Search

Monday 4 February 2019

Railway Accidents

I received an email from the NRM today, in which they are appealing for transcribers tomorrow, Tuesday 5 February 2019.   The focus of the transcription is accident records & injuries to railway workers.

There's much interesting reading in records which have already been transcribed & made publicly available.
LNWR Crewe Works drawing of 1885 - a Webb leg
(NRM collection)

Railway companies took an interest in accidents and their results, but this may not be from an expected standpoint nowadays.    For example, many companies produced prosthetic limbs in their own works - were they trying to keep a handle on costs, or giving a more personal affordable timely service?   In any case, loss of limbs was an unremarkable occurrence.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Most of those deaths would have came from one single accident

Derek said...

The figures relate only to employees, many individuals being caught out during their everyday work. The reports have an awful parallel to those for colliery accidents.