Tragic Turning Point: The Armagh Rail Disaster

[@BrickImmortar]

Hope you're having a good weekend! Toss a Coin to your Researcher? Supporters on Patreon now get Ad-Free, Early Access to all new Brick Immortar videos releasing! Patreon: www.patreon.com/BrickImmortar PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/brickimmortar ----------- Previous Tragic Tales Episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqq2cmuMnrCdedE Latest COLLAPSE Series Episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJiqXpqkpdNjpdU

[@genericalfishtycoon3853]

I'm pretty broke these days so I'll just let the ads play, thanks though for the vids Sam! This channel deserves to be over 250k subs immediately. You hear that algorithm? You're sleeping on a gem!

[@whyjnot420]

Is the depiction of the height of the railroad over the surrounding terrain at 5:24 accurate? I know railroads do a lot to make everything as flat as they can, or at least they eventually did after Burnel showed them why. But that depiction in the video seems rather extreme especially for an earthen embankment. edit: nevermind, If I was patient, I would have seen the photos. Damn that is a tall, steep embankment.

[@archenema6792]

@@whyjnot420 It's a legitimate question. Trains can't climb a grade of higher than 4%, roughly 110 feet per mile, unless they use a rack rail toothed kickback prevention system or a pulley system.

[@coreyburton6170]

Hey Brick Immortar, just out of curiosity, what route did you use for the disaster simulation? Love your videos though! Keep it up! -Spitfirelad05 (Corey)

[@TracyA123]

Imagine being in the driver's position. Objecting to the use of such a weak engine for the trip and being told to shut up if you want to keep your job and then being given part of the blame. SMH Very well done video! Also, like always, I'm impressed by the respect shown to the victims by having no commentary while their names are on screen. Class act!

[@thomasoates3003]

That was, sadly, quite common. Companies often threw their employees under the bus to avoid taking blame.

[@TracyA123]

@@thomasoates3003 Id love to think we were past that but, unfortunately, we certainly aren't. Ex.... That guy at Boeing. They didn't waste a second scapegoating him.

[@thomasoates3003]

@@TracyA123 It's surprisingly common. In the British NHS, 66% of whistleblowers (people who call attention to unsafe practice or mismanagement) are fired by the NHS or harassed into dropping their charges.

[@TracyA123]

@@thomasoates3003 Omg. That's crazy

[@abloogywoogywoo]

Stationmaster was an asshole who only cared about ticket sales.

[@JDsVarietyChannel]

This episode was especially engaging, and I was glued to the story. It was horrifying to hear that the train cars literally became tombs that passengers were locked in. If you ever do videos on dam breaches, consider the history of Johnstown, PA (where I grew up) It's a dying, rustbelt town that was destroyed by water THREE time times, in 1889, 1936 and 1977. We call it flood city.

[@AlexWolfLikesPie]

PA native here also. Johnstown would be a very good one for him to cover, thanks for this suggestion. Would love to see it. I remember learning about it in class as a kid, i guess it stuck with me and i went home and made a “model” of the disaster which was just a piece of tupperware full of water and legos. I feel like his video would be far superior to my “creative” interpretation of events

[@whyjnot420]

Not to denigrate those floods but at least people talk about those and make videos on them. Up here in southern New England there were a pair of floods in 1955 that caused major damage across no less than 3 states (including New York) caused by 2 hurricanes both hitting a week apart in August of that year. The damage was by no means limited to NY, Ct. & Mass. either. Over _200_ dams in New England suffered full or partial failure due to these 2 floods. There were places in NY that had not been repaired over a decade after the floods, as in bridges that had been washed away which had just stayed like that for years and years. Yet barely anyone talks about them. Mainly it gets attention from local historical societies and history nerds like myself. The general public is somewhat aware that the floods of 1955 were a thing, but not much more than that. Barely anyone ever talks about the massive effort that the Army Corp of Engineers made in building around a hundred million dollars (in 1960s money) worth of dams and other flood protection in the aftermath either. edit: Just to point out some things, a lot of people around here don't even know that it was 2 floods in 1955 even if they know that flooding happened in 1955. And given that it was 66 years ago, the number of people who were old enough to actually remember them has dwindled quite a lot. With so little attention paid to them and the slow removal from living memory, this area is being slowly primed for a reprise once the flood protection built by the army decays enough.

