The Croydon Tram Crash Disaster 2016 | Plainly Difficult Documentary

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On a Dark Morning of the 9 November 2016, a Tram going too fast would have a Crash in Croydon South London.......
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This Weeks Outro Song:
• Yesterday's Rain | Mad...
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
01:24 Background
08:16 Disaster
13:18 Investigation
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MUSIC:
►Intro: Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
►Outro: Yesterday's Rain
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Sources:
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#disaster #Documentary​​​​ #History​​​​​​​​​ #TrueStories​

[@wilkaii]

The "here on a map" hand gets more and more chaotic and I'm absolutely here for it

[@spinalobifida]

Next up, a bottle rocket haha

[@PlainlyDifficult]

@@spinalobifida Explosions hopefully soon!

[@ricardokowalski1579]

Blindfolded monkey pins the tail on the donkey "here on map"

[@stevenjennings197]

There should be a Plainly Difficult for the map board.

[@Twitch0331]

The printer is still my favorite. 🤣👌

[@haylz4000]

I lived in croydon my whole life until a couple of years ago and was working in build a bear when this accident happened. A few months afterwards 2 men came into store, one of whom had 1 arm. It was a quiet day so I was chatting with them a lot, we had a laugh, but as they went to leave just under an hour later the friend of the injured man thanked me for being so chatty and casual with them. His friend lost his arm in the tram accident and it was one of the few times he had been out since (the first time back into central croydon at all since). Apparently it was the chattiest he had been in a long time. I almost cried after they left

[@elvpse]

Skill issue

[@noneofyourbizness]

good onya Haylee. your personality obviously meant a lot to them both.

[@Rambogner]

This is one that forever stays with me, I was one of the first responders on scene. Truly horrific.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Blimey, I can imagine that was tough! It was a big thing at my work at the time, we had to study the RAIB report

[@Rambogner]

Certainly of the more gruesome things I’ve seen. Great video though!

[@maybev1nce]

Sure and was Santa

[@marvindebot3264]

@@maybev1nce troll go home

[@maybev1nce]

@@marvindebot3264 how am I a troll?

[@pjousma]

"You always need a safety system as a backup, for when things go wrong" - couldn't be more right.

[@grassytramtracks]

Absolutely, any system that relies on people not making mistakes, being distracted, tired or whatever natural human thing has failed and cannot be described as safe

[@heliumowl1840]

I do love how every single time you mention the location of where you’ve produced the video, the little pause makes me think you double check the weather outside your window “yep still miserable”

[@GodlikeIridium]

Underrated comment 😄👌

[@lepusistlich6930]

There are 2 seasons here: summer and a very long autumn.

[@ShaunieDale]

People of other nations often say “why are you Brits so obsessed by the weather?”. Our usual reply is “Live here for a month or two, you’ll soon understand”. All four seasons in one day!

[@lepusistlich6930]

​@@ShaunieDale I love it especially when it's a beautiful, sunny day and it suddenly gets dark. After 3 seconds a giant amount of water falls from the sky, it stops and then the sunny day continues as if nothing had happened.

[@CrossbredManiac]

@@ShaunieDale as an Arizonan (US): I envy you. I come from CA, USA, and... Man. I miss the 50°F-80°F (can't remember temperature conversions-Apologies) weather and the rain and fog... Aurgh. Where I am now... It's 98°F-118°F for about 6 months of the year and monsoons that should be snowstorms at around 40°F but still stay liquid. Give. Me. Your. Weather. Please.

[@lucialambda]

as someone who regularly travels from wimbledon to beckenham to visit my dad and also used to visit my late nan, this was terrifying to see on the news. what was even scarier was that if that tram was just slightly later in the morning, my friends from school would've potentially been on that tram. some of them couldn't even make it in that day, and others were late.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Very lucky!

[@mechtechpotato4249]

There are so many stories like this from almost every disaster. I’m glad to hear that your friends were late. Lady Luck is a crazy. Sometimes what seems like a misfortune is a blessing.

[@Mike-gt7sk]

I was given a day off school because of it

[@sski]

Microsleep, indeed! I found myself in northwest Milwaukee one morning driving from a gig up north. I missed my turn off the highway to my town miles back because 'I was asleep' while I was driving. I'm talking 35 or so miles past where I should have been. Woke up driving into a neighborhood I'd never seen or been to before, ever, with no idea how I got there. No drink or drugs involved. Just was hypnotized by the road lines in the dark or something. Then on 'automatic'.

