Sorry if this is rather long but there can`t be very many of us left with actual memories of being there that day. I was travelling to school on this day ,using the suburban (electric) track ,from my home 3 stops up the line at Carpenters Park and this was my daily commute to school since moving out of London 20 months previously. I must have been the one living the furthest out of the girls in my year and we made a point of travelling in the same place on the train, so that we travelled together; it was always the first compartment in the last carriage . I boarded the train as usual at 08.05 (ish) and with me were a number of adult commuters ,most of whom got out at Harrow and Wealdstone station, to be replaced by my 4 or 5 schoolfriends and some adults. I now realise that the commuters were all transferring to the fast London bound train ,waiting on the adjoining platform . The stopping train I was on moved on to the next station ( Kenton) ,waited there for perhaps a minute then moved out, but almost immediately stopped just clear of the station . This was not unusual, there would often be brief pauses on the journey and it was not until 5 or so minutes had passed that the adults started to get a bit uneasy .By the time 15 minutes had passed with the train still stationary we girls realised that there was no way that we would get to school on time ,so it was all a bit of an adventure. After 30 or so more minutes there were noises from the trackside and rail staff members with wooden steps were asking all passengers to leave the train and walk back to Kenton station ,where there were notices advising of no further trains and so make our own way onwards. Luckily one of the girls lived not too far away at Belmont and we went to her home ,probably by bus .Her mother must have contacted the school and we finally arrived there at about 11.00 am. Over the next few weeks ,buses were laid on between Kenton and Headstone Lane ,bypassing the wreck scene but with no home phone or TV I didn`t know what had happened until the papers next day showed the horrific scenes. We must have been about 3 minutes away from it .

Fun fact: The nameplates of the 2 engines that were damaged beyond repair in the accident (LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 no 45637 Winward Islands and LMS Rebuilt Turbomotive 4-6-2 no 46202 Princess Anne) ended up in the collection of Doncaster Grammar School's Railway Society. They are on display at the Danum Gallery in Doncaster in the Railway exhibit.

Love these train disaster videos! Good thing you like explaining the signals, because knowing how they work is more interesting than "the conductor missed the signal".

I genuinely watched all your vids over and over again, I fall asleep to them. It's like a ritual. Your video's are entirely my favourite types of subjects but without the loud music and sounds added in and with a pleasant voice narrating. Perfect. Please keep doing what you're doing!

A major crash has also happened in 1970 at Řikonín in former Czechoslovakia. This disaster had similar safety standing on signallist, who in this case failed. Also, this was a three-train crash, too.

It's strange how this is such a serious accident and this is the first I've heard of it? Excellent work as usual John.

My Mom's cousin was married to a guy worked for Santa Fe railroad for 40 years. Astonishing just how complex RR management really is. His last job was finding train cars that had gone missing.

My father was living with his parents exactly a mile away when this crash happened. I remember him talking about this crash and that it really upset him. As a schoolboy he would go to the station regularly to watch the LMS trains.

Well this is moving my understanding of signalling beyond late 80s Thomas and Friends. I did read about this crash on Wikipedia but having the context and the issues explained so well here is great.

One of my old scout leaders was a boy when this happened and was one of the first on the scene. He was also because of his child's size sent through the wreckage to give aid.

The US has The History Guy, England has Plainly, and Ireland has that tricky Qxir

I love your train videos, and would happily watch an hour or two just on British Railway Signaling.

I read the full inquiry report into this accident a few years ago, it's available at Railway Archive. The thing I found most disturbing was the hand-written & typed notes taken during by the rescuer's & mortuaries that were then entered into evidence. The notes grouped under Fatality & Injury lists, with names, addresses and ages of the victims, some names having the word "FATAL" in brackets. One list names 'Railway staff still missing', on it a young lady 16 years old from Balmorral Road in Watford, another note in the file, hand-written in pencil by Edgware Mortuary lists an unknown Woman aged about 17 - I honestly don't know if this lady survived or not. These fragments recorded at the time brought home to me the disaster in a whole new light.

Maybe it’s just the animation, but the difference between “proceed” and “danger” on the semaphore signals seems insufficient to me, and could be missed in poor visibility. Thank you for explaining them, and the terms “up” and “down.” Good video. If you’re looking for a combined train and wartime disaster, I’d like to see one on the Wreck of the Congressional at Frankford Junction in Philadelphia on Labor Day 1943. My grandfather was a track supervisor for the Pennsylvania RR, and was gone from home for two days clearing up the wreck.

My great uncle worked at the British Rail offices in London Euston. He crossed that footbridge and caught his train less than half an hour before the accident. Despite the amount of damage and wreckage, the railway staff cleared and repaired enough to start running some trains just 24 hours later. Now we would have rail replacement buses for months.