[@thomaszinser8714]

Okay, I misread your calling it engaging as enraging, which honestly, also fits fairly well imo.

[@harryjohnson9215]

I have been in similar coach to those used on that train and I can tell you that it is easy and simple to open the doors, all you need to do is 1. Open the window ( each compartment must have a openable window) 2. Reach out and turn the handle to open the door

[@FRLN500]

@@harryjohnson9215 Yep, it's easy...except when the doors are locked....on the inside AND the outside.

[@tractorjunkco9431]

While not blameless I feel really bad for the train driver here. He knew something would happen, despite he himself being new to the line. Now if only management would have listened to him about needing a bigger 6 drive wheel instead of the 4.

[@froey198033]

That's always the issue. Management never listens to the employees cause they think they know everything. Whoever was in charge and didn't listen to the driver should've gone to prison for a long time.

[@GBOAC]

@@froey198033 the reason why we don’t have daily rail disasters is partly because management does usually listen… the few incidents where management didn’t listen doesn’t suddenly equate the usual day to day situation

[@pendlera2959]

@@GBOAC Pretty sure the lack of disasters is more due to modern safety features and government oversight. Managers still often ignore their employees, and would be even worse about it if not for the threat of a report to the authorities. I'm sorry I can't find the link, but I read an article last year about how train workers in the US are being pressured by their managers to inspect cars in less and less time, to the point where it is impossible for them to actually check many important areas and parts.

[@Demiglitch]

@@pendlera2959 and did some sort of train accident occur between seven months ago and now that may have been caused by that, perchance?

[@ryan_danger]

​@@pendlera2959 this is a practice on the Union Pacific. I work for a different railroad. Management and dispatch will sometimes get mad and ask what's taking so long when you're conducting a Class 1 air brake test before you go on the road, but I am allowed to tell them to kick rocks and wait. It depends on who it is

[@BoredInAHotel]

I’m from Armagh and grew up not far from the old track bed and currently I live in Hamilton’s Bawn (Hamiltonsbawn). Although the line is long closed and the tracks lifted, the events of that day is not forgotten in Armagh and is still taught at local primary schools. Very well made and factually correct video.

[@cf1925]

@@MonTube2006 Mmh, troll

[@cf1925]

@@MonTube2006 I have no clue what you are going on about, but ok

[@cf1925]

@@MonTube2006 My assumption is that you're trying to portray a train crash in which dozens of children got crushed in wooden train cars and thrown down a steep embankment as a **fucking optical illusion???** ***_From 1889???_***

[@mjc11a]

@@MonTube2006...P**s off.

[@rpenney76]

@MonTube STFU.. Showing your true ignorance!

[@cypher50]

It doesn't really hit you until you see the names at 19:59 just how disastrous this was. Sad that it took this amount of loss of life to initiate permanent safety change when the only thing that prevented it previously was money.

[@davidjones332]

Something not mentioned is that, in the course of the accident investigation, a rake of identical vehicles ballasted to the same weight was set rolling down the gradient, and the brake van was able to bring them to a stand, so Henry's failure to achieve that was inexplicable. The inspector could only surmise that the brake was not in proper working order, or it had somehow been tampered with by passengers in the van.

[@thomasoates3003]

An interesting change in direction. Thanks for drawing attention to this largely forgotten disaster.

[@OfftheWallTales]

I definitely enjoy the new direction. Hearing about all these buildings and structures that collapsed were interesting but there's only just a handful you can speak about. Yet things like this, that involve human error or simple accidents, sometimes feel like they're a dime a dozen. But I do love that this is a story I've never heard of. I follow a lot of channels that are somewhat similar and sometimes I'll see the same disaster on 3 channels, all repeating the same basic information. Learning completely new material is great.

[@chatteyj]

Oh I see I thought he was making a dark joke about the train story, lol.

[@thomasoates3003]

@@florjanbrudar692 It's largely unknown outside of railway enthusiast circles.

[@TimothyWorel-xj9he]

Abermule was another disaster.

[@thomasoates3003]

@@TimothyWorel-xj9he And another incident worthy of coverage.

[@stephenphillip5656]

"Red For Danger" by L T C Rolt is a defining publication in the history of railway accidents in Britain. What *really* comes across is the casual dismissal of any safely thinking in the early days of railways and how many innocents died in the companies' pursuit of profits at the expense of safety.

