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DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:10 pm
by 52D
"ITS 50 years ago next month that the presence of mind by an experienced East Coast Main Line train driver played a significant part in minimising the fatalities and casualties that occurred when the Anglo Scottish express he was driving collided with a derailed cement train at Thirsk, North Yorkshire.
On the last day of the month, the 31st July 1967, Driver John "Jock" Evans was at the controls of a prototype main line diesel electric locomotive DP2. It was styled similarly to a Deltic, a class of 22 locomotives that were exclusive and ubiquitous to the ECML.
On that fateful day Jock Evans would, without thinking, apply years of experience that he had gained on the footplate along the ECML. But Jock Evans was no ordinary individual. Born in Berwick upon Tweed, Jock had started on the LNER just before the outbreak of World War Two but the war was to change everything. Jock joined up and with his early skills on the railways he was immediately posted to 192 Royal Engineers - driving trains. What he went through and saw, the places he was sent all played a part in rounding Jock's character. He understood conflict, the fragility of life, the need to act quick and decisively, the need to confront and fight for your beliefs and he appreciated the worth of first aid training.
Such experience was to play a major part in what took place on the last day of July 1967 when Jock saw a dust cloud several hundred yards in front of him as he sped north at around 75mph with an express passenger train that was over 900 ft long and weighed a total of some 575 tons. The dust cloud was a cement train was derailing in front of Jock and his train and he was bearing down on it with the yards to it running out..."
As part of a series of features on railway accidents in 1967 The Railway Magazine will publish a feature about the Thirsk accident. Feature writer Fraser Pithie will explain what led to the accident, what happened immediately afterwards and what the subsequent accident inquiry said about the event. However, the feature will go further. For the first time the critical role of Driver Jock Evans will be detailed.
Using testimony from Jock himself, recorded with Bob Gwynne at the National Railway Musuem, several years ago before Jock died and also using personal material and recollections provided by Jock's son, Nigel Evans, Fraser Pithie draws out the very human side of that arose from the event. The full feature will be in the July edition of The Railway Magazine and will be available for £4.40 in all good newsagents on 5 July.

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:36 pm
by PinzaC55
£4.40 ? :shock:
I remember when Railway Magazine was 35p.

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:15 am
by Mickey
On first glance DP2 looked like a Deltic but there were overall subtle differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_DP2

Mickey

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 7:53 pm
by 52D
Its out today, not got my copy yet.

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:40 pm
by delticfan
Interesting article on a really tragic crash. My fathers old work mate worked at York TMD and I remember when I was younger he described the unpleasant things he saw when the vehicles were recovered. Just a note about DP2 it was scrapped around August1970 at Vulcan and not 1968. I got that from two separate sources the other being a Vulcan apprentice who always thought it funny that the end where the cab was completely removed the toilet stood still fixed in place!

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:56 am
by Mickey
Below DP2 departing York in 1967.

http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/dp2_york_7.67_jt.jpg

Mickey

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 10:05 pm
by Percy Main
The article in the July Railway Magazine is splendid and particularly emphasizes the bravery and initiative of Driver Evans.

I was 15 and timing trains with a NE Rail Rover ticket that week. On Friday 28 July I travelled north from Darlington to Berwick behind DP2 on 1A26 (1200 KX to Edinburgh).

On the day of the crash (Monday 31 July) I was heading south on 1A31 (1200 Edinburgh – KX) which was due to pass 1A26 (and DP2) near Thirsk around 1512. As it happened the train (behind D1573) was 7 minutes late out of Darlington and was stopped by signals 19 minutes later just beyond Otterington. I learned from the article (50 years later) that the collision had obstructed the up fast line, and so, had we been on time, the only warning might have been the detonators Fireman Smith had placed on the track. We were travelling at around 88 mph when the brakes were applied, so it might have been no warning.

The following day I travelled south on the 0842 Newcastle – Liverpool (behind D313) which passed the scene of the crash (according to my youthful notes) on the up slow line between Northallerton and Tollerton. I returned on 1A26 (behind D9009) which was diverted via the old Leeds Northern to Northallerton arriving in Darlington nearly two hours late.

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:46 pm
by 52D
got my copy now very interesting article, liked the incident with the press photographer and with Gerry Fiennes Chauffeur.

Re: DP2 LNER connection

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 3:54 am
by andro
Does anyone know the nature of the damage that DP2 sustained in the accident? I saw it shortly afterwards from a train passing through York, I think it must have been. It was on the rails between other vehicles, and the visible damage as seen in the brief look from a passing train didn't appear to be as severe as it must have been.