8781202bre
Details of the Railway Fatal Accident
| Location | Torpantau – Talybont, Breconshire, Wales |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, 2nd December 1878, p.m. |
| Railway Company | Brecon & Merthy Tydfil Railway |
| No. of fatalities | 4 |
| Cause of accident | Derailment |
| Description | The accident happened to a goods train of 22 coal wagons, 3 goods wagons, 11 empties and a brake van drawn by two heavy tank engines with a third tank engine at the rear. There was an instruction that goods trains should stop at the north end of the tunnel to allow the guard to pin down the brakes on the wagons because of the incline. This did not happen and with the consequence that the speeding train left the rails and went down a bank. The drivers of the two front engines and the firemen of the second and the rear engine were killed. |
Sources/Further Reading
- Official Report, Board of Trade, 24th December 1878
- The Western Daily Press, Wednesday 4th December 1878
List of Fatalities
4 of the 4 fatalities have been identified so far. They are listed in the table below together with brief notes on any other information that has been found.
The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales), Statutory Register (Scotland), General Register Northern Ireland or Civil Registration for Ireland reference where this has been identified (this reference can be used to order a copy of the official death certificate).
| Surname | First Name | Age | Occupation | Residence | Notes | GRO/SR/GRONI/GROIE Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FURY | Larkin | 27 | Railway fireman | 1878/Dec Brecknock 11b 82 | ||
| PASK | Thomas | 18 | Railway fireman | 1878/Dec Brecknock 11b 82 | ||
| THOMAS | Joseph | 35 | Railway driver | 1878/Dec Brecknock 11b 82 | ||
| WILLIAMS | Thomas | 32 | Railway driver | 1878/Dec Brecknock 11b 82 |