[@mce_AU]

RFD was the first safety film we watched as brand new apprentices back in 1980 when I started working for the Victorian Railways, Melb. Aus. as a signaling technician. Some things you never forget.

[@capnskiddies]

Still recommended reading for signallers being "passed out" in Irish Rail.

[@peebee143]

Excellent book! I have several copies.

[@mulgerbill]

@@mce_AU Same here when I joined as a JSA in 83, and again in 87 when I got my Signalman certificates.

[@Aikisbest]

This is a common theme to this day with the lack of safety to increase profits, and a lot of the problem lies in the fact that the ones with the power and the funds are never the ones who get directly affected by the consequences.

[@myfavoritemartian1]

Twenty years before in 1869, George Westinghouse invented the Fail-safe brake system for trains. The brakes are engaged always and needed pressure from the engine to release. That way when a hose was uncoupled anywhere, the brakes would engage. Every car has brakes also. This system is still used today and a similar system is used on big trucks. Pity this train didn't have them.

[@Graham-ce2yk]

This was the accident that led to 'automatic brakes' being mandated. But I'm also aware of a crash in Algiers in the 1980s where a similar set of circumstances occurred resulting in runaway passenger cars slamming into stationary freight cars whose brakes were sadly fully operational.

[@Pacific_Storm]

I thought the system sounded familiar to those used on trucks

[@myfavoritemartian1]

@@Pacific_Storm Very similar.

[@Boo-dawg.]

It's a pity no one listened to the new guy when he suggested the 6 wheels instead of the 4 wheeled engine. Less experienced people tend to be more cautious and avoid a lot of potentially dangerous life endimg situations

[@braselc1914]

Interesting facts - even as late as the 1950's many British freight cars still had no vacuum brakes at all, and the UK was still using primitive hook and loop couplers. Also somewhat surprisingly the US, dispute the number of wrecks, never really got into the ultra high fatality count range. In the US automatic air brakes (loss of elevated air pressure applies brakes) were made mandatory in 1903, along with modern knuckle couplers, for both freight and passenger cars. Of course, the British-style hook and loop couplers were at least safe for the one doing the coupling, while the link and pin couplers the US used prior to 1903 were very much not, and killed and maimed countless brakemen, and far more lost fingers. The US also adopted all-steel passenger cars a few decades before everybody else. They were very heavy (80 tons each), but by that point American locomotives were big enough to pull trains of them at high speed, and in a wreck would stay intact practically no matter what. You could argue they were sturdier than many modern cars used in much of the world. Also, if you want to do a Collapse/this series combination, might I recommend Ashtabula bridge collapse? PS: What are use using to make the train graphics? Microsoft Train Simulator or Trainz? The latter is far more likely to have exactly what you're looking for already made. If you're making your train rendering from scratch, than you could really save a lot of time and effort using it.

[@hrunchtayt1587]

He’s using Dovetail Games Train Simulator 2022

[@BrickImmortar]

Ashtabula is a great suggestion, Brasel! Been curious how much interest there'd be in that one... thanks for that.

[@eaglescout1984]

Also worth mentioning many US railcars had hand brakes, so they could all be applied manually in an emergency. In fact many freight cars still do, although it's more for storing them in a yard rather than trying to apply them by climbing form car to car on a 100 car train.

[@braselc1914]

@@eaglescout1984 Actually, -all- of them did, and still do .Before air brakes the means of braking consisted of whistle signals telling brakemen to run along the roofs of cars applying the handbrakes. They had roofwalks for that purpose, but they stopped building cars with them in the 1960's, long after any need had ended. It goes without saying that it wasn't very safe for the brakemen. Today it's just for parking cars as you said; putting the air brakes in emergency would apply the brakes just as hard as the handbrakes could. US grades were steep, and American cars weighed several times that of British cars; brakes on every car were essential. Even by the 1870's brakes on just the locomotive and two axles on a guard's van as in Britain would have been completely inadequate in the US, if not long before than.

[@thomasoates3003]

If you want the full DLC list, the simulator sequences use Train Sim Academy, West Somerset Railway, and the GNR/NER non-corridor stock pack.

[@reddev5420]

I'm from Northern Ireland. Kinda surreal seeing a video on your channel about the wee green island, and not too far away from where I am. Good job!

