Harrow & Wealdstone

Howdy all,
Just reading an article about the horrible crash back in 1952 and saw a couple of pictures that made me wonder something. Looking at a modern picture of the platform where Princess Anne ended up, there's a pronounced dip towards the edge. Is that crash damage that was never repaired, or is it just subsidence and coincidental?

Sorry that its a bit of a random question, has just been bugging me for years! Will post pics to illustrate if I can find them online...

Thanks,

Dan

 

Platform Damage

From what I read in the accident report it was the northern ends of platforms 2 and 3 along with one span of the footbridge that was completely demolished.

If the dip is located in this area then its possible it could be a relic from the accident but given the rebuilding afterwards, modernisation and alterations to the station over the following years it may be unrelated to the accident.

Comparing photos of the modern day site with photos from the accident may provide some conclusive proof to this question.

 

There is some deep scoring in the wall of the Up Fast platform about 1-2 coach lengths north of the footbridge, at the place where the initial collision between the Perth express and the Tring local took place. I have often wondered whether these were caused as a result of the accident.

The most obvious legacy of the collision is, of course, that the footbridge span over the fast lines is of welded construction, whereas the other spans are rivetted.

 

Really interesting chaps. I've tried to find the specific photo I'm thinking of online but can't see it. I might have to scan it in from SR if I can find it! Would be interesting to know if there's any legacy damage from other crashes too. (Hope that isn't sounding too goulish!)

 

The "temporary" bridge carrying the Nunhead line over the main lines at St. John's (Lewisham), which replaced the span demolished in the December 1957 collision, is still in place and still carrying traffic, despite the original intention to replace it with a permanent structure within 5 years.