The Montparnasse Train Wreck 

“Well, Gordon, I know you wanted a Paneramic view, but this is not the way to achieve it”

Considering what happened, the fact there was only *ONE* death is nothing short of miraculous.

This was recreated quite well for the movie 'Hugo' too. A very underrated movie.

I had a copy of this photograph on my office wall for years (I'm an engineer). The title of the photo was delightfully simple: "un train dans la rue'.

To think that the train was on the loose its last 98 feet is crazy.

A well-known image, but I had never heard the story behind the incident. Thank you very much for an excellent piece of research, superbly illustrated.

It's amazing that the locomotive boiler didn't explode. Very informative video.

I saw the picture for the first time some 20 years ago. Which made me curious and so I found the story behind it. I feel so sorry for the husband of Marie-Augistine. He ran a news stand and stood at that spot every morning, making a living for the family by selling news papers. This one morning he found he had too few coins, so he had his wife guard "the shop" while he ran a quick errand to change a few bills to coins. When he came back, this is what he saw... And that, I am sure, haunted him for the rest of his life.

I don't think the crew was as responsible as the court found. I don't know about French railroading practices but elsewhere at the time the crew could be docked wages or fired for running trains late, and of course ten minutes is a big deal in train time. There was likely an implicit coercion to do anything to make up the time. A little sacrifice of safety to be able to buy dinner. Good job covering this incident. It's nice to watch something that isn't about ocean liners now and then lol. :)

This is a great moment to make the quote "better late than never" because it might cost you your life

"Well, Gordon, I know you wanted a panoramic view, but this is not the way to achieve it!"

Alex, again you amaze. Disneyland, Ocean Liners "Queen Mary," Cable Cars, Tea Time, Avaiation, Plus More and now the "Montparnasse Train Wreck." Very few people have heard of this, good job. Your subject is varied and that make for a great channel. Thanks for your time, effort and HARD work......

Thanks for doing a video on this wreck. For how famous the accident is there isn’t much discourse about it.

Just Excellent!!! There was a similar crash at the train station in Washington, DC in January 1953, a couple days before the Inauguration of President Eisenhower. Do a piece on that. The engine hauling the train full of inaugural guests went through the buffers, then literally fell through the floor. A new temporary floor was hastily built for use during the festivities. Then, after Eisenhower was sworn in, the engine was salvaged. The engine was a GG1; a large engine!

I spent hours and hours on the same line(Granville-Paris/Paris-Granville), and it's just amazing to know that even 127 years ago this train was already late..!

Full story, On October 22nd 1895, The Granville Paris Express was departing at 8:10 (10 minutes behind schedule). After 8 hours of travelling, at 15:52, the engine was approaching Montarpnese station. Since they were behind schedule, they were speeding at a phenomenal speed of 97 mph to get there on time. As they were travelling for 8 hours. The driver and fireman were very tired. They were too tired to apply the brakes on time and at 4:00pm or 16:00, diaster struck. The driver realised that they were already inside of the station so then they decided to add full power to the brakes. The fireman didn’t realise until the driver told him about what was happeneing. The fireman switched off the throttle to help them slow down, but it was too late. The brakes failed and at 16:02, the Granville-Paris-Express bashed through the barrier at the terminus, completely annihilating the floor of the station. At 16:03 the train crashed through the large window of the station, falling a whole 33 feet (or in this case 10 metres) to the ground, crushing a woman violently. The force of the impact made the coal tender (or just tender) smash into the back of the locomotive, throwing coal all over the driver and fireman. All passengers and driver and fireman had all survied, leaving just one fatality of the crash, which was the poor woman. The clip showed in this video was a part of a movie named Hugo, (His full name is Hugo Cabret), which in this case shows Hugo jumping on the tracks to get a key for his automoton that his father made before he died. Hugo soon realises a train (Which in this case is the Granville Express) charging towards him. He drops the key in an attempt to save himself, but It was all a dream and he woke up because of it Hope this helped.

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!

Well Gordon, I know you wanted a panoramic view, but this is not the way to do it.

I have seen this in photos but never knew the story behind it. Thank you!

Great Video! Thank you!

I regularly take the train from Montparnasse to Granville. Fascinating to hear this story.

Amazing and horrifying! Thanks for sharing this. I never knew the story before. Hope you're well, Alex! Xoxo

Excellent video Alex!

Little did they know that over a century later, this incident would be the inspiration for an episode of thomas the tank engine.

A similar incident happened at Harcourt Street Station in Dublin when a cattle train from Enniscorthy suffered a similar fate in 1900, five years after the Montparnasse incident

Good stuff dude loved it!