[@lukestevens8735]

I was working in Croydon at the time of the crash. On of my clients was the partner of a chap on the tram. He himself wasn't physically injured but over the coming months he mental and physical heath declined and he pass the next spring. He had never started coming to terms with what had happened and had internalised everything, and was unable to discuss it with anyone. Eventually it became too much for him :(

[@ellenbryn]

Sad story. I always have mixed feelings for the driver in these: culpable, and yet it's got to haunt him for the rest of his life, when late shifts like that are hard on the human body: it's not like he MEANT to give in to a biological failing like need for sleep!

[@ellenbryn]

and as a side note, as a Who fan, this finally tells me where Sarah Jane Smith was (or wasn't) when the Fourth Doctor dropped her off home for the last time in South Croydon!

[@cynthiatolman326]

Well......John, your topics are well chosen and well researched. They're also tragic, and how you put in just enough humour to make us all laugh at the silliness while never disrespecting the incident at hand is fine edged sword you balance well. Thank you for your content.(Seriously tho, I'm still trying to get the birth image out of my head) Take care

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!

[@boomerhgt]

Wrong the humour is unessasary and misplaced , and also tactless

[@DealerD8vE]

@@boomerhgt I doubt you are British

[@leisti]

@@boomerhgt Oh, get over yourself.

[@Godflesh88v2]

@@boomerhgt the humor is well needed for some of these topics, lighten up Francis

[@jessica5391]

My friends and I used to love going through that tunnel as kids - it always felt as if the tram was going really fast. Tragic what happened - it just goes to show the importance of safety systems.

[@Szergej33]

It's really weird that you would have speed limits going from 80 to 20. If you hve to do 20 by the time of passing the sign, surely there should be a series of signs for 60, 40 and then 20. Of course the overspeed detection and signalling improvements are better, but just a couple more signs could have been useful. Even if the driver just forgets the turn is coming up, they could see the signs.

[@Adam-wh1ti]

this is weirdly common even on roads. the amount of poorly signposting 30-60 changes i lived near is shocking

[@jamesolmsted3471]

@@Adam-wh1tithat’s usually a revenue thing though, they do that so they catch more people speeding

[@grassytramtracks]

On mainline railways they also learnt this the hard way and created Morpeth boards named after the infamous Morpeth curve where there have been numerous derailments

[@tomsmith5584]

A couple weeks ago, an alarmingly similar accident occurred in Aurora, Colorado. A southbound R light rail train left the Aurora Metro Center station and took the sharp right turn that is 1/4 of a mile south of the station way too fast. The train derailed and the two cars separated, but the train remained upright and there were no serious injuries. It was almost identical to a crash at the same spot about three and a half years ago, right down to the train car number. It appears speed and a lack of an automatic braking system were the causes of both accidents. It is also personal to me because I grew up three miles south of there and traveled through the intersection often, although it was before the light rail was built. The accident site is also about 100 yards from the Century 16 theater where the mass shooting happened in 2012.

[@cynthiatolman326]

You and your community have certainly had enough tragedy and loss to deal with, I hope things will be peaceful and safe there for a long time to come.

[@lux.illuminaughty]

Colorado does seem to have a little more than it's fair share of headline makers, at least as an outsider looking in. Perhaps because it lies at the far eastern end of "the West" with a few pretty good size population centers before the less populous expanses of the "mid-west", and it has places like Vail & Aspen that draws monied visitors. As a Washingtonian, at the far edge of the contiguous US (right below BC, the similarly far edge of Canada), I feel we show up surprisingly often (for our population size) in stories, too. Not necessarily as the story origin point, but often somewhere along the way (see Ted Bundy, Kenneth Bianchi, Charles Manson, Amazon, Microsoft, & Hanford just to name a quick but recognizable few).

[@aguy7848]

As a resident of Colorado Springs whose sister lives in Aurora, our state has seen some shit.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

This section of track is surely in violation of the Positive Train Control Mandatory across the country now. Either that, or the trainsets have not yet been retrofitted. Either way, it is in violation of the rules.

[@tomsmith5584]

@@unconventionalideas5683 I don't think it's subject to the PTC rules. The trains are definitely not FRA compliant.

