1965 Winsford railway accident
| 1965 Winsford blowback | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 5 June 1965 |
| Location | Winsford railway station |
| Operator | London Midland Region of British Railways |
| Incident type | Fire blowback |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 1 (serious) |
On 5 June 1965, British Rail Standard Class 7 locomotive 70051 Firth of Forth was hauling a passenger train when a blowback of the fire[1] occurred near Winsford, severely injuring both traincrew. Driver Wallace Oakes managed to safely bring the train to a stand, but both he and fireman Gwilym Roberts were severely injured. Oakes died a week later. He was awarded the George Cross and the Carnegie Hero Trust bronze medal for his actions. Class 86 locomotive 86 260 was later named Wallace Oakes G.C. in his honour.[2]
References
- ^ "The management of steam locomotive boilers. Risks to people: reversal of draught (blowback) resulting from the failure of steam pipes" (pdf). Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
- ^ Courtney, Geoff (30 June 2017). "Hero steam driver's George Cross may topple world railwayana record". Heritage Railway (230). Horncastle: Mortons Media Ltd: 9. ISSN 1466-3562.