Major Disruption on the Railway During Hot Day in 1900

Published on: 1 Jun, 2025
Updated on: 3 Jun, 2025

By Mark Coxhead with David Rose

On July 16, 1900, a derailed engine caused a significant disruption on the London & South Western Railway’s mainline at Woking.

The engine, pulling empty coaches, derailed halting traffic and causing severe delays. It took about four and a half hours to clear the line.

A London & South Western Railway (LSWR) loco with a train from London Waterloo pulls into Woking railway station in the 1900s.

The Woking News & Mail published a detailed report of the incident, which appears have been one of abject misery for passengers that day.

The report, unfortunately without any images of the derailment, stated the disruption was due to “the engine, pulling empty coaches from the east end of the yard towards the station, missed the points leading to the loop line for platform one, resulting in its derailment”.

An LSWR loco at Woking station with the Broadway in the background.

It continued: “The exact cause of the accident remained unclear, though some officials speculated that the intense heat may have contracted the metals, causing the points to malfunction. Once the issue was identified, traffic on both the up and down main lines were halted, necessitating the use of the up local line for all operations, which led to considerable delays.

“A team of workmen promptly arrived on the scene and began efforts to re-rail the engine. However, moving a 40- to 50-tonne engine, especially one recently filled with 2,000 gallons of water, proved challenging. Despite their hard work under the scorching sun, it took approximately four and a half hours to rectify the situation, with the line finally cleared by 3.30pm.

“Fortunately, the incident occurred after the morning rush, between 11am and 12.30pm, when fewer trains were running. Nonetheless, operating all traffic on a single line at such a busy junction inevitably caused significant delays. Trains were 15 to 20 minutes late between 11am and 1pm, and experienced delays ranging from half an hour to an hour and a half between 1pm and 6pm.”

Woking railway station viewed from the Broadway in the 1900s.

The report continued: “At Byfleet, all the down trains were redirected onto the up local line. When they slowly arrived at Woking station alongside the up platform, they had to be shunted back to their original platforms, which took some time.

“The operation of numerous up and down trains on a single line required particular co-ordination. Thanks to the efficient arrangements made by the station master, Mr U Sanson, this was accomplished without any hitches or accidents.”

The report noted the situation was further complicated by a special train carrying the Prince of Wales back to London from Christchurch, where he had spent the weekend at Highcliffe Castle, the residence of Mr and Mrs Cavendish Bentinck.

This train was scheduled to pass through Woking shortly after noon. However, no delays were caused to the Royal Train.

Woking railway station with the High Street away to the left in the 1900s.

Further on in the report: “During the busy part of the afternoon, as many as four or five long trains were stationary on one line near Byfleet, waiting for the up trains to pass and clear the way.”

The detail in the report is both interesting and in some cases amusing: “It took an unprecedented one hour to travel from Weybridge to Woking, a distance that could be cycled twice in that time.

“When the delays occurred, passengers were informed they would have to wait for some time. Those unaware of the situation might have guessed something unusual had happened, as guards were seen either congregating for a chat or wandering into the adjoining fields to pick flowers.

“Engine drivers were noted to go into the gardens of nearby cottages to ask for roses.”

Mention was also made of the hot weather: “Passengers made the best of the situation despite the stifling heat inside the railway carriages on that sultry July day.

“Many doors were thrown open, and while some passengers got out to walk, others clung to the handles outside the carriages and moved along the footboard in pursuit of a breath of fresh air.

“During this time, a young lady dressed in white gracefully moved from one handle to another. Meanwhile, a lively youth in adjacent carriages found amusement in taking photographs (“kodaking”) of her.

“Eventually, the trains resumed their journey at a slow pace, embodying the adage, ‘everything comes to those who wait.’

An LSWR T3 locomotive at Woking railway station with a train from London Waterloo station.

The report concluded: “The passengers, though significantly delayed, finally arrived at Woking station. By evening, the trains operated more efficiently. This experience underscored the hope that such instances, likely caused by the derailing of engines on main lines, remain rare.”

The narrative relates to when the railway line was primarily only two operational tracks into London.

As part of a broader effort to improve the capacity and efficiency of the line it was doubled to four tracks in 1904.

One contradiction in this account from the Woking News & Mail, my understanding from school was that metal always expanded in heat, whereas the rails contracting in the intense heat is given as a possible cause for the derailment.

There’s more about Woking and the railway at an exhibition now on at The Lightbox in Woking.

Tracks Through Time: Woking and the Railway, runs until November 2, 2025.

Click here for website.

Responses to Major Disruption on the Railway During Hot Day in 1900

Stephen Spark Reply

June 4, 2025 at 3:57 pm

Congratulations on unearthing this fascinating insight into an early example of the sort of “disruption” that we have become so used to in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Expansion and buckling of rails in heat seems to have become more prevalent in recent years, probably because of the replacement of jointed track in 40ft lengths with continuous welded rail.

I don’t think SWR (or whatever it’s become now) would be too impressed by guards wandering off to pick flowers and passengers swinging along the outside of the carriages! I wonder if any of the those photos of the adventurous young lady in white have survived?
Mark Coxhead Reply

June 7, 2025 at 11:15 pm

In response to Stephen Spark, the inspiration behind my research and writing of this article came from a similar experience I had about a year ago involving unexpected train delays.

I was travelling on a fast train from Clapham to Woking, expecting a smooth journey. However, shortly after departing Clapham, the train noticeably slowed, and before long, it made an unscheduled stop at Earlsfield. What was initially a minor delay soon stretched into a lengthy ninety-minute wait.

Given the unusually warm weather that day, the train guard made the sensible decision to open the doors, allowing passengers to step onto the platform and stretch their legs rather than remain confined in the stifling carriages.

Unlike some delay situations where communication is sparse, this particular guard remained attentive throughout, actively monitoring passengers as they moved around on the platform. His presence helped maintain order and reassured travellers during the extended wait.

The official reason given for the delay was trespassers on the railway tracks—a frustrating but not uncommon disruption. Although the delay was inconvenient, the responsiveness of the railway staff made a significant difference in how the situation was managed, ensuring passengers remained informed and as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.