[@telhadaway3833]

It is kinda blessing to all the victims of this terrible accident that it is being told now I'm from CO.Armgh Craigavon about 12 miles from this terrible accident, god bless all the victims

[@backyardblacksmith3090]

Ireland 🇮🇪 is big deal over here across the pond, lots of Irish ancestry in the states 🇺🇸 and Canada 🇨🇦

[@gillianrainey8599]

@@telhadaway3833 I'm from Portadown,utterly tragic indeed

[@TerMau01]

I'm from Armagh and yeah it's surreal

[@Danger_N00dle]

You might want to look up the Lac Megantic train crash. It was quite an unfortunate even back a few years ago in Canada It's a similar story IIRC it was due to negligence which caused a train to go down a hill unsupervised and derail in the middle of a small town. Unfortunately, the train was carrying a lot of flammable products which quickly caught fire and exploded.

[@froey198033]

Wow I never heard of that crash. I'm definitely gonna check that out.

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@MonTube2006 *2013

[@dellahicks7231]

Was a sad day across Canada, watching the horrific events of those few days unfolding on our screens. So much heartache.

[@MrMarauder96]

Thanks! I am obsessed with your content. The amount of research you do to make these such minute details is amazing. The conclusions are sadly similar but I think it gives knowledge to the everyday person.

[@theoriginalcraig]

Aside from the narration, the graphics quality on this video alone, are the kind you would normally only see on a channel with close to a million subscribers. WELL DONE!

[@kristofburek264]

Deserves to, and I hope will, reach 1m subscribers and many, many more!

[@Sigil_Firebrand]

This story to me is one of the most fascinating tales of tragedy, I've been obsessed with it since I learned about it as a kid. Fantastic video and included some facts I'd never heard before too. Thank you for helping more people learn of this tale.

[@kokosan09]

I didn't think this could possibly get worse, but then you mentioned that all the passengers were locked in...

[@TracyA123]

Yeah that got me too

[@erikaitsumi3852]

I watched a channel 4 documentary on this accident and your editing and animations were 1000 times better. I didn't know what happened to the train that got hit. That was very interesting to find out.

[@madeljacky]

After reading the book 'The runaway train, Armagh 1889' I have stood on the Killuney road looking at that embankment and often wondered what it would have been like to have been there in 1889, your video really shows what happened on that day.

[@iainmalcolm9583]

Good mix of the old photos & modern animation to tell this story.

[@kscorp5176]

Another excellent video - well researched and presented. Really appreciated the diversity of the visuals, especially the animation of looking out the train windows from within, and the colourised picture of the accident site at the end.

[@Jen-rose76]

I have to tell you I only recently found your channel and I have not been able to stop watching. Thank you so much for always dumbing everything down for those of us that don’t understand the more technical things. I still get a little lost but I love listening and learning. The videos I’ve watched so far I have never heard of until now. Thank you and please continue.

[@geerd1]

Nice combination of historical footage and modern animation 👌

[@derekstocker6661]

What a tragic incident, awful in detail and these dear Folks who lost their lives. This video is brilliantly narrated and illustrated, thank you for this, I wonder if the second train upon seeing the approaching runaway had stopped and reversed slowly to let the runaway catch up and then gradually come to a stop, may have made a difference, we will never know. Thank you for this, RIP dear Folks.

[@bjbrown]

You tell us the stories that may otherwise be lost to time. By remembering these tragedies I hope that in the future we may not have history repeat

[@maj0072]

I've seen videos on this before. This is by far the best in detail, telling & graphics.

[@alastairpreston3237]

As a side note, the Staplehurst wreck at 19:08 is the one in which Charles Dickens was a passenger - I think he was in the carriage that's at an angle in the picture. He got himself, his mistress and her mother out, then helped with injured passengers.

[@marilynmurray3519]

I appreciate the detailed explanations you give in your videos. When learning about these tragedies your voice is somehow soothing.

[@szymoncbortion69]

the hardest thing for me is seeing how many victims share last names. while they died together its just so much more tragic to me. may their souls never be forgotten.

[@FMJIRISH]

Two years later and I'm still appreciative that you were able to say Armagh correctly

[@UKMDI]

how else could you say it

[@tigerslashii7097]

As grim as the tragedies are, so many of these have instances of ordinary people becoming selfless heroes without seconds hesitation

[@andrewkelley9405]

This is wild; I have NEVER heard of this until now. Good job sir.

