The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874

Heroes, Victims, Survivors

The story of ‘the most serious collision between trains … in this country’ that took place in Norwich in 1874.

The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874
Heroes, Victims, Survivors
Paperback

£14.99

Only 4 left in stock

Description

The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster of 1874 is the third title from Norwich writer and biographer Phyllida Scrivens, who lives less than half a mile from the site of the fatal collision.

At Norwich Station on 10 September 1874, a momentary misunderstanding between the Night Inspector and young Telegraph Clerk resulted in an inevitable head-on collision. The residents of the picturesque riverside village of Thorpe-Next-Norwich were shocked by a ‘deafening peal of thunder’, sending them running through the driving rain towards a scene of destruction. Surgeons were summoned from the city, as the dead, dying and injured were taken to a near-by inn and boatyard. Every class of Victorian society was travelling that night, including ex-soldiers, landowners, clergymen, doctors, seamstresses, saddlers, domestic servants and a beautiful heiress.

For many months local and national newspapers followed the story, publishing details of subsequent deaths, manslaughter trial and outcomes of record-breaking compensation claims. The Board of Trade Inquiry concluded that it was ‘the most serious collision between trains meeting one another on a single line of rails […] that has yet been experienced in this country.’

Using extensive research, non-fiction narrative, informed speculation and dramatised events, Phyllida Scrivens pays tribute to the 28 men, women and children who died, revealing the personal stories behind the names, hitherto only recorded as a list.

With a foreword by Pete Goodrum. Shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Award 2022

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Titles

Right Away The Railways of East Anglia
Right Away: The Railways of East Anglia
£9.95
Sale!
Under The Griffin's Wing
Under The Griffin's Wing: A Norwich Life (Fred Cobb)
Original price was: £14.00.Current price is: £9.99.
Glory Days: Steam in East Anglia
£15.99

You might also like ...

Hidden Riverside Norwich
Steve Silk

Original price was: £16.99.Current price is: £9.99.

Norfolk Murders
Neil R. Storey

£14.99

By the same author

We have no other books listed by this author.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.  Find out more.