[@Dickiemiller179]

I've asked a couple of times for a video about this accident, so many many thanks for producing this video. I'm from Carshalton which is a stone's throw from Croydon and I spent much of my teenage years in Croydon. At the time of the accident I was kicking about with a bird who lived in Beckenham. And to get to hers I had to cross the Sandilands bridge, then we'd jump on the tram and see where the night took us. I know this area well, and was dumbstruck when the accident happened. I'm a carpenter, so I'm up early and on public transport before dawn, just like most of these guys were, it really hit home. I just thought christ, as quickly as that it's all over, it really made me appreciate things.

[@noli-tangere8811]

I lived in Croydon for many years. I used take a tram from Gravel Hill to get to work. Had I not moved addresses which allowed me to board from East Croydon, I'd have been on the accident tram that morning. It's still an eerie thought when I remember about it.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Very scary isnt it!

[@noli-tangere8811]

@@PlainlyDifficult Very much so. Stranger still, I moved from Gravel Hill address against my will. It was a long story involving my brother in law, his greedy manager, and a drilled out door lock. Had to scram almost overnight. Fate works in mysterious ways 😂

[@theawfulgambler]

A friend’s wife passed in this horrific event. I’ve not seen him since. It changed him totally.

[@MichaelRBaron]

I heartily enjoy, and often use the phrase "everything was fine, until it wasn't". I look forward to your videos every Saturday out here in currently overcast Pittsburgh.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@boballmendinger3799]

my grandfather's brother, Theodore Allmendinger, was a Pittsburgh based artist of some renown back in the 40's - 60's.

[@NewController01]

I somewhat remember this event, one friend of mine was on the tram that crashed, he survived with only a few injuries. I also remember travelling along the Wimbledon to Croydon line before it became the tramway at least once..and that was with my late Grandparents on my Dad's side

[@admiral_franz_von_hipper5436]

You should cover the Malbone St crash in New York City. It is the deadliest crash in the NYC subway system.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thanks for the suggestion ill have a look!

[@PreNeanderthal]

I was part of the training team from way before the system opened to the public (that's me at 05:38 arriving at East Croydon) and I also assisted with initialisation of some of the infrastructure (testing the route-setting, points and signalling as well as 'exercising' every one of the first batch of trams, to ensure they were all properly 'run-in'). I retired seven years before the Sandilands accident happened.

[@stuffedninja1337]

During the intro when you talk about how weird it is to have someplace familiar be part of a disaster reminded me of the Boston Marathon Bombing. I was freshly dropped out of university there (ran out of money), and had just come back to my grandparents’ after a volunteering gig I had at the time. My jaw hit the floor when I saw what my grandpa was watching, and immediately texted all my university friends (they were all okay, though I think one narrowly missed being there). It was so strange (tragic, ofc, but also strange). Side note: during my time in university, I went to a friend’s birthday party, which involved me riding to the very end of one of the subway lines, then waiting with another friend to pick a third friend up. The parking lot where we waited also held old subway trains, and one of them was half-crumpled in like a soda can. We both looked at it and wondered what happened, and assumed there had to be at least one fatality from that-no way was anyone getting out of that unscathed.

[@MoonlitRose101]

I felt that, but with the West fertilizer plant explosion down here in Texas, like, 40 miles away from me. I was small, but that is really what made me realize that things like that can happen anywhere, not just on the opposite side of the country

[@kyraskombinant]

That same feeling of 'wow this hits close to home' was the 35w bridge collapse. Drove across that bridge quite often, and you covered that one excellently too!

[@onlineamiga]

Cant imagine the sheer level of guilt the tram driver must have felt after this!

[@M.S.Fitness]

He should be punished

[@LordPhobos6502]

Thankyou for covering this disaster. As a tram driver, this hits home hard. This is all of our worst fears come to life.

[@Aengus42]

I used to be a classic white van man and I was often up on that housing estate. It was always a lovely place on a bright, sunny morning. Leaving the old roads at the bottom & climbing up into the sunshine. I too was shocked at the accident due to this slightly other worldly feel of the estate & tram system. I'm glad they tightened things up but it should've all been in place from inception.

[@highdownmartin]

There’s been many accidents on the national network due to trains taking curves or diversionary routes too fast. Morpeth twice, Sutton coldfield,polar star near didcot , Lewes, that’s just from memory. Good video mate

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you! Year morpeth is the big one hence the warning boards

[@garthcox4]

Sutton Coldfield tends to get forgotten about but it was hugely significant. It was the reason why trackside speed limit signs were introduced nationally. Previously drivers were just expected to know a route. It could be a good topic for a video.