[@pointcuration1278]

Thanks!

[@BrickImmortar]

The support is much appreciated Point Curation!

[@CarolineBearoline]

Great story telling, as usual! I'd never heard of this tragedy before

[@telhadaway3833]

Ya it was a very sad accident so many young people died that day it happened about 12 miles from where I live, it happened just outside Armagh city northern Ireland

[@terryansell6641]

This was a very interesting but sad video about the Irish railway accident thank you from NZ

[@aztec0112]

Sam, during the scrolling tribute to the souls lost, there was an entrancing, thoughtful, mournful piece of background music playing. If possible, could you provide a link to that music? I would love to hear it in it's entirety. Again, I've commented before, the strength of your presentation, the gravitas of your narration, and the clear respect you have for the subject material sets this channel apart from so many of your contemporaries.

[@rocketGimbal]

This is way late but shazam says it is Forest at Dawn by Teen Daze. They seem to be the same song but there might be some additional effects added to the credits to make it sound exactly as they needed. A beautiful song indeed.

[@aztec0112]

@@rocketGimbal Thank you very much. It was worth the wait.

[@NathanTagalong]

Wow this story has so many pieces. Very interesting. Thanks for the detailed explanation about the breaks. It's amazing to see the innovations that came about after this accident.

[@MsKassandraKotaku]

Oh yes! Trains and you! This is the type of content that is right up my alley!

[@BillyAlabama]

Your narrative voice is so pleasant to hear. Thank you!

[@peterohagan3961]

What an amazing video I live right beside the old railway just outside of Jerrettspass Newry and have been told this story many times. But to see it again animated and with so much detail is amazing. Great job.

[@stevenc123]

My great grandmother was on that trip as a baby, but luckily in the front carriages that were still attached to the train.

[@ArcadiaJunctionHobbies]

This is a superb film. Really impressive. Although Ireland was part of the UK back then, I am almost certain that Ireland had its own railway operational laws. These were drafted by the rail companies themselves and the Great Northern was a very powerful entity in Ireland at the time. The GNR remained for decades after railways in Ireland were nationalized and only joined the state rail operators in Northern Ireland and the Republic in 1960.

[@thomasburke2683]

Model Trains Forever The GNR (I) was first nationalised in 1953, jointly by the two governments until 1958, when it was split, the part in Northern Ireland coming under the Ulster Transport authority while the sections south of the border was absorbed by CIE. CIE had only been nationalised 1950 and the UTA was only created 1948, so the GNR wasn't significantly late in being nationalised. The joint body of 1953-58 didn't work because you can't serve two masters.

[@Squareheed]

Stumbled upon this video whilst researching the history of my country's railway infrastructure. Truly a tragic loss of life for the people of Armagh and Northern Ireland.

[@stefansoder6903]

Very well made. And thank you for the metrics!

[@bertmeinders6758]

I read "Red for Danger" many yearsago, and I'm still left with a question about the brakes. Even with the simple non-automatic vacuum system, surely the crew would have closed the stopcocks on the carriages befor disconnecting the hoses. And if the driver had made a full brake application before this, the brakes should have held. I am a steam-qualified driver and shunter, and this aspect has left me with another question: Were the crew sober?

[@SCHMALLZZZ]

Sober? Have you ever met an Irishman?

[@MrDibbsey]

I'm not familiar with the system in use at the time, but I've never seen stopcocks on an automatic vacuum brake system before and suspect they didn't have them at armagh either. The hoses are normally placed on a dummy fitting which keeps them secure and closes the end of the pipe. Once the vacuum has been blown up it sucks the two firmly together, holding the seal.

[@kristofburek264]

@@MrDibbsey Mr Meinders referred to simple (non-automatic) vacuum brakes, and I can see how these might have stop-cocks so that the vacuum could be maintained after decoupling. Have no specific knowledge, though, so only guessing that that is what Mr Meinders meant.

[@bertmeinders6758]

@@kristofburek264 Bert Meinders Being in New Zealand, I'm only experienced in air brakes. But I can't imagine any system of continuous brakes without stopcocks on each end of each vehicle.. But the dummy fitting would explain the immediate loss of braking. Makeshift cost-cutting engineering.