While I was working for the railways until recently, portable detonators were carried on the train for emergency use. They were fixed to a running rail by wrapping a pair of soft aluminium flexible tails around the rail head. The ones referred to as being placed by the Harrow signallers however would have been ones swung out over the rail by an arm operated remotely from the signal box.

In case anyone is interested I was speaking to a friend who's used to be a stores man for the railway and he confirmed that trains still carry detonators today for use in case of a breakdown. He also mentioned two instances they found large piles of very old detonators in the store and ended up calling in bomb disposal to remove them!

Great job, Plainly. Also glad that you’ve nailed “exacerbated”, I was getting quite exasperated 😉 Just the right amount of signalling info provided, and a good record of an horrific accident that changed British Railways. Alongside AWS, another positive outcome (due to 46202 “Princess Anne”, the ex-Turbomotive being unfortunately written-off), the authorisation to build a replacement Pacific was granted; that leading to the magnificent and unique 8P, 71000 “Duke of Gloucester”. Tragedy is often bittersweet.

I recently read a novel which included this train disaster as a backdrop so it's really interesting to learn the historical facts about the causes and effects. Thanks for another great rail-related video! *edit the crash in the novel was actually 1957 Lewisham oops!

That was a wonderful video. I'm American, but I have a soft spot in my heart for British railways, and signal boxes. ❤

You should do one about the Granville Train Disaster (1977) in Australia. 84 people were killed. Australia’s worst rail disaster. Would be a very interesting one to cover.

The ”boring” part is the best part! Thanks for the detailed deep dives

Great Video as always. Love your Train videos and especially the detailed explanation. You could look into the German-Fast Train accident in Eschede in 1998; has an very interesting story too.

Ah...it's 7 degrees F here (snot-freezing cold as we say in Michigan) but it's sunny. Coffee and Plainly are my Saturday morning routine. I'd love to hear about some American train disasters, we've had a few.

Concise and intriguing. You hardly hear about historical incidents like this in the states.

I'm liking these railway related documentaries

There were so many crashes in & around London - Lewisham, Croydon, Hither Green, Eltham, Cannon Street. All deserve a good neutral assessment like yours.

You say that the signaling aspects of this video are the boring part, but for a nerd like me they, too, are the interesting bits, and it's always a pleasure to hear a nerd like you talk about the nerdy stuff like that.

Nice presentation, I’ve read many accounts of the crash, I used to work with a old chap who was there as a first aider , the thing that always stuck in my mind was is recollection of dustbins being used for the severed limbs . The old stock being used having little crash integrity

I’m impressed about how much you researched the terminologies we use on the tracks

2-6-4T indicates the wheel arrangement and normally doesn't indicate the class but can be used to distinguishes between 2 locomotives of similar power but different wheel arrangements or between tender and ta k locomotives (as indicated by the T). The local train was being hauled by a Fowler 4MT (in the BR power classification scheme, it was 4P under the LMS).

Good video. I am from Harrow, it is pronounced ‘we’ ‘ald’ ‘stone’ as in the philosophers stone . The way you have said the word makes it sounds more like Willesden than Wealdstone. I know the tfl voice calls it ‘wealdstun’ as you have done, but I can tell you confidently that the locals pronounce it ‘we ald stone’ 👍🏻

PlainlyDuficult I can’t blame you for being interested in the signaling engineering. I find it extremely interesting as well

i love the fact that in newer episodes you also say the number on the scale rather than just show it as I usually listen to these and can't always look at the screen. Keep up the good work and have a safe day

We had a horrible train crash here in Oregon not long ago. The driver was going too fast for the corner and the cars derailed, killing people. This came not long after the track company turned down the push to install the AWS on that track.

My father was the last person to speak to the footplate crew of City of Glasgow. Following a night shift at Stafford his relief signalman status allowed him access to a cab ride to return to his home base of Rugby on the late running sleeper. He related that he found driver Jones very calm and professional but he was concerned about getting pegged all the way up to London, wanting to know what traffic had been sent south by my father. His informed opion ,was that the crew had been clock watching at Harrow , as he had experienced this before but luckily with minor consequences. He was never called before the investigation board.

As a retired train driver, in Australia, where much of our rules were imported from the U.K. this video really struck me. Only the other day was talking with my son, (who is also a train driver, )about new employees with the company he works for, a private entity, thus safe working rules are nothing like they were when I was driving as a Government employee. The point is, this young fella could not see the sense, or the importance being placed on safe working rules on railways. I suggested he be directed to watch some videos like this, to gain some understanding of what the concept is, and why it grew. Very good video needs to be shown to all new prospective trainees.