[@highdownmartin]

@@garthcox4 cheers. Didn’t know that about S C. Stencils become mandatory. Got the blue accident report. Must reread

[@pras12100]

Excellent account of the disaster. I travel on the Croydon trams quite often. The RAIBs complained that the CCTV on tram 2551 had been broken for some time. This would have provided vital evidence for the inquiry and its lack of repair seems to have been a symptom of a poor safety culture at that time. Although the inquiry ruled out fatigue there was a viral video some months later showing a driver apparently dozing off at traffic lights between East Croydon and George Street tram stops. There were some previous warning signs before such as the collision on 23rd November 2005 which, in slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in a head-on crash and fatalities. On this occasion the RAIB questioned the alertness of both tram drivers involved. I hope things have improved since 2016.

[@anonomuse9094]

There's many things in europe I want to see, but I'd be lying if I said a fear of flying or sailing to get to europe wasn't one of the reasons I haven't went yet. Ironically, your vids might be helping me overcome those fears, so thanks man.

[@ethics3]

Geeeze. Just grow a pair . You sound like you are canadian

[@lux.illuminaughty]

If not quite overcome, you'll at least be the most UNSURPRISED passenger when things go wrong. I mean that in head shaking solidarity with you.

[@handlesarefeckinstupid]

*finally travels to Europe* *gets killed by Putin using a nuke*.

[@hucklebucklin]

Yes I find them comforting, it shows how rare disasters are, and how after many of them, a lot of effort has been made to try to decrease the risk.

[@Dammy_yt]

my friend's dad was actually a passenger on the tram that crashed and it shook me. i always used to take this tram every day to go to school and loved the feeling of going through the tunnel but the fact that this happened despite having a simple and readily available way of prevention is super disappointing.

[@Musta0011]

What happend to your friends dad?

[@sophieon3196]

At the time of this accident, I lived nearby in Bromley. It was quite a shock to see on the news. I’m glad to hear about the improvements made, seeing as I used the tram for the first time less than a year afterwards.

[@mdhazeldine]

I used to work at the "50p building" by East Croydon station in 2010. I would regularly take the tram between Wimbledon and East Croydon, and would often go east on it during lunch breaks to get out of Croydon and escape to the woods (haha). I always thought that corner was extremely tight and the speeds in the tunnel very fast, but it never occured to me that there would be no safety systems and that a tram could simply tip over. Quite scary! I'm glad they have safety systems in there now, but what boggles my mind is how they were able to build a system like that without any safety systems. It's not as if it was the first tram line ever built. It wasn't even the first in the UK. There must have been tram incidents in Europe before. Also, the Clapham rail disaster happened not that far away from there within my living memory, so I just can't comprehend how no one considered it, or even considered it and then thought it not necessary to invest in it. Madness.

[@Daydreaminginmono]

Its awesome how the production quality of your videos goes up and up yet the formula stays the same. Really enjoyed that, thanks John. Excited to see if/when you resurrect a previous series :)

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you very much!

[@MatthewBoonstra]

Thanks for doing a video on this topic. I drive historic trams in Canada, with a streetcar museum (Edmonton Radial Railway Society), and one of our lines is actually a 3km stretch of track that connects two major parts of a city. It crosses a lot of roads and pedestrian paths, and we don't use any signal systems either (because historic authenticity). We haven't had any major incidents yet, and we don't go more than 15 km/h, but it's still interesting to watch a video like this while comparing it to my own experiences. It's a good reminder to never take driving a tram (or anything else) for granted, and never get complacent.

[@starlightdragon2665]

This reminds me of the disaster that was the Houston Metro; a modernized tram network built for Houston Texas. There is a VERY large list of videos showing people blowing through lights and making blind turns with trams and getting caught in crashes. There were quite a few people who got badly injured in crashes. In my native town of Tampa: our trams actually have No Turn on Green/Red signs that light up to warn people about the trams before they turn or cross. It would also delay the lights to hold them a little longer for the trams.

[@ejnarsorensen2920]

This was my local tram stop at the time (although the accident happened before where I would have boarded). It was pretty crazy to have an major incident happen so close to home on something I used regularly.

