3-021-471 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Disaster on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway: the reversing station, Bhore Ghaut, 1869. Fatal accident of the '...mail-train from Poonah to Bombay, in descending the Bhore Ghaut incline...On reaching the top of the incline, the engine brakes and the four incline brakes were applied...the driver and guard both found that they had no control on the motion of the train, and all the brakes were put hard on and the engine reversed. This had no effect in checking the rushing of the train down the steep incline; the speed increased till it reached a frightful velocity, and continued to increase till the train came to the level ground between the end of the incline and the station...Here the reversed engine and the great brake-power had effect, and gradually brought down the motion to twenty miles an hour before the train reached the end of the rails...there was an earth buffer, beyond which the embankment sloped down about 15 ft. to the hill-side. The engine rushed on to the earth buffer, displaced it, and tumbled over the embankment...The third-class carriages were occupied by natives; and of these fourteen were killed on the spot...There were 150 passengers altogether: those in the hinder carriages were the Europeans, and were little hurt'. From "Illustrated London News", 1869.