Class 101 Met-Camm 2,3 & 4-car DMUs
Accidents
These are some of the accidents that are known to involve Class 101s.
1/7/57 - Hexham Station
Collision involving Class 101 / Steam
Info from John Darwent, Jim Poor
A coal train of 35 wagons headed by a K1 embedded itself in the rear of a 4-car set, crushing through the rear driving and rear compartments and pushing the set right the way through the station (the brakes on the set were released). Car 50173 was badly stoved in and withdrawn. However, there were no casualties, despite the vehicle being forced high in the air and the fuel tank rupturing (there was evidently no fire). The DMU had worked the terminating 11.20am from Newcastle and all the passengers had alighted.
15/09/59 - Stobswood Occupational Level Crossing (NER)
Collision involving Class 101 / Road Vehicle
Info from Peter Mullen, Elizabeth Weston
An Up Alnwick to Newcastle 2-car Metro Cammell struck a dump truck. More Details.
10/08/61 - Leeds City Station
Collision involving Class 101 / Class 45
Info from John Darwent and Bill Read
Peak D105 running light to Neville Hill over-ran signals and collided with a Leeds - Scarborough DMU (two 4-car units) almost opposite Leeds East Signal Box. Leaking diesel caught fire and the leading two DMU vehicles (51440 & 59533) overturned, but were returned to traffic after repair. One killed, two injured. The leading motor coach (51440) turned over and slid on its side, demolishing the parapet wall of a bridge and releasing fuel oil which then ignited. The second coach (59533) also fell on its side, but the remaining six coaches were little damaged. All returned to trafic. The driver of the locomotive mistakenly accepted the signal that had been cleared for the DMU.
17/06/62 - Cowlairs
Derailment involving Class 101
A three-car Met-Camm DMU derailed at Cowlairs, with at least two vehicles coming off the rails.
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.
06/01/67 - Huddersfield
Collision involving Class 101 / buffers
Info from p95 March 1967 Railway Observer
NE51498 was damaged when it over-ran buffers at Huddersfield.
11th July 1967 - Winwick Junction, LMR
Collision involving Class 101 / freight train
A two-car Met-Camm DMU (51194 + 56358) working on the 10.11 Chester to Manchester Exchange service collided at a speed of approx. 20mph with the rear of the 02.00 Margam to Carlisle Class 5 freight train which was standing at the Winwick Junction Down Fast Home signal. The DMBS which was leading sustained lower front end damage.
c. early June 1971 - Dundee, ScR
Collision involving Class 101
Info from Railway Observer p285 August 1971
Sc50345 was involved in a collision at Dundee, details unknown. The damaged vehicle was noted at Leith Central depot on 9/6/71.
15/3/72 - Whittlesea, ER
Collision involving Class 101 / Parcels Train
Info from Peter Mullen, Ipswich Transport Society
A communication failure saw a DMU formed of 56364 + 51207 run into the back of a Parcels Train during 'Time Interval Working'. 56364 was the damaged vehicle. More Details.
circa Dec-73 - Unknown, ScR
Collision involving Class 101
Sc56395 sustained collision damage to the drivers side of the cab, details of incident unknown.
circa October 1974 - Unknown
Collision involving Class 101
SC50745 suffered collision damage. Details of the incident are unknown.
Unknown - Unknown
Collision involving Class 101
No details. Image shows a damaged 101 DTC, possibly at Tyslely circa 1981. Could be a 101 DMBS under the tarpaulin. See https://railcar.co.uk/images/uploads-2020/101/200/class-101-dmu-1600702203-200.jpg
17/08/76 - Edinburgh Waverley
Derailment involving Class 101
Class 101 DMSL SC51540 became derailed in Edinburgh Waverley.
11/11/76 - Melton Lane Signal Box
Collision involving Class 101 / Brake van
51238 + 56073 collided with a brake van that was left on the Up Slow line at Melton Lane Signal Box while working the 10:15 Hull - Goole service. The signalman had not realised that the brake van and a number of wagons had been left on the Up Slow as part of a shunt and he accepted the passenger train in error.
