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The Grantham rail accident occurred on 19 September 1906. An evening sleeping-car and mail train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley hauled by Ivatt 'Atlantic' No 276 derailed, killing 14. The accident occurred in mysterious circumstances; the train ran right through Grantham station, where it was scheduled to stop, and derailed on a sharp curve at the end of the platform; no definite cause was ever established. Rolt (1956) described it as "the railway equivalent of the Marie Celeste".

Many possible explanations were put forward, such as the driver going mad, being drunk, taken ill or having a fight with the fireman. However, the clear evidence of the signalman at Grantham was that he had seen both men standing looking forward through the cab front windows, apparently calmly. The platform staff were sure that the brakes on the train were not applied. One possibility is that the driver had a seizure or "micro-sleep" and the inexperienced fireman did not realise until too late. Another, proposed by the Railway Magazine (2006) is a brake failure due to incorrect procedures when the engine was changed at the previous stop, Peterborough. The fireman was a "Premium Apprentice" i.e. a trainee and might not have realised the importance of ensuring the train brakes were working when reconnected.

This was the second of three high-speed night derailments inside a year, the others being at Salisbury (1906) and Shrewsbury (1907). Although the results were the same, the causes appear to be different.

See also

• List of rail accidents (pre-1950)
• List of British rail accidents

References

• Rolt, L.T.C. (1956 (and later editions)). Red for Danger. Bodley Head / David and Charles / Pan Books.  
• Hamilton, J.A.B. (1967). British Railway Accidents of the 20th Century (reprinted as Disaster down the Line). George Allen and Unwin / Javelin Books.  
• Nock, O.S. (1980). Historic Railway Disasters (2nd ed. ed.). Ian Allan.  
• The Railway Magazine, September and October 2006 issues (main article and discussion).
• Railways Archive account