On this day, October 22, 1895, the Granville-Paris Express overran the buffer stop at its Gare Montparnasse terminus.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Fri Aug 23, 2024, 04:43 PM - Edit history (1)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_22

• 1895 – In Paris an express train derails after overrunning the buffer stop, crossing almost 30 metres (100 ft) of concourse before crashing through a wall and falling 10 metres (33 ft) to the road below.

Montparnasse derailment


The wreckage, photographed by Studio Lévy

The Montparnasse derailment occurred at 16:00 on 22 October 1895 when the Granville–Paris Express overran the buffer stop at its Gare Montparnasse terminus. With the train several minutes late and the driver trying to make up for lost time, it approached the station too fast and the driver's application of the train air brake was ineffective. After running through the buffer stop, the train crossed the station concourse and crashed through the station wall; the locomotive fell onto the Place de Rennes below, where it stood on its nose. Although the passengers survived, a woman in the street below was killed by falling masonry.

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Legacy


Reconstruction at Mundo a Vapor theme park in Brazil


The derailment featured in Mr. Big album cover

The wreckage remained outside the station for several days and a number of photographs were taken, such as those attributed to Studio Lévy and Sons, L. Mercier, and Henri Roger-Viollet.

The Lévy and Sons photograph has become one of the most famous in transportation history. The photograph, which is now in the public domain, is used as the cover page in the book An Introduction to Error Analysis by John Taylor. The photograph is featured on the album covers for Lean Into It by American rock band Mr. Big and Scrabbling at the Lock by Dutch rock band The Ex with Tom Cora, both first released in 1991, and the 2019 album Warranty Void If Removed by French recording artist Dial-up Jeremy.

A train crash with a similar chain of events occurs in the 1998 (season 5) episode of Thomas and Friends called "A Better View for Gordon". The incident also features during a dream in the 2007 novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret and its 2011 film adaptation, Hugo. It is depicted in the comic book series The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec, in the 1978 fourth album Momies en folie.

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Sun Oct 22, 2023: On this day, October 22, 1895, the Granville-Paris Express overran the buffer stop at its Gare Montparnasse terminus.

Sat Oct 22, 2022: On this day, October 22, 1895, the Montparnasse derailment happened.

[2naSalit]

1. Thank you!

I've often wondered at the story of that picture.

[Mr.Bill]

2. Thanks for posting that.

I've seen that picture many times on the internet and always wondered what the story was behind it.