Railway accident in Warthausen
In the railway accident in Warthausen on the morning of January 6, 1944, two passenger trains collided in the station in Warthausen . Twelve people died.
Starting position
In the southern area of the Warthausen station, the track of the narrow-gauge railway Biberach an der Riss – Ochsenhausen crossed the normal-gauge railway line Ulm – Friedrichshafen at the same level . Two safety points and a cover signal each secured the narrow-gauge railway. Safety on the main line was ensured by the southern entry and exit signals of the station. The signal systems for both railways were interdependent, so that only one route could be released at a time. Points and signals at the intersection were controlled by a guard signal box in their vicinity.
GMP 313, a mixed train from Ochsenhausen to Biberach an der Riss , was supported by a steam engine of the series 99.65 drawn. He reached the Warthausen train station on schedule at 6:46 a.m. The passenger cars were of an older design, the structure of which was still made entirely of wood. At the same time, the P 1521 passenger train from Friedrichshafen to Ulm approached the station from the south , slightly late. It was pulled by a class 18.1 steam locomotive .
As planned, the P 1521 should have entered the intersection in front of the GmP 313. As it was, however, the dispatcher granted the GmP 313, which was ready to leave, to drive through the intersection first. The route was set accordingly, so that the narrow-gauge railway's cover signal showed "Fahrt" (Hp 1). The signal on the main line for the P 1521 automatically showed "Halt" (Hp 0).
On this January morning there was thick fog and visibility was poor.
the accident
The engine driver of the P 1521 did not recognize the signal showing "Halt" and drove past it. The narrow-gauge train was just passing the intersection when the locomotive of the main line ran into its flank and smashed some of the wagons with wooden superstructures. Four cars were destroyed and two more damaged.
consequences
Twelve people died and an unknown number were injured, some seriously. All victims came from the wrecked cars. The class 18.1 locomotive that collided was damaged and its train was completely undamaged.
The outcome of the investigation into how the accident happened is unknown. A message blackout was placed on the accident.
Worth knowing
The level crossing of the two lines remained in operation until passenger traffic on the narrow-gauge railway was discontinued in 1964.
literature
- Kurt Seidel: Narrow gauge in Baden-Württemberg . Einhorn Verlag, Schwäbisch Gmünd 1977, ISBN 3-921703-19-0 , S 113, 274-275
- Ingrid Stubenrauch: The Öchsle. History of the narrow-gauge railway Biberach – Ochsenhausen . Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag 1983.
Web links
- Hans-Joachim Knupfer: Victims of war at home. Schwäbische Zeitung (Biberach): January 5, 2019.