Broken coupling - runaway train through Milnthorpe Station.


AN ENGINE DRIVER'S DILEMMA
On Monday, passengers at Milnthorpe station, waiting for the early morning trains at seven o'clock, were somewhat startled to see an engine with three or four waggons attached rush through the station at top speed followed at a distance of about 50 yards by a long train of loaded coke waggons. It appears that a coke train from Scotland, which leaves Carlisle at 4-30 a.m., in some way which cannot be ascertained, broke in two, somewhere about Hincaster, and as it is a falling gradient from there to a point approaching Burton and Holme station, the heavy train gained considerable impetus. The driver, having the line clear, was obliged to keep well in front, taking his engine right through to Carnforth. In the meantime the breaksman, on reaching the level, was able to check the speed of the runaway train, and as it is slightly up-gradient near to Yealand it was brought to a standstill there. Mr. Cook, the stationmaster at Milnthorpe, followed on the 7.13 a.m. train, and the engine having been brought back from Carnforth, the episode ended without any unpleasant consequences other than a delay of about half-an-hour to both the up and down passenger trains.

THE WESTMORLAND GAZETTE - SATURDAY 18th FEBRUARY 1911


This extract from the Westmorland Gazette, was transcribed and kindly sent in by "Steve."
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