Talk:Chester General rail crash

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Causes section[edit]

This section is confusingly written. Was the freight train intentionally operated unbraked as far as Helsby? I get the feeling it was and this contributed to the guard's forgetting to couple the brake pipes on reversal. The wording "so that extra brake power was available" adds to the confusion. Extra brake power wasn't available because of the guard's omission. My current interpretation of the section is that the train was intentionally run unbraked (though I can't think why) as far as Helsby, where it needed to reverse. The intention was to connect the vacuum pipes once the locomotive had run round because the brakes would be needed on the approach to Chester due to the down gradient. However, due to the guard's omission and the driver's neglect to perform a brake test, the extra braking wasn't available when it was needed. That's my current interpretation after reading it through several times, but as I don't know the facts I'm reluctant to edit. The item ought to be clear on first reading. I trust the guard and driver were sent to bed without any supper that night. 83.104.249.240 (talk) 18:39, 1 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wrong Name[edit]

Why is this article about an accident that happened in 1972 entitled "Chester General rail crash " when the station had long been renamed "Chester" railway station in 1969? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.129.2.244 (talk) 20:38, 19 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Probably because Major Olver's report is entitled "Railway Accident Report on the Derailment and consequent Fire that occurred on 8th May 1972 at Chester General Station". --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 22:00, 19 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]