Description
Early in August 1942, two rail trucks became detached from an ammunition train at Lydda, Palestine and ran back along the gradient towards Gaza. Passing over the level crossing at Rehovot, the trucks were estimated to be travelling at 60 miles per hour. An ambulance train was travelling up the line towards the run away trucks. To avoid a head-on smash, railway officials switched the runaways to the Yibna dead line and cleared the area. The trucks piled up on the buffers at the end of the line, the ammunition exploded and burnt for four days. The picture shows railway workers clearing the wreckage after the incendiaries had burnt themselves out. The breakdown crane is a Ransomes and Rapier, Ipswich, 36-ton capacity, 8 wheeled with two number four wheel relieving bogies, one of two ordered by the British Government Ministry of Supply for the War Department in 1940. It was known as Palestine Railway no. 10.
Details
Classification
Photograph
Physical Description
Colour: Black & white
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain
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