[@nagi603]

A crash at 75, and 7 died... shows you just how dangerous a seemingly "mundane" speed is to the human body if it isn't strapped down and padded enough.

[@kieranstravels]

Honestly, it'a a miracle that more people didn't pass away from this incident, especially when the windows were so weak that they broke on human impact. It's certainly a accident that could've been prevented should the correct systems have been put in place from the start, which I think they should of.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

If you would like to hear the outdo song in Full here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWmqfp9slrZ2Y8k If you want to Buy it you can here as well: madebyjohn.bandcamp.com/track/yesterdays-rain Do you have any Future London Suggestion for video subjects let me know!

[@minecraftfirefighter]

I might have an interesting stories for you the Enschede firework-disaster where an entire neighborhood got blown up.

[@RCAvhstape]

Not London, but DC suggestion: the 2009 Metro train collision, which was pretty horrific.

[@thomasmeyer6407]

100% agreed I was not expecting today's and it cracked me up

[@cynthiatolman326]

@@minecraftfirefighter I've seen something on this and if it wasn't here, it's certainly a great idea. John would top anything else that's been done I'm sure.

[@Nobe_Oddy]

the volume on this video is really low.... idk if they are all like that but i just realized it when i had to over double the volume on my computer to hear it... just thought I'd let u know :)

[@semifixtion]

Greetings, John! Been subscribed since year 2, just wanted to say I love the format of your videos, so consistent with the perfect length and optimum pace. I'm impressed with how you have kept the pace finding more and more interesting topics to cover. Cheers and keep on!

[@Whatever-is1rz]

Im so glad you made this channel, it's inspired a lot more interest in my home city. Also got me through shitty workdays for the last year.

[@XSpImmaLion]

ROFL, wasn't expecting the "which is around here on the map" part... xD

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Astonished by the pace of your work at the moment John, you're a machine.

[@philippal8666]

I took that tram to work. Fortunately I get the later tram. Just got off the tram and back home. Still use it. Was horrific, just followed the tragedy unfolded all day. I knew after a couple of hours that they were recovering bodies not casualties. People I know knew someone on the tram. It hit so many on a personal level. I kept checking the names in fear.

[@evilempryss]

I love the pause in the description of the current weather, like he's looking out the window that very moment to gauge how to describe it 😄

[@PlainlyDifficult]

That’s pretty accurate

[@tcpratt1660]

@@PlainlyDifficult Do you have a weather rock, perchance?

[@MarcoPallotti]

Thank you for posting this. I grew up in Croydon, and my school's playing fields were/are on Sandilands... I had many relatives on the estate at New Addington too. Been in Los Angeles for about 40 years, so your video brought back many childhood memories.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Seeing my little metro make into one of your videos makes me happy. Always nice to see Newcastle getting a little nod. I never knew much about the tfl Trams, learnt a lot here!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you! I need to go up there and ride the metro at some point

[@kittenmatchvids6440]

wow, was already about to hit your new video after this one, so funny seeing this comment!

[@petschitt2252]

John! 😹 Please do a compilation video of the "Here on a map" hand! I love how ridiculous it has gotten over time. 😺 It must have been a bit eerie to look at that disaster site when you had taken it before. Great episode as always. 😻🍻

[@theairstig9164]

Plainly difficult Music video “PMV”. If you know you know

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

I have driven trucks with the facial scanning and seat shaking system. It was very over sensitive and got triggered when I was not sleepy; like from sneezing, laughing or from the sun in my eyes. Would suck to be a passenger on a tram that keeps stopping from a system that trips for no reason.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I can imagine!

[@lux.illuminaughty]

I can understand those frustrations, but even just driving as one of two people in my car, sneezes or momentary blindness from the sun in my eyes always make me feel out of control and scared that the half-second or less of that loss of control could absolutely be the difference between continued smooth driving and totalling my vehicle (and all the possible harm that comes with it).

[@JTA1961]

The woe'z of pubic tramsportation

[@DethOnHigh]

Where I live in the US (Iowa) lacks any kind of passenger rail system that you would be familiar with. With the exception of a couple Amtrak routes, mostly everything here is all freight. A couple local incidents you might be interested in are the 2001 Nodaway, Iowa Amtrak derailment of the California Zephyr or 1910 Green Mountain Train Wreck. The best train related story from the area would have to be that of local heroine Kate Shelly and how she stopped an inbound passenger train during a severe thunderstorm that washed out the Honey Creek bridge.

