Obstruction Danger: Significant British Railway Accidents, 1890-1986
Adrian Vaughan, himself a former railway signalman, is well aware of the burden of responsibility resting on the shoulders of signalmen, train drivers and any other railway employees who have the lives of thousands of passengers in their hands. It is just 100 years since the 1889 Regulation of Railways Act forced the adoption of vital safety measures on Britain's railway companies. The provision of effective brakes, the interlocking of points and signals and the 'block' system of signalling trains safely along the lines were the principal elements of the Act, and these and the many other refinements that have followed over the years have made our system among the safest in the world. But no system is perfect, and in this absorbing selection of 'cautionary tales', Adrian Vaughan describes over 30 significant British railway accidents where human error or malice have overridden 'foolproof' safety measures, where safety equipment and procedures have been neglected or abused, or where freak mechanical failures have contributed to tragedies beyond human control. It affords a fascinating insight into the development and operation of railway safety procedures and the appalling consequences of neglecting them even for an instant. Sometimes caustic, sometimes comical, always entertaining but never sensationalising, Adrian Vaughan brings his characteristic story-telling style to this most intriguing aspect of railway operation, where order becomes chaos in a split second and the portentious '6 bells' is hammered out between signal boxes — 'Obstruction Danger'.
Hardback with dust jacket, 256 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9781852600556
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