Daily Herald – Friday 25 April 1930
Telephones Cut
An accident took place near Conisborough station at 12.20 yesterday morning.
A mineral train became derailed while travelling from Wath yard to Hexthorpe, Doncaster. The accident was apparently caused by a projection from one of the trucks catching a check rail.
Several trucks were smashed, telegraph pole was brought down, and all telephonic communication with Conisborough Station was cut off.
A message was got through to Doncaster from telephone kiosk near the scene, and the mail train due to leave Doncaster from Sheffield on this line at 12.30 was diverted via Retford.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Friday 25 April 1930
Train Diverted In Time.
Lines Blocked by Derailed Coal Trucks.
If a mail express train to Sheffield had not been warned just in time early yesterday—in spite of broken telegraph wires—it might have met with disaster near Conisborough tunnel, where the L.N.E.R. lines were blocked by a derailed coal train.
Traffic between Doncaster and Sheffield was seriously disorganised for several hours. A coal train, travelling from the direction of Wath Doncaster, became derailed. One of the wagons jumped the metals, and caused general upset of the vehicles, both lines being completely blocked. One of the wagons knocked down a telegraph post, and cut off telegraphic communication, but fortunately another signal-box was near, and the news of the accident was passed on to Doncaster, just in time to prevent the express to Sheffield entering the line to Conisborough.
This was diverted via Retford. There was extensive damage to the wagons, and the permanent way was strewn with shattered woodwork, coal, and other debris. There was also extensive damage to the permanent way. Breakdown gangs were quickly at work, and the debris was cleared to enable ordinary working to be resumed at 9.40 a.m. By about 5 a.m. the lines had been sufficiently cleared to allow’ single line working be resorted to, and this permitted the passage passenger trains.