Sydenham rail disaster

infobox AU rail accident


title = Sydnenham rail disaster
date = 19 December 1953
time =
location = Sydenham, New South Wales
location-dist =
location-dir =
location-city =
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operator = New South Wales Government Railways
type = Collision
cause = Wrong-side failure
trains = 2
pax =
deaths = 5
injuries = 748

The Sydenham rail disaster occurred on 19 December 1953 when an electric passenger train of the New South Wales Government Railways ran into the rear of another electric train.

Five people were killed and 748 injured. [http://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/content.php/650.html New South Wales Government (Australia); Office for Emergency Services] ] [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21856974-5001021,00.html Chronology of Australian train crashes; The Daily Telegraph (Australia); June 06, 2007] ] A wrong-side failure was believed to be the cause.

Synopsis

In the accident, the signal electrician was attending a failure of a track circuit. To help keep the trains moving, he was picking up that track circuit relay with his fingers. Distracted by a telephone call, he forgot to drop the track circuit relay when the section became occupied by a train, allowing a second train to see green signals and collide with the first.Fact|date=February 2007

Since that time, signal electricians have been advised to help no more than the first train out of the way, after which they should concentrate on finding the fault.

Earlier Sydenham Accident

The withdrawal of the F-class steam locomotives from passenger service was the result of the Sydenham derailment of 15 February 1901. The train involved was the 5.55 pm from Sydney, bound for Hurstville. Shortly after passing Sydenham Junction, the engine suddenly left the rails, shot off the track to the left in the vicinity of the level crossing at Bridge Street, collided with and smashed the crossing gate and signal post and travelled some distance down Bridge Street before coming to a stand."The Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin" - March 1952] Seven persons were killed, including the Fireman, and 25 were injured.

References