Class 104 BRC&W 2, 3 & 4-car DMUs
Accidents
These are some of the accidents that are known to involve Class 104s.
25/04/60 - Between Garforth and Micklefield
Collision involving Class 104 / Steam
Info from Bill Read
A 6-car DMU travelling from Leeds City to Hull collided at speed with the rear of an unfitted goods train running at about 25mph, and hauled by an 8F. 5 persons injured. The freight train divided and the DMU continued forward for 75 yards, with the leading bogie derailed, pushing in front of it a 20-ton brake van and two wagons. The front of the leading coach (thought to be E50554) was stove in and there was damage to the cab floor and fittings. The DMU passed a red signal.
October 1962 - Hessle Road, Hull
Derailment involving Class 104
Info from Ian Fleming and Mick Nicholson
In the final week of the old mechanical cabin trains were being hand signalled. The Class 104 (59226 closest) ‘split’ a set of wrongly clamped points. The photographer said: “Within hours the mess was cleaned up and normal working soon resumed, today it would be a ‘scene of crime’ and the job stopped for a week”! Mick Nicholson. A list of photos on the Transport Treasury website contains images showing E50572 + E50561 + E59228 being re-railed (Miscellaneous Glass Plate Negatives section, negatives G871-8).
15/06/65 - Near York, NER
Collision involving Class 101 / Class 104
Info from Peter Mullen, Chris Moxon
A ECS move with loco / coaches reversing from the station went through signals at danger and hit an incoming DMU. More Details.
29/08/65 - Connah's Quay
Fire involving Class 101 / Class 104
10:35 Excursion from Wigan to Llandudno formed M50318/M59129/M50336 & M50490/M59146/M50438 caught fire near Connah's Quay. The failure of a universal joint in the transmission caused the gearbox to become detached and fall to the track rupturing fuel tanks, the spilt fuel was ignited by sparks after vapourizing on hot exhaust parts.
3/12/76 - Chivers Occupational Crossing, between Lakenheath and Shippea Hill, ER
Collision involving Class 104 / Lorry
Info from Peter Mullen
A DMU hit a lorry on a crossing. More Details.
3/12/84 - Longsight, LMR
Collision involving Class 104 / Vans
Info from Peter Mullen
An empty 3-car class 104 DMU was wrongly routed and came into collision with a train of vans which had been left without a tail lamp. More Details.
18/1/86 - Preston, LMR
Collision involving Class 104 / Class 86
Info from Bill Read
Collision of Class 104 power-twin and stationary Loco 47 111. M53482-M53433. 44 passengers required hospital treatment (the driver and many passengers had retired to the rear car). The conclusion was that the driver’s brake valve had been inadvertently placed in the “lap” position resulting in the train brake pipe and “topside” vacuum being gradually destroyed during the journey from Carlisle. The driver may have been distracted by the presence of passengers of the football-supporters charter being in the cab. M53482 was severely damaged.
21st April 1987 - Gospel Oak
Collision involving Class 104 / Class 31
Info from Peter Boor
31 281 collided with Class 104 53453 in Gospel Oak station.
Peter Boor explains: "I was the driver on the loco based at Stratford, which had a green signal with an M indication for Main, when I came around the bend the next signal was green also, the loco took the points which had not been reversed and because the DMU was stopped short of the buffer stops I could not stop in time. More Details.