Railway accident at Jerxheim

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Artist's impression of the misfortune on a metal tray (38 × 49 cm). The work is attributed to the Stobwasserschen Manufactory for lacquerware in Braunschweig and is now in the municipal museum of Halberstadt.

In the railway accident at Jerxheim on September 9, 1844, a passenger train derailed between the Jerxheim and Neuwegersleben stations on the Wolfenbüttel – Oschersleben line . Some passengers were injured. The exact location of the accident is unknown.

the accident

A train of the Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahngesellschaft was en route from Magdeburg - probably to Braunschweig . The steam locomotive derailed, as did the two cars immediately following, a baggage car and a rail mail car , which were destroyed. Two of the following passenger cars were damaged. A switchman or track attendant is said to have failed to tighten a rail sufficiently that the train derailed. He fled.

Artist's impression

Explanation of the representation on the tablet

In the municipal museum in Halberstadt there is a tinny tray on the front of which the process was recorded in oil painting. The picture shows a train whose locomotive and front wagons have derailed and are partly lying next to the track, while excited passengers stand or sit in the meadows next to the tracks or on the embankment and the switchman takes flight. There is an explanatory text on the back of the tray: Car builder Gille from Braunschweig, who, like city director Wilhelm Bode , was on the crashed train, later gave Bode the "presentation plate" with the depiction of the accident as a souvenir. According to the explanation, Bode and Gille can be seen “standing on the embankment”, “the former in a top hat, the latter” in a green skirt. City director Bode is said to have been on the way to his son-in-law Wilhelm Rimpau in Schlanstedt . Rimpau was married to Bode's daughter Sophie (1820-1892).

The name of the locomotive Hercynia can be clearly seen in the picture. A locomotive with this name was actually in use on the route in question. For the year 1845 there are detailed statistics on their use and consumption of coke and oil. This year the 17-ton machine covered a total of 4,723 miles with passenger trains on the route between Halberstadt and Oschersleben. In 1844 Hercynia had driven nearly 3,000 miles.

The Halberstadt History Association made the tray acquired by descendants of the Rimpau family available to the museum as a permanent loan.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Information from the Halberstadt Municipal Museum (May 2015).
  2. ↑ NN: message . In: Ansbacher Tagblatt für Stadt und Land. No. 95, September 18, 1844, p. 377 f.
  3. ^ General newspaper Munich. No. 261, September 17, 1844, p. 2087.
  4. ↑ See: Richard Bettgenhaeuser: The industries of the Duchy of Braunschweig. I. Part. Braunschweig 1899, pp. 162–167 ( digitized version )
  5. ↑ The tray is on display in the City Museum in Halberstadt; The text on the back of the tray can also be read on an attached board.
  6. ↑ This route was considered to be significantly cheaper than z. B. the route Braunschweig- Harzburg , which has only been continuously accessible by rail since 1843. At that time, the line from Vienenburg was provided with a stronger superstructure; In addition, Stephenson's locomotives with coupled wheels had been bought, which were also suitable for the last steep stretch. In 1845, the Stephenson Hercynia machine was the one with the highest mileage and the lowest average consumption among the twelve machines of the Braunschweigische Eisenbahn existing at that time. See Braunschweigische Eisenbahn. In: Eisenbahn-Zeitung. 25, 4th year, Stuttgart, June 21, 1846, pp. 205–207 ( digitized version )
  7. ^ Friedrich Wilhelm Otto Ludwig speeches (Freiherr von): The railways of Germany. First division. Second part. First delivery. First supplement. ES Mittler, 1846, p. 117-126 .
  8. ↑ History Association acquires picture tray for the Municipal Museum at www.halberstadt.de