[@lux.illuminaughty]

When I hear about people diverting further disasters I always default to John's video on the 1917 Halifax Disaster. That railway dispatcher who sent telegrams to keep passenger trains from coming into the area, from his office some 750ft from the ongoing/oncoming disaster who said "Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye boys." gets me hard every time, just thinking of him. What a legend!

[@DethOnHigh]

@@lux.illuminaughty Having been a Combat Medic in the U.S. Army and a Paramedic/Firefighter after, I understand that there are times when the words "If not now, then when? If not us, then who?" holds true. Nobody tries to be heroic, it's just that they are forced into a situation where someone had to act, and act right now and there were simply the only one around at the time that could do something and they realized it.

[@DethOnHigh]

@@lux.illuminaughty a similar story is that of volcanologist David A. Johnson who was observing Mount St. Helens and was the first to broadcast of it's main eruption saying, "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!".

[@lux.illuminaughty]

@Trent Hauge I believe you, and I get what you mean. But those *still are* incredibly brave/heroic actions, because while some people are thinking "if not me/us, then who?" others have high-tailed it out of there. Or even if no one has run, not everybody keeps so level a head to think to warn others, because they're busy dealing with the catastrophe in the moment. To look around at a disaster currently happening to/around you and have the presence of mind to realize "shit, there are passenger trains inbound that need to NOT come into this" AND manage to do what must be done to keep all those others safe in the seconds before you are obliterated, is mind boggling to someone whose been lucky enough to never be in such a literally time sensitive situation. As a Combat Medic and paramedic/firefighter, you have been in situations like that - where things need to be done NOW and it's not until afterward you have the time to think about it. If you thought about what you were doing at the time you might have second guessed yourself or even frozen up, but the training takes over. The only experience I have that is a little similar comes from dance classes. The routine is practiced over and over until it becomes (at least temporarily) the natural response to hearing that bit of music; move follows move smoothly and gracefully. But if you think about what you're doing you will almost certainly screw up.

[@lux.illuminaughty]

@@DethOnHigh The guy I was with for 15 years is related to the guy who got the photographs of Mt. St. Helen's explosion, Gary Rosenquist. His grand or great nephew, I think? Gary is his mom's uncle. Her maiden name was Rosenquist.

[@Forflipsake]

When I used to visit Croydon from “up north” 😅 I used to love going on the trams. Swift and speedy and quite random to a non Londoner . Can’t believe I haven’t heard of this story.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Its quite a local event, but shows how at risk uk tram networks can be

[@Forflipsake]

@@PlainlyDifficult really does. I was always lead to believe they were so safe they could never possibly have a accident unless it was something on the lines of someone on the tracks. Thanks for the knowledge 😊

[@alistairmcelwee7467]

“A wet corner of the UK” - many thanks for this for an entirely dehydrated & rain free state of the US, California, & we have trams all over here in San Francisco. Our trams are historic, meaning from any point in the last 130 years. Safety - yikes! But, in this corner of the world, we all wish it could be wet, & without forest fires, towns/houses burning down, people dying from fires!

[@JTA1961]

& being operated by tramvestites...

[@jasonhaman4670]

Just started watching the video and already had to comment - "... which is around here on a map..." oh snap, I'm laughing already. Dude, you have a phenomenal sense of humo(u)r. Don't remember if I commented on the legendary 'birthing' animation/artwork on your Tower disaster video, but that was legendary. Like approaching Monty Python levels of hilarious. You do great work covering serious and interesting topics, but it's two things that make me really love your work - your phenomenal sense of humo(u)r, and the absolutely fantastic drawings/artwork. Absolutely next-level production.

[@thejinj6300]

Hi john, just want to say you always make such amazing videos, I get excited every time I see your channel pop up on my subscriptions! Thank you :)

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Glad you like them!

[@garthcox4]

Unfortunately when a train or bus overturns, falling against a window which gives way and then being crushed underneath the vehicle is the most common cause of death, an awful way to go. If it wasnt for seatbelts the same would be true of car accidents.

[@GeneralKenobiSIYE]

YES! I love when you update! LOL That map point was epic. Getting more and more creative. Good show.