“ As Gordon approached the new station. Neither the driver or fireman could apply his brakes. Something had jammed. The driver reduced steam but Gordon was still going too fast. “

It Looks Like A Better View For Gordon, Amazing Video

Granville… how spooky, in Granville, Sydney Australia there was a rail disaster in the 70’s…

Amazing reconstruction.

"Help Me Please!" - Gordon the Big Engine from A Better View for Gordon

I remember seeing the photo of the locomotive out of the station window and wondering how on earth that locomotive ended up like that. And then, I saw 'Hugo' and I thought I got a bit of an idea if it was real. I would eventually learn all of what happened when I looked up Gare Montparnasse.

Excellent documentary.

Excellent video much appreciated, can you do a video on the CLIMAX LOGGING LOCOMOTIVE?

This event inspired the Thomas and Friends episode A Better View for Gordon where Gordon had a similar accident to the Montparnasse Train Wreck

This was so interesting thank you from New Zealand

Whenever I see this photo, and one of my friends of family ask about it, I always explain just how friggin serious train wrecks are. Cause these are engines, several tons of steel and metals. Paired with tons of coal, and hundred(s) of gallons of water. Some of the heaviest commercial machines to grace the lands, and the wrecks they get into is astonishing.

Omg this is just nuts I've seen these train crashes In movies BUT NOW IN REAL LIFE?!

Some comfort in knowing that the newspaper lady’s 2 children received some compensation from the train company - if it was now the lions share would have gone to the train companies CEO as payment for stress!

I also wondered about that photo. I didn't know the story - just the photography. For years I have had a portrait hanging on my wall of this accident. I always looked at it and wondered "is it photoshopped?",now I know the answer. Nice video and reconstruction thanks for clearing that. Im very sorry to hear about the one death caused by that accident. Im amazed no more fatalities occured as a result of this accident.

the train engine was like "hold my beer bro. watch this"

Only one woman died who was not in the train, not on the station and should not be in the newspaper stand. That's what final destination is.

Fact you alraidy know: this inspired “A better view for Gordon”

Alex the historian just to let you know you should talk about other British steam locomotives from England and throughout the UK. Because just to let you know I am fascinated with those trains, and it was the franchise of Thomas Tank Engine that got me into it. Please make sure you talk about British trains, mainly the steam locomotives and other vintage British trains for upcoming videos please ?

It is such a sad story. I knew about it and seen pictures, but I didn't know about the details. It's kind of sad the crew were given large charges and even jail since it didn't appear to be on purpose. But negligence is negligence. It's hard because we all make even terrible unintended mistakes and being in a position like that takes a lot of heavy responsibility. But the consequences of negligence can be so fatal, and we all have to learn, sometimes the easy way, sometimes the hard way.

Better view for Gordon!

The fact that this was a crash in Thomas that tank engine 😂

*Thomas and Friends flash backs*

Diesel 10: now I'll show Gordon who's best. He gave Gordon an extra hard shut *Gordon gets shunted into the station wall and busted through it* Gordon: somebody help me, Diesel 10: stripy boiler, out of my way you stinky steamie, hahahaha!

You do a good job of pronouncing the French names! ♥ Did you study the language?

Am I the only one who’s twisted enough to want to have witnessed this in real life? It must’ve looked incredible, and probably quite scary.

Even though we got photos of the crash from the outside, i would still like to have photos of the crash from the inside of the station

The driver was Victor Garnier, he was fined 50 francs which adjustments for inflation is equivalent to $1,827.54 dollars today

A Better View for Gordon in Thomas and Friends is based upon this incident

The bastards!!!! They demolished that beautiful station building in the sixties and replaced it with something of unique hideousness.

Nice

There's never a good story about Paris, even today the place is bonkers.

Reminds me of the PRR GG1 crashing through the station in DC.

WOW! What a horrible event. Thank you, Alex.

All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!

Oh wow, Alex!! I've seen the photos (and that movie clip- what movie was that from? I saw it several years ago!) but didn't know the story. O.K. there is one thing that BAFFLES me every time: What was the train doing on the second floor?? I asked someone years ago, and they said the train was actually on the ground floor, and the area it fell into was like a basement- an area dug down from the ground level. But the footage (I think from that movie- not the photos?) make it look more like it's actually on the second floor. Help- I'm stumped! 😅

That was an Oh Sh*t moment for the crew.

The fact is that they were only running 10 minutes late and the driver clearly saw he was approaching the station and he sped up the train

There’s actually a Thomas episode based off this called a better view for Gordon

This crash was re-created in thomas the tank engine. Episode name:a better view for Gordon. Congrats Gordon!