As a young boy, I lived in Hatch End roughly 1954-1959. My father, in the USAF, was stationed at Ruislip AFB. I attended school in Harrow Wealdstone. My best friend’s family ran a restaurant across from the station in question. This video is the first I’ve heard anything about this tragic accident. Thank you so much for an excellent video and description of the accident. I appreciate it very much.

How ridiculously complex the train warning system is. Or was. It probably still is. Nice work 👍

I can't believe someone mentioned chains, as a surveyor in the states that's how all of our land was once divided

My grandad died before I was born but I know he loved cooking fried eggs and bacon on a shovel as a cargo train driver. I don't know how he kept an eye on his breakfast on the coals with these complicated signals!

Well done on trying to explain Absolute Block quickly and summarily, thank you John!

John, tiny error. You describe ATP clear indication as de-energised ramp, whereas a clear indication is given by an energised ramp so that in the event of a failed circuit the in-cab signal given would be de-energised and fail-safe to caution.

Up too early. You've made this morning so much better

Okay this is just weird… I was watching your content like 2 days ago having just discovered your channel. I saw all the videos you do on train disasters and it made me think… My grandma was involved in this incident, after looking through your videos I saw you hadn’t done a video on it yet so watched a couple of random ones although not many have been made and then I opened my app to this. So strange

Hey I actually like it when you talk about the signal systems b/c you explain it very well. You make jt easy to understand.

I love your clear, unrushed explanations of how things work. Thank you again!

I'm not a signalman or a light rail worker, just a model railroad enthusiast. I definitely appreciated the boring bits.

I will never get tired of watching plainly difficult videos

for those who want to know a Chain is 22 yards, or about 20.12 meters

Another quality video 🤟

I thought I heard the word chain as a measure of length and just as I was about to minimize the video to check you clarified haha, excellent work as usual!

Keep up the great videos! love all the history! Thanks Plainly D!

Tragic story I had only ever seen hints of before. And you had the railgeek in me totally engaged. Signals in the U.S. vary and change over time and sometimes region so halfway understanding yet another system was welcome. (One of my fond childhood memories was chilling with a railcrew in rural Missouri when I was a kid. They were filling hoppers on a siding so they had time to kill and they indulged a nine year old with a tour of the cab.)

Thank you for these videos. I think the explanations of the signaling system add to the video. They are a good balance of detail with the story.

Boston's subway system is another that does not use compass direction. There are four stations used as reference points for "inbound" and "outbound" trains. For example, I used to ride the "D" branch of the Green Line (another weird designation story) and direction was based on Park Street station. All trains headed into Park Street are considered inbound while all trains headed away are outbound. A rider traveling through Park Street will be on an inbound train when headed into the station and the same train will be an outbound when it leaves. Confusing for those new to the Boston "T" system.

Great vid, fascinating info you provided. RIP to the lives cut short by this crash and condolences to their families.

Excellent video. I grew up near this station and once knew someone who was involved in the rescue effort. As you can imagine, he saw some terrible things that day.

My most looked to videos each week. Thank you.

I'm glad you are getting time to research what you enjoy. I've never learned about the train signal systems before. But I automate machinery and find control philosophy interesting.

Thank you for this. I live 3 minutes away from the station, and use it to commute. There are memorials stating that this was the first time the triage system was used in the UK. Also, the platform 7 branch line was used, but only as far as Belmont Circle. You can walk the single track (the Belmont Trail) which still has a few pieces of railway debris on the way.

It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, keep up the good work!

I had heard about this crash when I was a child growing up in the 60's . The crash was often mentioned in fictional films of the 50/60's . Never got round to looking into the story in greater depth until your KZfaq video came along . So thank you for the well researched video . Have subscribed to your channel!!

Ther boring bits are fascinating, and also important.

Tom Scott (I think) visited a railway switching system in one of his videos. It was fascinating.

I just found your channel! Its very informative about disasters I never even heard about.

I now know more about the British Rail Signaling system from the mid century than I did yesterday. Another great video 👍

This episode of Thomas and friends was dark

Thank you. That's the best explanation of that incedent I've ever heard or seen.

Another thing to note about AWS was that it wasn’t fully rolled out until the Lewisham disaster a couple of years later in either 1955 - 56

It's sad how such accidents prompted the use of AWS nationally to reduce further accidents (given there are still accidents occurring today, just not on the same scale thankfully), rather than being proactive in installing AWS before such incidents occurred, but as they say, hindsight is always 20-20... :(

I live this channel and all of the content. Whenever I see a new video posted it always makes my day

Excellent story of the crash: great explanation of the signalling system of the time.

Thanks for another great train accident video. If you want to cover more train accidents, I’d suggest looking at a recent event here in Denmark: The accident at the 2nd of January 2019 at the Great Belt Bridge. A collision where a loose container on a freight train hits a passenger train going in the opposite direction.