[@tryfree1]

Top marks for the narrative on this. Contributing factors expertly explained. For those of us in safety this is a good watch and reminder. While hindsight always provides 20/20 vision the lessons need to be learned and not forgotten so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. Thanks for sharing so freely.

[@0therun1t21]

Thank goodness you weren't on that train! I love the detail oriented way you present these, the diagrams are great!

[@Judith3544]

One of the best and most objective videos of its type that I’ve ever seen on KZbin! Thank you very much indeed!

[@casbyness]

I was within a few hundred metres of the crash when it happened. Close enough to hear it. I was watching Trump giving his first speech after having just won the US Presidency a few minutes earlier, and wondered if a thunderstorm had just kicked up. Prior to the accident, I'd watched a Croydon tram driver falling asleep at the wheel many times, whilst using the service. An inherent problem with those trams is that drivers need to be ultra careful and fully alert during the slow city centre sections of the track, but then get to relax once their tram reaches the high-speed, deserted rural sections.

[@DulceN]

You got a new subscriber in the USA. I’m a Spaniard that lived in Oxshott, Surrey, during the first half of the 80s and travelled widely throughout the country, which I love. Many of the areas you mention in your videos are familiar and bring memories of a long gone past.

[@joeyr7294]

Amazing quality and content in the video, thanks for posting John. 👍🍻

[@vermonator5]

Hey John! I have been enjoying your content for quite some time now. Disasters are always such interesting topics and you always have something to teach. I would like to suggest a topic, Frank Slide in Alberta Canada. My homeland. It may be something interesting to look in to, and I would love to see some content about the places I had seen in my childhood. Keep it up :)

[@goldie44]

That "Close to home" feeling you mentioned got me when Amtrak 188 wrecked at Frankford Junction (roughly 9 miles north of Philadelphia, PA) on May 12, 2015 because my father and I work a few blocks south from where that occurred. A bit of trivia on that is that Amtrak 188 was not the only train to derail at Frankford Junction, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derailed there in 1943. I think that wreck was caused by a mechanical issue on one of the cars on that train though.

[@scottharvey-davies1607]

Great video as always my friend. However, this is one I know too much about. I used to work for Westinghouse Signals (or whoever owns them now). At the time of this (as a Croydon lad myself) Bombardier were based in offices next to East Corydon (the 50p building) .. in Westinghouse Signal offices..... literally 5ft away from each other. and this still happens with the systems that were given free to India and Africa...... I'm not surprised and yet still have no words....

[@matthewbateman7472]

Great clear and informative video as ever thank you. Love the nostalgia from the black and white box in the top right corner each time just before where I assume an advert would be. :)

[@UncoordinatedPixie]

Thank you for putting stepping on foot guys in this one. Made my morning.

[@tonypacke6954]

I'm glad you mentioned the part about toughened glass. The regulations for that, come under the bus standards as only the drivers glass needs to be laminated. Unfortunately most if not all the falatities were caused by exit from the carriage, which would not have happened if the side windows were laminated. I just hope the current rolling stock has been retrofitted with this type of glass. As usual Government regulations have caused deaths, a bit like the Grenfill tower disaster. Nice video presentation though.

[@OldProgers]

I used to live in Addiscombe and grew up in Thornton Heath and Croydon. It's strange seeing a deisaster video located where I used to live! Nicely presented video, John.

[@rilmar2137]

I love the little bits you add to your videos

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@tin2001]

Haven't watched any of your videos for a while (real life can be a real time sink)... But I love that you now say the section titles out loud. I often "watch" your videos while playing a game or doing something tedious like cooking, so it's great to hear which part I'm up to.

[@gamersunite7968]

As a shift worker with an hour commute to home after a 12hr night shift, I’ve experienced several microsleeps while driving home. They’re absolutely terrifying and catch you off guard at the worst time. Fortunately, I’ve not had an accident, crashed or ran off-road. But I’m still terrified of them nonetheless.

[@RedNightDragon1]

Excellent episode, John. I work at Elmers End and often walk to Avenue Road to go one stop to Beckenham Rd on Sunday mornings. If the tram is less than 10 mins. away. Otherwise, I keep walking.

[@shinyprisma6085]

I've watched quite a bit of train accident videos, but up until recently i had never ridden a train, glad to break that trend with watching this video!

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nicely made video. Thanks for posting this.