What a nightmare

Someone has been watching Hugo...

Ouch, that's gotta hurt.

Most of the scenes in this video are from the movie Hugo

I've seen a picture of the aftermath as a poster with the caption "SHIT!", I'd wondered about the crash

Words of the engineer immediately at the loss of his brakes: Mon Dieu! Merde!

The train, like large Locomotives like the Union Pacific 4014, it has 2 Piston Sets, 1 piston and 1 valve per set, unlike the Big Boy that has 4, powering a 4-8-8-4 Configuration 4 Safety Wheels 8 Driving wheels 8 Driving Wheels 4 Stearing wheels

So this is what inspired the Hugo train crash

You mean buffers? Not once have I ever heard someone refer to them as “bumpers”.

This event (most likely) actually inspired Thomas and friends

Alex the historian if you said you love the American 3 ft Narrow Gauge railroads. Just to let you know you'll be fascinated with the British Narrow Gauge railways as well, they are located in the country of Wales north of England. Please check out those Narrow Gauge railways from wales, do some research and also try to do some upcoming videos about them too. Let me tell you, you will be fascinated with those Narrow Gauge British railways as well. Because I am. From the original railway series books about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends from the island of sodor, as well as the entire Thomas the Tank Engine franchise. There is a fictional Railway called the Skarloey Railway. And of course I collected all of the Railway series books at the same time, and one of the fictional railways of the island of sodor. The Narrow Gauge Railway, the Skarloey Railway became a big focus and fascination for me. Because the characters are Narrow Gauge engines, and they run on a Narrow Gauge Railway. And they are little at the same time, they dub them the Little engines. From the Thomas franchise they also call them the Narrow Gauge engines, at the same time myself and hardcore Thomas mans call them the little Narrow Gauge engines. And I found out there is a railway from Wales that inspired the entire fictional Narrow Gauge Railway, the inspiration for the fictional Narrow Gauge Railway of the island of sodor is called the Tallylyn Railway. Just to let you know the original author and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine the Rev W Awdry, worked as a volunteer and conductor for the Tallylyn Railway. And because he remembered and was fascinated with it for years and years, he wrote some Railway series books about a fictional Narrow Gauge Railway based upon Tallylyn Railway. In which his creation is Skarloey Railway for the island of sodor. If you look up the Tallylyn Railway and try to talk about it for an upcoming video, you will find out about the original Thomas and Railway series author the Rev W Awdry. Who used to work there as a volunteer and conductor, and had wrote books for his Railway series books based on that Railway. Which is the Skarloey Railway. And above all I hope you'll discover the other things about the Tallylyn Railway, and I hope you'll talk about all of that for an upcoming video. And you'll find out about the other British Narrow Gauge railways from Wales, I hope you'll talk about them as well for upcoming videos. Because believe me you will be fascinated by the British Narrow Gauge railways as well 👍😉

Now that i know what happend at montparnasse i wonder if 721 at One point was scrapped or perseved, and if there are more photographs of 721 After the incedent.

What Locomotive Class was 721?

I have a photo of that on my livingroom wall, tilted to make the engine level.

I don't suppose that anyone just happened to be filming, especially back then. Where's the live footage from?

Decades or 100 years later one of the longest lasting kids shows thomas the tank engine there is the epesode where a big fat blue express locomotive named gordon crashes through the wall and the crash is most likely to be inspired by this crash in the video

Bruv thinks he’s Gordon 💀

The driver is quoted to remark " Oh MERD !"

Locomotive #721: Help me, Please!

This train just decided it couldn't handle this anymore

This image can be seen on Mr. Big album cover, Lean Into It.

This crash was related to a better view of gordon

Express engine crashing into and near falling off a station 🚉 why does that sound familiar

The engine just wanted a better view. (that's a reference)

BTW - it seems like a miracle the boiler didn't blow.

What class of engine i s this

How did this not end with a boiler explosion? With the water sitting at the very front of the boiler like that, the fire box would've been completely uncovered.

It's a shame that the locomotive is scrapped

They parodied this on Thomas & Friends

🎉🎉🎉💪💪💪👍🤝😍🚂

personally im confused as why barely anyone makes note of what*kind* of loco no.721 was rather what its *number* was

A picturesque catastrophe. RIP Molly

I watched the movie, HUGO, and saw the crash scene and now this. Was this incident before or after the movie was released?

Sad

Cette gare n existe plus. Une autre plus moderne a été construite plus loin. A la place a été construite l horrible tour montparnasse. C est dans cette gare que les allemands ont signé la capitulation de Paris en 1945.