A Near
Miss at Kropčahne in
2003
The
goods depot at Kropčahne is noticeable in the early hours of workday
mornings for intensive but uneventful working. On Wednesday 7th May
2003, however, an incident that occurred 70 kilometres away gave
rise to looks of horror and appeals to the Almighty.
At Alčahta, which lies on the main line south of Kropčahne, a
particularly rough shunt had caused a bogie tank wagon to become
derailed and block the points leading northwards out of the goods yard.
By the time the tank wagon was back on the rails and the points
inspected, the fast goods train to Magane and Pilzen, which was
scheduled to depart at 03:00 am, had missed its slot. Since this train
was not heavily loaded on that day, it was decided to attach its wagons
to the 04:30 am pickup goods for Magane, which was to set down and pick
up at Kropčahne, Dämenov and Bevice-Pofedra on the way. The train,
now totalling 74 wagons and hauled by the brand-new 5-cylinder compound
4-12-4 no. 655A.05, left Alčahta punctually
and arrived at Kropčahne at 05:15 am. However because of its unusual
length it could only be accommodated in the goods yard after a fair
amount of time-consuming shunting work. A following train, approaching
from Terešan and due to arrive at 05:35 am, could therefore not
be accepted immediately and the signalman at Kropčahne South Box,
Tubarek, kept his home signal showing red.
Meanwhile
the Warsaw-Rome express was scheduled to depart from platform 2 at
05:44 am. As soon as the goods train from Alčahta had been "tidied
away", the express was able to leave with very little delay. Just as
this train was pulling across to the southbound main line, however,
signalman Tubarek
saw to his horror that the Terešan goods, hauled by the rebuilt
Doherty compound 4-10-4 no. 564BB.010,
was pounding up the gradient towards the station, obviously overrunning
the red signal. Only by diverting the approaching goods train into
platform 1 at the last minute was it possible for Tubarek, showing
admirable presence of mind, to avoid a horrendous accident.
Not until the Terešan goods lurched through the crossover
leading to platform 1 did the driver realise his mistake and make an
emergency brake application. Unfortunately he rather overdid it and
left half his train hanging back down the gradient, blocking all
following traffic from the south. Only after the stationmaster, having
been rapidly appraised of the situation, had marched down the platform
and delivered a stentorian lecture on the purposes of railway
signalling was it possible to restore some semblance of order. The
local press were naturally cock-a-hoop over the incident, which
occurred just in time for their early editions. In the event the driver
of the Terešan goods train was severely reprimanded and was able
to count himself lucky not to be demoted to shunting duty.
(c) Norman Clubb 2011