| [otd] 10th November 1840 - Boiler explosion, Bromsgrove Posted by grahame at 10:07, 9th November 2026 |     |
From Wikipedia
10th November 1840 – The Bromsgrove Boiler Explosion: One of the earliest recorded fatal locomotive accidents in Britain occurred on the Lickey Incline. The boiler of an experimental steam locomotive named Surprise (often associated with Dr. William Church) exploded at Bromsgrove station in Worcestershire, killing two railway employees. A famous headstone at St John the Baptist Church in Bromsgrove commemorates the engineers
We often read / hear of steam engine boilers being "in ticket until ..." or "out of ticket" but I have drawn pretty close to a blank on researching the history of when these became mandatory. Further links and quotes would be helpful!
The history of steam engine boiler certificates and safety inspections evolved from early 19th-century industrial disasters into a structured system of periodic testing and insurance
| Re: [otd] 10th November 1840 - Boiler explosion, Bromsgrove Posted by stuving at 14:08, 9th November 2026 | |
I found this in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Wednesday, 12 June 1895
FEDERATION ENGINEMEN.
A three days' conference of the National Federation of Enginemen's Protective Association of Great Britain was opened Glasgow yesterday under the presidency of Mr, Thomas Weighell, of Bedlingham, Northumberland. The Secretary reported that the membership was 9,123, increase 1,500. The proceedings on the Engines and Boilers Certificate Bill were detailed. The action Mr. H. Wilson, M.P., in blocking the measure was criticised. The report was adopted the motion Mr. Nicholson, Durham, seconded by Mr. John Green, Yorkshire Federation. The Chairman afterwards delivered an address. A resolution was adopted that the Executive the Federation should introduce a bill providing for the compulsory examination of steam boilers.
A three days' conference of the National Federation of Enginemen's Protective Association of Great Britain was opened Glasgow yesterday under the presidency of Mr, Thomas Weighell, of Bedlingham, Northumberland. The Secretary reported that the membership was 9,123, increase 1,500. The proceedings on the Engines and Boilers Certificate Bill were detailed. The action Mr. H. Wilson, M.P., in blocking the measure was criticised. The report was adopted the motion Mr. Nicholson, Durham, seconded by Mr. John Green, Yorkshire Federation. The Chairman afterwards delivered an address. A resolution was adopted that the Executive the Federation should introduce a bill providing for the compulsory examination of steam boilers.
That bill was lost. There were also attempts to legislate for certificates for supervising engineers, as had been done for marine engineers in 1862. (The Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act of 1862 introduced Board of Trade examinations.) That was to apply to mine winding engines as well as boilers.
The bill sponsored by the Enginemen's Federation became the "Steam Engines and Boilers (Persons in Charge) Bill". This was discussed in Parliament in 1901, but I can't find any act of that name.
So, it must be after that ...
| Re: [otd] 10th November 1840 - Boiler explosion, Bromsgrove Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:38, 9th November 2026 | |
I found this in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Wednesday, 12 June 1895
... as you happen to do, when you have just a few minutes to spare, browsing the internet.
You must have even more time to do so than me, even in my retirement, stuving. Thank you for your post.
CfN.
