1940 Norton Fitzwarren rail crash

The Norton Fitzwarren train disaster occurred between Taunton and Norton Fitzwarren where there are/were 4 tracks.

Unusally, instead of the signal of the two adjacent down tracks being located on the left hand side of their respective tracks, the signals were located one on the left and one on the right.

The driver of the marked train left Taunton station, without noticing that the signals had been changed to use the lefthand track rather than the righthand track. The driver however read the signals as if he were using the righthand track. As it was nighttime with a wartime blackout, it was not possible to see the tracks.

For several stations, all signals were green because there where down trains on both tracks.

Except of course for the red signal at the end of the four track section at Norton Fitzwarren.

The driver on the marked train only realised his mistake when the other train overtook him, by which time it was tooo late to stop before the track ended.

Stop and Inspect

The guard of the overtaking train was alarmed by strange noises, which later turned out to be ballast thrown up by the now-wrecked train.

The applied his own brakes under the "Stop and Inspect" rule to check what might be the problem. Finding nothing, the overtaking train proceeded on its way with a small delay.

Prevention

The pairs of signals were badly placed as an ecomomy measure.

If at least one pairs of signal had been correctly placed, which would have required a gantry or a bracket, then the driver of the doomed train ought to have had a chance to see his mistake.

I would not have helped that Great Western locomotive had the driver on the right hand side, when his signals were generally on the left hand side.

See Also

• List of train accidents