31/12/76 - Bathgate Jct., ScR
Fire involving Class 101
The 08.04 Perth - Edinburgh DMU caught fire at Bathgate Jct, SC51540 was completely gutted and later withdrawn. Could the fire be as a result of underframe damage it sustained in a derailment a few months earlier - maybe something was missed when inspected?
16/02/77 - Darlington, ER
Collision involving Class 101 / Deltic
Info from Jerry Glover and James Howie
50213 was struck by Deltic 55008 at Darlington on 16th February 1977 after the failure of the train brakes on the express. Full details in the accident report on Railways Archive (pdf). It is seen at NH on 27/06/81. Jerry Glover.
30/6/77 - Newcastle Station, ER
Collision involving Class 101 / Buffer-stop
Info from Peter Mullen
A 2-car Class 101 travelling under clear signals was running into unoccupied Nº3 Bay Platform when it failed to stop and collided with the buffer-stop. More Details.
4th September 1977 - Cowlairs Carriage Sidings, ScR
Fire involving Class 101
Info from Railway Observer p353 October 1977
Class 101 DMBS 51447 was badly damaged in a fire at Cowlairs Carriage Sidings.
1978 - Middlesbrough docks
Derailment involving Class 101
A Class 101 derailed alongside Middlesbrough docks and was assisted by the Thornaby steam crane.
1980 - Bristol Marsh Junction
Collision involving Class 101
Info from John Savage
DMBS W51799 (of set B810) has been the subject of a shunting mishap also involving a 350hp shunter and BR Mark 1 sleeping car W2541, within Bristol Marsh Junction Depot on an unknown date in 1980.
28/08/83 - Eastfield
Collision involving Class 101 / Road vehicle
Info from Spannerman37025
The 20.58 Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen St service collided with a van that was allowed to roll away and drop 40 feet into the cutting near Eastfield shed. DMBS 51466 was leading. For an image of the van see this flickr image.
02/01/84 - Ayr depot
Fire involving Class 101 / Class 107
A fire at the depot, thought to be caused by vandalism, destroyed several DMU vehicles. More Details.
circa early Aug-84 - Polmont
Fire involving Class 101
Info from John McGrevey
51448 caught fire (photos suggest it was an engine fire) while running in set 101325 (the other power car being 51529) in the Polmont area. It was put into a siding at Polmont Junction where the fire brigade attended, the vehicle having most of the windows broken. It would be withdrawn soon after.
08/08/87 - One mile north of Llandrindod Wells.
Collision involving Class 101 / Tractor
Info from David Rowe
A 4-car formation of 2x101 power twins which hit a farm tractor at speed on a crossing about one mile north of Llandrindod Wells while travelling south on the afternoon of Saturday August 8th, 1987. Fortunately there were no injuries.
28/01/88 - Uplawmoor, ScR
Derailment involving Class 101
Info from John Reddyhoff, Fraser Cochrane and John W.
The leading bogie of a 101 DMBS derailed after hitting debris from a lorry that shed it's load. On 28th January 1988 a lorry toppled from the A736 road bridge over the G&SW line at the south end of Uplawmoor, some of its load falling onto the track derailing the leading vehicle on the 10:45 Kilmarnock to Glasgow Central. There were no casualties amongst the 30 passengers, the lorry driver was unhurt. It was worked by a hybrid set, Class 101 DMBS 51248 (leading, it would be withdrawn afterwards), a Class 101 TBSL (likely 59112, the only BG TBSL at Ayr) and a Class 120 DMSL. More Details.
circa 1989 - Norwich, ER
Fire involving Class 101
Info from Mark Rowe
While travelling empty stock from Ipswich to Crown Point a fire broke out, and driver Mick Kassa brought the train to a stand at Trowse Upper Junction in the Lakenham area of Norwich. It was around midnight & damage was also done to the relatively new OHL which had been installed for the 1987 inaugaration of electric services to London Liverpool Street. The DMC and TBS are seen in Wensum Sidings, Norwich on 6/7/91. Picture by Jerry Glover. Their identities are still unknown. The DMC does not seem to have had a headlamp fitted, and looking at the condition of the underframe / bogies it has been out of use for some time.
17/11/99 - Near Mossend Yard, ScR
Fire involving Class 101
Class 101 set 101 688 caught fire near Mossend Yard in-between duties at around 5.45am. More Details.