[@interestedErvini]

This is an interesting story, very very close to home I may add which I wasn't expecting. Great to learn about stuff that happened a good wee while back. Cheers from the Orchard County, (county Armagh).

[@hellosweden8786]

I have seen two others recommending the Lac Megantic crash in Canada. That is a whirlwind of neglect and stupidity. would be nice to hear your thoughts! Another semi disaster is the Swedish building project Hallandsåsen. We intended to build a tunnel through soft ground to save a few kms of rail travel - turns out the insulation material was poisonous and the deep water reserves were drained. Many farmers were livid. Please share your thoughts on that one too - I still don't know what happened really and I'm from Sweden!! lol

[@HadridarMatramen]

Jeg er din nabo fra Norge, og jeg hadde aldri engang hørt om Hallandsåsen!

[@youngestoutof4]

not sure how I found your videos, but WOW are these fascinating and disturbing at the same time. please please please make more! I love you. bye bye.

[@silber724]

You and your editing crew create fantastic content.

[@Xaxares]

About ten years ago, here in Quebec we also had a runaway train incident. It destroyed the downtown area of a small town. The Lac Megantic disaster.

[@ntvonline9480]

My heart is still pounding. Great video!

[@vincentcastor5978]

Well done documentary. Great visuals.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

Just started watching this channel last week when I typed in Ocean Ranger. Excellent videos.

[@railwayjade]

Great video! Side notes: The exhauster (or ejector) exhausts the air at the cab not the smoke stack. Vacuum braked trains did not have valves between carriages but rather the pipe would fit over a dummy (dummy coupling) when not connected to another pipe. As opposed to air brakes (which are more efficient) it takes roughly 1 second per vehicle for the brakes to apply whereas air is instantaneous. Also, after a short time, the brakes release which without sufficient handbrakes applied can cause a runaway.

[@fishfingersndcustard]

It's so strange to hear an American/Canadian (sorry, I'm not familiar with your channel!) speak about this disaster, and the amount of effort that has gone into this video (not just with the detail, but even the pronunciation of the cities and town names, and the animation as well) is astonishing. I've lived in Co. Armagh for my entire life and I only heard about the disaster when I was in college in the city of Armagh (age 16-18), and even then nothing to this extent. Absolutely bravo, mate. This was a brilliant video. Ashamed that it isn't taught in this detail in the country it happened in.

[@cuddlepaws4423]

We live in England and had never heard of this one. Thank you for such a detailed and sensitive recounting of the event. Sadly, it is about normal for management to not take notice of the workers as they know everything, and threaten employees with disciplinary action or the sack. And it is just as common for companies as a whole to put the blinkers on with safety issues to save money. Only legislation can make changes, but it always comes about after there has been bloodshed and the legislation has to be buttoned up tight, so the companies have no wriggle room or loopholes to exploit.

[@theimaginationstation1899]

Nice work! Some thoughts: The brake vans were probably split to make running around the train easier at the destination, in preparation for the return leg. I don’t think vacuum brakes remain braked indefinitely. Like the Westinghouse system, I expect that they’ll eventually leak away their braking effort to nil. Even with automatic brakes, a more modern procedure would require roughly a quarter of the carriages to have had their hand brakes screwed down to keep a parked train safe on the gradient. The fact that scotching was attempted suggests that the carriages did not have individual hand actuated brakes. Hand actuated brakes are effective. Their difficulty is their manual actuation - rather than effectiveness. I don’t think it can be said that the hand actuated brake was improperly screwed down. The fact that once the train was rolling it could not be more tightly screwed down suggests it was properly actuated. And in any event an overly screwed down brake is less effective than a judiciously screwed down brake. An inexperienced driver in a Victorian context is simply not going to speak out against his superior. The point about introduction of the block system is interesting in the context of there being an option to wait for the succeeding train - something only possible because they were running by book.

[@krpajda]

Westinghouse brakes are air applied, which can let the air holding them shut leak eventually. Old British vacuum brakes are spring applied and at a loss of vacuum the springs simply keep the brakes applied forever. It's really the only disadvantage of Westinghouse brakes, which otherwise apply faster along the train, and can be replenished much faster, because pulling a vacuum sucks (lol)

[@fetchstixRHD]

@@krpajda: Hmm, from the description of the Automatic Vacuum Brake I've seen, it seems to imply that there aren't really any springs involved? There's also mention that the (auto vacuum) brakes can "leak off" and so require the handbrakes to hold the vehicles?

