Q16.04 – Accident Damaged Diesel Locomotives

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Q16.04. Accident Damaged Diesel Locomotives.
There are a considerable number of images in the Colour-Rail collection which show damaged locomotives, giving rise to the following partial list, with the date of the photograph:

D14  (6th October 1968)	        D105  (7th February 1965)	
125  (15th December 1974)	D1617 (27th July 1969)	
D1758 (1969)		        D3494 (9th June 1968)
D5131 (August 1971)	        D5159 (21st April 1968)	
D5169 (12th March 1967)	        D5201(14th December 1969)
D5215 (25th October 1964)	D5278 (undated)
D6345 (26th March 1969)	        D6777 (12th April 1970)	
D6963 (1966)		        8123  (undated)		
D8508 (May 1963)
These give no idea of when, where or how the damage occurred, and any details of the events would be most welcome. (Paul Chancellor:9408)

Answers
D14 was damaged in a collision at Hellifield. It was at Holbeck, where our member worked, on 26th August 1968 after it was brought down from Hellifield with D311 which had minor damage. It is believed that D14 hit some derailed wagons which resulted in severe damage to No. 2 nose also a large gash down the bodyside which exposed the engine. It is possible that the accident had happened the day before.
125 was working the 19.42 Derby to Exeter Riverside mixed freight train consisting of 42 vacuum braked mixed wagons and weighing 767 tons (including loco). Coming into Bridgwater at 05.04 on 23rd October 1974, travelling at approximately 45 mph, it collided violently with the rear of the standing Ince and Elton to Bridgwater hauled by 47441 and consisting of 13 privately-owned bogie pallet vans conveying Shellstar bagged fertiliser waiting for the release of the ground frame at Bridgwater in order to shunt into the yard. The force of the collision was such that 47441 was pushed forward about 100 feet and the two rear pallet vans of its train were telescoped and extensively damaged, spilling their load of bagged fertiliser onto the track. The rear No.1 end cab of 125 was destroyed by 15 wagons behind the loco derailing and piling up, with one mineral wagon landing upside down on top of the rear cab. It was here that the guard unfortunately received fatal injuries. In addition, the loco body, frame and roof was distorted and the rear bogie displaced and extensively damaged. Following recovery, 125 was moved to Derby works where it languished for several months awaiting a decision on its fate. Eventually it was authorised for repair and emerged from Derby Works in December 1975 as 45071, the last locomotive to receive its new number under the 1973 TOPS renumbering scheme.
D1617 ran out of control on 9th September 1969, approaching Chester while hauling the 02.25 Birkenhead-Etruria iron ore train. The locomotive was routed into the diesel depot to avoid the station and demolished a number of class 24s, 5031/43/93 and 5138/39, four of which were scrapped, On 27th July 1969 it was noted at Crewe Works with collision damage and was later repaired there.
D3464 was withdrawn on 26 May 1968 due to damage sustained when the locomotive was hit by three runaway loaded ferry wagons at Harwich Parkeston Quay when the cab was severely damaged but the driver was able to jump clear before the collision.
D5131 is believed to have been moved to Glasgow Works In July 1971 due to accident damage after colliding with D6855 at Inverness Depot. Noted again at Glasgow Works October 1971 with damage, and subsequently withdrawn and cut up in February 1972, one of its cabs having been fitted to 5115.
D5278 suffered severe damage after a head-on collision on a single line near Great Rocks, Derbyshire, was withdrawn in May 1971 and cut up on site at Peak Forest by G. Cohen during October 1971. Thus it appears to have been damaged beyond repair in an accident there and be unable to be moved.
D6963 was damaged in a collision on the Hope Valley line, approaching Dore & Totley station in the late afternoon on 21st June 1966. A goods train was standing on the up line at Dore West Junction signal box near the triangular junction with the Midland Main Line. A second goods train, a Cheadle to Barrow Hill working hauled by D6963, simply ran into the back of the stationary train due to driver error, derailing several wagons and blocking the down line as well. There has been some confusion about this photograph, as it has been suggested that it is of 6983 after an accident at Bridgend in December 1965 but a member attended the accident at Dore in his role as Assistant Depot Master Tinsley and recognises the Depot Master in the photograph.
(D, Cole:4799, Mick Brownhill:12019. Alan Lovecy:12479, Petr Hall:13999, Steve Dexter:14777. Ian King:15031. P. Woad:15199, Mark Chapman:16826, Peter Kerridge:19017, Martin Bauman)