52 Hurt in German Steam Train Collision

tomgears · **Posted:** Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:22 am

Saw this on my comcast homepage this morning.

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090913-21889.html

http://www.comcast.net/video/raw-video- ... 250522829/

jim templin · **Posted:** Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:55 pm

Good Lord...this was a cornfield meet!?!

Does anyone know if this railway was dispatched via the token system, was is signalled (you would be surprised what railways are signalled Overseas), or did they operate by written orders?

One couldn't tell, did this happen out on the line or near a terminal?

tomgears · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:56 am

From what I read it was a special 125th anniversary weekend and extra trains were being operated. I'm not familiar with the line.

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Many traction fans will see the second comment and "flashback" to the tragic "Milwaukee Speedrail" collision in 1950: two "specials" collided, with over a dozen deaths and about 50 injured. At least in the incident in Germany there were no fatalities. Let this be a lesson to all historic railway operations: We should never let the excitement of special events distract us from Rule "A": Safety is of first importance.

Trevor Heath · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:04 am

There were two separate incidents on the same railway on the same day.

First incident when a car was swept off a crossing

Second far more serious when one train ran into the back of another.

Images (source unknown) attached.

TH

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:34 pm

My guess is this was a "head-on" collision. The 2-10-2 was running bunker first.