1892 Thirsk rail crash

The 1892 Thirsk rail crash happened at Manor House signal box on 2 November 1892, on the North Eastern Railway about 3 miles north of Thirsk railway station in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England.

James Holmes was the signalman at Manor House signal box. The day before the crash, his infant daughter Rose was taken ill and later died. Holmes had been awake for over 36 hours and was extremely distressed, having ministered to the child, walked miles to try and find the local doctor and comforted his distraught wife. He reported to the stationmaster at Otterington, Thomas Kirby, that he would be unable to work the shift on the next night, but Kirby merely asked his superiors for a relief signalman, without stating that the reason was that Holmes had reported himself unfit to work. The Assistant District Signals Inspector at York, already harassed by other emergencies, replied that there was no relief signalman available, and his superior later concurred.

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