[@The8224sm]

One aspect of the steam locomotive operation that is not mentioned, is that the boiler of the engine has to be cleaned every couple of weeks or so. The build-up of scale on the inner surface of the firebox has to be flushed out to remove a build-up of mineral and salt scale. The boiler firebox tubes, also have to be cleaned out due to a build-up of carbon inside the tubes. If these actions aren't done regularly, the ability to generate enough steam is drastically reduced, resulting in a loss of power for the locomotive to ascend the hill. It seems that these aspects were not brought up at the inquiry.

[@cwavt8849]

Very well told. Thank you, Sir.

[@theflowerwhosavedtheuniver5658]

It's sad to think that I was born and bred in Belfast & have never heard of this. Nor have I ever seen our local TV stations cover it. RIP to all of those who lost their lives so unnecessarily 🙏💔

[@usmale49]

Great video...thank you for uploading and sharing!!

[@stevengalloway8052]

The way you describe things in your videos is, and please don't take this the wrong way, is...calm, scary and matter-of-factly informative. 😨 This, I think, is your greatest strength 💪 in doing your videos. Wow... 😳😏

[@empacotador]

I found this channel at 3 a.m. here on Brazil. Now i'm happy that i cant sleep.

[@froey198033]

Great job using the train simulator was a great idea. It let's us see what happened. Keep up the awesome work man. You just earned another subscriber. I will be paying attention to new videos you upload.

[@AdurianJ]

Sweden had a slightly similar accident in 1956 where an iron ore train lost it's carriages and the automatic breaks didn't work because they where not connected properly. The carriges ran for several miles until impacting with a rail bus full of Confirmee's (Young people usually 15 years old that are confirming their Lutheran baptism by studying and learning their faith and affirming it in a church ceremony). The locomotive of the iron ore train Ma 405 (and electric goods engine) was in service until 2014

[@dennis2376]

Thank you and have a great week.

[@difdaf436]

Love the level of research you put into your videos. Truely a pleasure to watch your content

[@Zif-the-Old-Herring]

Thank you, again, for listing the names of the Souls Lost. They will never be lost souls.

[@mauricedavis8261]

Another excellent, although tragic episode!!!🙏😪

[@huntlife]

I'm binging on your channel. Fascinating. I'm surprised you haven't covered Amtraks derailment over the bayou in La.

[@mijiyoon5575]

Interesting graphics & as usual love the photographs & I luv train/s & train travel👍👍🚆🚆though this was a horrific disaster

[@kevinbyrne4538]

Reminds me of the disaster of Lac Megantic, Quebec on 2013 July 6, when a "parked" train that was loaded with crude oil rolled into the town of Lac Megantic, killing 47 people and burning much of the town.

[@suedavenport7793]

Wonderful episode. More train safety please. Excellent channel!

[@tnt-hv6qw]

just to let u know you have the best video voice on youtube. excellent.

[@chrisvickers7928]

The Lac Megantic train disaster in Quebec, Canada is far more recent and definitely involves incompetence and negligence.

[@adamc1272]

I really enjoyed this video, as I have all the videos I've seen so far, so thank you. I read about this dreadful disaster in the writings of the noted signalling engineer and railway historian, O.S. Nock - really nice to see it presented in this format. Subscribed.

[@ramblingman8992]

It took this tragedy to force the UK Government to bring about safety legislation on the railways rather than trusting the individual companies to maintain a safe transport system. Despite the Legislation, 26 years later, the UK suffered it's worst rail crash to date at Quintinshill, with 226 dead and 246 injured.

[@livescript4462]

So sad it has taken events like this to make change. Thank you for your videos, I love your channel so much.

[@fredhayes6162]

Excellent in your research and format.

[@Straswa]

Great vid Brick Immortar, please do more rail accidents.

[@stephensmith4480]

Avery sobering thought, especially when you read the list of names at the end. I saw five people from the same family. To say it was tragic does not even come close.

[@ryankenyon5010]

That had to be terrifying.

[@johnkladis4266]

A really well done presentation! Great job! I'm subscribing!

