Welcome to the 'Railway Work, Life & Death' project, on British & Irish railway staff accidents pre-1939. Tweets by Mike Esbester. @RWLDproject.bsky.social
Welcome to the 'Railway Work, Life & Death' project account!
Check our expanding database of British & Irish railway worker accidents, covering 1855-1939 - all free!
Currently over 117,000 cases, with more to come.
railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk
ALT Posed 1930s accident prevention photo, showing a worker standing between tracks, about to be hit by a steam train approaching unseen from behind.
ALT Posed 1920s safety photo, showing a driver near the front of a steam loco as it was moving, warning of the dangers of leaving the cab whilst the engine was travelling.
ALT Posed 1920s safety photo showing a worker having stumbled and fallen in front of a train, as he tried to cross the line.
ALT Infographic showing the number of workers killed and injured on Britain and Ireland's railways and whose accidents were investigated, between 1911 and 1915. This was the first run of data we produced, of around 4000 cases, now hugely expanded.
Another meeting with a heritage railway today, to discuss potential collaboration - fingers crossed!
We're looking to bring Railway Work, Life & Death project content to their line & enhance their visitor, volunteer, staff & community experience!
#RailwayHistory
ALT Photographic postcard, showing a group of 15 railwaywomen arranged around 2 railwaymen in the centre. In the front row two women sit either side of the men; behind them 11 women stand. All are in uniform; the women are carriage cleaners, and have 'SW & SCR' stitched in. Several of the women smile; at least 2 have what appear to be National Union of Railwaymen lapel badges; most are young, several are somewhat older. They are arranged in front of a brick-built goods shed, with two sliding wooden doors closed.
Some interesting Railway Work, Life & Death project things happening today!
Having a follow up conversation with another #Heritage railway about potential collaboration, plus a discussion about getting some interpretation into one of #Portsmouth's railway stations!
@HRA_UK
Huge CONGRATULATIONS to all @UoP_History final year students receiving their dissertations back today!
There was some excellent work - as ever, the range and breadth of our students' interests & ambition is fantastic.
It all bodes well for graduation & their next steps!
ALT Congratulations Graduation GIF by Wegmans Food Markets
Dear the BBC Politics.
I think I can safely speak for approx 89.43% of the UK population when I tell you that Zia Yusuf is not wanted on our TV screens. Again.
He's an unelected party donor using up a seat that could be offered to a credible alternative.
Joining #BBCLauraK
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy MP
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Claire Coutinho MP
Reform UK's Home Affairs Spokesperson Zia Yusuf
Sunday 9am @BBCOne@BBCiPlayer
This is really stupid, and it’s not getting enough attention.
The Trump administration is pulling a working $368 million ocean monitoring system out of the water, equipment taxpayers already bought, built, and sank into the deep ocean.
And they are doing it right when the oceans are behaving in ways that alarm the scientists who study them.
Record-breaking temperatures.
A system of Atlantic currents that may be lurching toward collapse.
The response?
Yank out the instruments and walk away.
That is not budgeting. That is smashing the gauges while the engine is on fire and calling it efficiency.
For what? The Trump administration dressed it up as a “nimbler approach” and “smart lifecycle management,” which is fancy nonsense for “we shut it off and hoped nobody would ask why.” There is no return-on-investment analysis. They cannot show taxpayers save a dime, because the gear is already paid for and the science it produces protects real money and real lives.
The kicker: the same people killing the monitors want to mine the deep sea for minerals. So they are destroying the only tools that could measure what that mining does. That is not an accident.
That is the point. You cannot see the damage if you break the instruments first.
cnn.com/2026/06/03/climate/o…
Our next free guided walk on the site of the old Hafod Morfa Copperworks is on Saturday 13th June at 11 a.m. We meet opposite the Landore Park & Ride building next to the grey portacabin. The walk lasts about 2 hours, and there is more talking than walking. No need to book.
ALT Photographic postcard, showing a group of 15 railwaywomen arranged around 2 railwaymen in the centre. In the front row two women sit either side of the men; behind them 11 women stand. All are in uniform; the women are carriage cleaners, and have 'SW & SCR' stitched in. Several of the women smile; at least 2 have what appear to be National Union of Railwaymen lapel badges; most are young, several are somewhat older. They are arranged in front of a brick-built goods shed, with two sliding wooden doors closed.
ONE YEAR AGO!
We updated the Railway Work, Life & Death project dataset with another 69,000 records.
We'd love to know what you've found in our project database & what use you've made of it - please let us know!
More on the data release here:
railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/…
ALT Photographic postcard, showing a group of 15 railwaywomen arranged around 2 railwaymen in the centre. In the front row two women sit either side of the men; behind them 11 women stand. All are in uniform; the women are carriage cleaners, and have 'SW & SCR' stitched in. Several of the women smile; at least 2 have what appear to be National Union of Railwaymen lapel badges; most are young, several are somewhat older. They are arranged in front of a brick-built goods shed, with two sliding wooden doors closed.
A fragment of North British Railway timetabling of Lothian & Borders branchlines in binding waste from Anderson's "Scottish Nation" of 1863. The reference to Lasswade "via" reflects that a station didn't open at Lasswade until 1868; Joppa station, opened in 1859, is new here.
ONE YEAR AGO!
We updated the Railway Work, Life & Death project dataset with another 69,000 records.
We'd love to know what you've found in our project database & what use you've made of it - please let us know!
More on the data release here:
railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/…
We launched the new Railway Work, Life & Death project dataset at @UkNatArchives - an appropriate venue, given it's home to the physical copies of the records.
We also wrote this piece for @ConversationUK about the data release, this time last year:
theconversation.com/how-reme…
This week I came across the obituary of a photographer named David Plowden. I was unfamiliar with his work, but decided to browse his website after reading that he specialized in photos of trains and industry.
I’m not much of an art guy, but these photos are astonishing. (1/4)
We are thrilled to announce the Call for Presenters for a hybrid event in collaboration with @britishlibrary! This will be taking place on 27th November 2026, with presentations happening both in-person and online.
Deadline to submit your ideas is: 31st July 2026! #DisHist
ALT Poster for the Call for Presenters for "Collections Uncovered: Disability at the British Library." All text is black typed on cream, yellow and light blue backgrounds (descending down the page in that order). The text reads:
Collections Uncovered: Disability at the British Library
27th November 2026, 10am-4:30pm, hybrid
Call for Presenters
Join the UK Disability History and Heritage Hub to explore disability stories in the collections of the British Library. The day will begin with academic, artistic, or community presentations on all things disability
history. Presentations will be online and in-person.
The afternoon will be a hands-on, in-person workshop with
selected material from the British Library collections.
Topic ideas:
. cataloguing disability
. activist publications
. access
. disability histories in the British Library collections
Presentations may be 5 or 15 minutes.
These can be standard papers or something more
creative, like an interview or performance!