[@Ireland00001]

Great video. Massive bonus points for the 'it's here on a map'

[@grantbanstead1971]

In the news at the time there were reports from other passengers that said other trams had previously taken the corners too fast resulting in concerns for the safety of past journeys. I left Croydon college during the construction but heard that the operator had to change their promotion that trams were super safe after a female pedestrian died in a collision with a tram shortly before the the tram officially opened. I would be interested in the number of miles per incident compared to buses, the Tube, Cars, bicycles etc. - but the biggest event of the time was the huge improvement to the roads of Croydon and South London when Ken Livingstone of the G.L.C. introduce the 10p flat bus fare and made transport affordable to everyone, cleared the traffic jams, cut pollution and undoubtedly improved the environment. Where are the visionaries now?

[@tallymedic]

I don’t know why I’ve never heard of this disaster but excellent breakdown vid, thank you !

[@mathewsmith5295]

Great channel shakeup. I like the direction!

[@pebsymax9113]

I've seen a couple of documentarys on this and when I saw your one I thought I need to sub to him. Great vid clear lots of effort has gone into it!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank youb

[@ivanpetrov5255]

I love the weather updates at the end of your videos.

[@pinkmouse4863]

I was always fascinated by Moorgate, the London Underground accident no-one ever talks about

[@Ticklestein]

I love the new absurdist style the “here on a map” is starting to take. This was the best one yet.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@Ticklestein]

@@PlainlyDifficult Just wanna add that I know you always try to read all comments, and I have been fairly critical at certain moments, just wanna be clear that I do always see and appreciate the effort you put into your videos, sir :)

[@DeFox241]

Thank you John, great video as always

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@GanjaScotty]

6am on a Thanksgiving Saturday.. time to wake & watch a Plainly vid.

[@Vulpine407]

"Which is around here on a map..." CRACKLE, CRUNCH! Brilliant! Instant subscription.

[@gafrers]

Quality as always. Great to see the location from direct footage taken by You

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@mbryson2899]

"My foot hurts" is *_gold_* !

[@mbryson2899]

John, your personal connection is clearly clear, thank you for sharing your research and insight. This one really stands out to me.

[@wilfridwibblesworth2613]

Badgers were also harmed in the incident! The media at the time refused to admit how many badgers were involved in this tragedy.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I never knew that

[@igitha..._]

Honestly the best choreographed map time I'm ever seen

[@AnIdiotAboard_]

Ohhhh covering this is brave mate, but incredibly well done, so well done.

[@FoxyWolfMeerkat]

It's actually kind of interesting- A similar but mercifully *much* less serious accident actually happened the exact same year on the light rail system where I live- TRAX. The driver on one of the trains approached a sharp turn going too quickly and the entire train wound up off of the rails. A few people were hospitalized but no one died. I remember it freaking me out particularly because it was the line I took between work and home at the time, and the turn was right before my stop. I was just lucky that I hadn't gone to work that particular day.

[@asteverino8569]

Cracking report, John 😀 From a currently cool and foggy NorthCoast of California.

[@Lady_hypoxia]

Thank you for another amazing video 😊

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!

[@Lady_hypoxia]

@@PlainlyDifficult you're welcome and enjoy your day 😊😊

[@kasumikat]

It's so weird seeing such a big youtube channel talking about my home city and our local transport. I still remember being at uni when this happened, just last month we had a minute of silence for what happened

[@sharonwhiteley6510]

Well done and straight forward. No hidden agendas as many investigations seem to have. You know CYA for someone.

[@philippal8666]

I would REALLY like a second safety system on anything. Using that tram in the days after they cleared the line it was so frustrating. Yes they put up the chevron boards… but we joked (because what else could we do) that they were there to slow the tram’s fall. I stood next to a wall so it it crashed again I wouldn’t be thrown through a window. It’s hard to describe what it’s like getting on a tram when it reopens, knowing that nothing has changed.

[@connectionlost1063]

Strange to see a larger KZbinr making a video about the very top of the road I lived between 2019 and 2022, great really interesting video

[@mauricedavis2160]

Another excellent episode John (Jon?), Keep em coming I'll be watching 👀!!!🙏😢🚈⚖️🤔

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@Monothefox]

The same type of tram is used in several cities, like Stockholm and Istanbul. To my knowledge, Croydon is the only accident with this model of tram that has led to on-board deaths.

[@gerhardwesp3995]

Gives a whole new meaning to 'cutting corners'.