Britain's Railway Disasters: Fatal Accidents From the 1830s to the Present Day

by Michael Foley

Overview

Passengers on the early railways took their lives in their hands every time they got on board a train. It was so dangerous that they could buy an insurance policy with their ticket. There seemed to be an acceptance that the level of danger was tolerable in return for the speed of travel that was now available to them.

Britain's Railway Disasters looks at the most serious railway accidents from the origins of the development of the train up to the present day. Seriousness is judged on the number of those who died. Information gleaned from various newspaper reports is compared with official reports on the accidents.

The book will appeal to all those with a fascination for rail transport as well as those with a love of history.

Michael Foley examines the social context of how injuries and deaths on the railways were seen in the early days, as well as how claims in the courts became more common, leading to a series of medical investigations as to how traveling and crashing at high speed affected the human body.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526766564
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	02/22/2020
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Foley spent much of his teaching career in primary schools in the East End of London. After leaving teaching to become a full-time carer to his twin grandsons, who were severely disabled, he began to write seriously for the first time. Since then he has had more than twenty local and military books published. He has also had numerous articles published in magazines such as Best of British, This England, Essex Life and others. He has also had short stories published in My Weekly magazine. He lives in Romford with his wife and grandson.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

Introduction vii

Chapter 1 Railway History 1

Chapter 2 The Effects of Railway Travel on the person 8

Chapter 3 Early Fatalities 21

Chapter 4 1840 to 1850 24

Chapter 5 1850 to 1860 45

Chapter 6 1860 to 1870 63

Chapter 7 1870 to 1880 80

Chapter 8 1880 to 1890 99

Chapter 9 1890 to 1900 111

Chapter 10 1900 to 1914 129

Chapter 11 The First World War 155

Chapter 12 1918 to 1939 167

Chapter 13 The Second World War 182

Chapter 14 1945 to the Present Day 190

Chapter 15 Conclusion 227

Bibliography 230

Index 234