Operation Smash Hit 17th July 1984
Well for me I had just turned 14 , busy with growing up, school (yuk)love :p and trains. Out of all the major events that happened in that year one always spring to mind in me wishing I was there to see it happen. What I am talking about is the CEGB's (Central Electricity generating Board) publicity stunt , at the time I couldn't wait to see it happen, in taking a locomotive and a 4 coach train and running it at about 100 mph along a stretch of test track at Old Dalby and smashing it into a derailed Nuclear Flask on flat wagon on its side at the end of the track.
A Flask that had been previously used in another experiment was re-used. The flask was filled with 1 ton of water and 200 steel rods to simulate Uranium Fuel Rods. It had been pressurised to 100lbs per square inch. The Train hit the flask at the time an estimated 100+ mph in reality it hit it at about 90 mph. What resulted is the following pictures that are horrific and terrifying to this day. Imagine if it was a real crash! Also dotted about in the 4 Mk1 coaches were various dummies in positions to see what would happen to them in a rail crash.
These pictures were not taken by me. These were taken by Dave Campbell and are copyright by him. Inter-mixed with the pictures will be Daves email to me describing his day.
This is a copy of Dave's email that he sent me accompanying the photos.I wasn't invited. I changed my day off from work and went with a friend. There were a lot of invited spectators and we stood behind a barrier overlooking the site. This is where I took the pictures of the crash itself, with a Canon SLR on a tall tripod, big zoom lens and motor drive.....
The wagon on its side with the flask attached. You can clearly see the chains coming from the top of the flask to the ground.
46009 Slams into the flask at 90 mph Cab # 2 first causing the first Mk1 Coach to push into Cab #1's nose.
With the diesel tank ruptured flame spills from underneath 46009, as the first MK1 coach starts to telescope above the #1 end cab. At this point the flask is being rolled underneath the loco.
As the loco continues to ride over the top of the derailed flask and wagon a huge cloud of dust, dirt and smoke envelops the crash. The nose and #2 cab of 46009 has been completely destroyed in the resulting impact with the flask and wagon.
The loco and first coach start to be turned on their sides as more flame and debris is shot from the dying locomotive.
Dave (cont....) After the crash most spectators dispersed, but my friend and I went down for a closer look, we found a gap in the fence, and invited ourselves in! Once inside, nobody challenged us and I took my close-up photos. I somehow think security would be tighter now - happy days!
Cheers
Dave
After the dust has settled you can see the locomotive on its side with no bogie's. From the looks of the bogey's were destroyed.
A look at the back of the loco now shows how devastating the crash was. The front vestibule of the Mk1 coach has been destroyed. Also note how the #1 end nose has been bent upwards.a quartet of orange jacketed engineers view where the trailing bogey used to be.
In the foreground a smashed bogey lies whilst looking at the front of the loco you actually see how violent the crash was as where the little handles are on the side to the right of those is...... err sorry was the cab!!!!!
Looking from the front of the loco at the top again nothing much left of the front. You can clearly see the damage to the Mk1 coach in the back ground as well.
An overall view of the crash site. with the most interest being shown to the flask. The flask received little damage in the crash and just .26 of 1lb of pressure was lost during the crash. The CEGB claimed it a huge success and that travel by rail of nuclear material was safe.
The flask carrying wagon comes to rests on top of the Mk1 coaches, after being hit and then rolled over by the locomotive, Whilst the flask lies to the left.
All Pictures unless otherwise stated on this web site have been photographed and are Copyright of Anthony Henley
and may not be used without prior permission from me.