LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Polesworth Station: lnwr_pol1210

Ex-LMS 4-6-2 Coronation Scot class No 46252 'City of Leicester' is seen lying on its side buried in to the embankment on 19th November 1951. The Ministry of Transport accident report held on file by The Railway Archives describes the accident as thus "The train concerned was the 10 30 pm - (therefore having left Glasgow on evening of 18th November) - Up express passenger from Glasgow to Euston and it comprised twelve bogie coaches. Owing to the failure of a signal at another box the train had to be diverted from the Fast line to the Slow line at Polesworth. The driver did not see the Distant signal which was at Caution, and he did not apply the brakes until he saw the Home signals at Danger close ahead. The train passed through the crossover between the Fast and the Slow lines at about 55 mph, a speed considerably in excess of that authorised, and the engine and eight leading coaches became derailed. The engine struck the passenger platform on the Slow line which probably prevented it from turning over immediately and maintained the coaches generally in line. There were 174 passengers in the train, of whom only two were slightly injured.

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