[@kimchipig]

The Westinghouse airbrake system had been invented in 1872 and was already in wide use in North America in 1889. It would have prevented this disserter.

[@railtrolley]

It required legislation to force the private railway companies to adopt automatic brakes. Armagh was the catalyst for this and also absolute block working.

[@jozg44]

George Westinghouse set up a British subsidiary firm to make and market his air brake in the UK in 1872, just three years after he set up his original business in the US. Some railway companies did adopt automatic brakes (both Westinghouse air brakes and systems working on vacuum) before the 1889 Act compelled them - notably the Great Eastern, the London Brighton & South Coast, the London, Chatham & Dover, the North Eastern and the big Scottish companies (Caledonian and North British) used Westinghouse air brakes. The GER, LBSCR and LCDR all ran intensive suburban services in and out of London and the air brake's stronger application and quicker release times were necessary to maintain competitive schedules. Interestingly the GER and LCDR were also perennially short of money but still opted to pay for the Westinghouse system - being smaller companies they did not build their brake equipment in-house so would have to buy it in from a supplier. If you're paying for it, you might as well get the more effective system. The attraction of the vacuum system was that it was simpler and cheaper to make and did not involve paying royalties to the inventor, so the big railway companies preferred to make their own vacuum brake equipment in their own workshops.

[@imadrifter]

Sorry, but *disaster

[@imadrifter]

@@MonTube2006 cope

[@imadrifter]

@@MonTube2006 go back to 1871 and really invent it then

[@tahustvedt]

Beautiful visuals.

[@CC12398]

Very interesting with such a soothing voice thank you

[@Studio23Media]

Mr. Murphy is a legend.

[@pink1433]

Implemented in just 2 months - that's amazing. Can you imagine anything at that scale implemented nowadays in 2 months?

[@chatteyj]

Seems to me that the new safety laws where implemented quick because the writing was on the wall and it was something that a lot in the industry wanted and saw the need for given the amount of previous accidents so it was a no brainer.

[@DucatiQueen]

Damn, that was intense ! LOVE the animations 💪

[@faizalf119]

This make me wonder, how many train incidents were actually recorded in places like India where a lot of people riding on top of the train and can it be studied about the danger?

[@faizalf119]

@Walter Dumbrowski I'm talking about a more detailed statistic and personal stories.

[@theatagamer90]

I'm not sure but I'd figure very few. Then again I could be wrong.

[@riverlady982]

I know very little about trains but surprisingly even I knew enough to wonder why no one was being sent down the track in case of other trains before he got to what a Signal Man is.

[@thestrangechannelofjeff7426]

Great video. Great quality. Very good

[@TOPDadAlpha]

As usual.... An excellent documentary.

[@benji274]

I’ve seen other takes on this disaster, and it’s very interesting seeing your take on it from an engineering point of view

[@chatteyj]

I'd never heard of it, its insane.

[@DeInevitable]

Happy Halloween BI!

[@BrickImmortar]

Hey thanks and same to you Chris!

[@frankhardy123]

The only issue I have with this wonderful video is with the maps used. In 1889 there was no border on the Island of Ireland. The border came in 1921. Seeing maps with borders on them gives the impression that it was an international rail service and that it involved two different national jurisdictions. It was all one country back then.

[@feltongailey8987]

Great job! Did I miss something, however? Why had the rear brake wheel not held? They had multiple people cranking on it. Did it malfunction?

[@TBone-bz9mp]

The weight of the carriages and the shove from the forward portion overwhelmed them, see railway brakes in this time, and for long after in the UK, where simple blocks that were cranked into the wheel tire and held it by friction alone. That usually works and even disk brakes work on basically the same principle. But enough weight and momentum will overcome even the strongest resistance.

[@feltongailey8987]

@@TBone-bz9mp Thank you. That makes sense. If my grandfather were still alive, he would have explained it to me. He was a motor machinist for the RR for 32 years.

[@PeterShieldsukcatstripey]

Those poor people and dear children. Rest in peace.

[@alexcarolan8825]

Great video, I have an old framed picture of a train on that line because my dad is from that area

[@andrewtaylor940]

If it helps for the American's in the audience, the "Guards Van" is what American and Canadian Railroads would call a Caboose. Different shape, but same basic purpose.

[@justaskin8523]

thanks!