It had to happen.

Interesting observation as I went hunting for a history of sorts on train wrecks. There is a surprisingly large amount of information, both print and electronic, that classify a train wreck as an over the top, flamboyant shit storm of a human being. I'm more interested in twisted steel and crushed bones. Must be a traditionalist.



Anyway, there had to be a first and the honour goes to England and the mighty Liverpool and Manchester Railway on September 15 1830. Though not a story of trains actually colliding it is none the less a bad accident. The railway ran a pair of tracks (north and south) out of Liverpool. Apparently on that day there were at least 7 engines towing half a dozen or so carriages each on the north track (trains weren't very long then so they stuffed more on the rails to make up, always good planning). The south track had just one train with the Duke of Wellington and entourage in one carriage, one for the railway owners and a third entire carriage for a band.



It just so happened that trains on both tracks had stopped opposite each other to take on water. A one William Huskisson (member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, among other high up stuff) jumped off a train on the north track to go and have a chin wag with the Duke. He had, after all, his own band. Since there were really a whole lot of trains on the tracks all jumbled together at this point it stands to reason that anyone wandering about on foot, even a Cabinet Minister, was going to come up bad.



Trains started to move while Huskisson was between tracks and a running jump to get on board the Dukes train failed and he was run over. He died later of his injuries. In the train vs man war, train usually wins.



Next time I promise twisted metal and hissing steam.