MineArchiveDyffryn Main Colliery railway collision, 1906
Three platelayers riding a trolley on Main Colliery's private railway at Bryncoch, near Neath, were killed on 20 September 1906 when a locomotive ran into them on a sharp bend.
| Date | 20 September 1906 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Dyffryn Main Colliery |
| Region | Neath Port Talbot |
| Type | Haulage / Transport |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three killed: John Nichols, Thomas Brown and John Dunn, of the platelayers' gang.) |
| Injuries | Four slightly injured by one account, seven injured by another. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A locomotive returning to the colliery collided with a trolley carrying the platelayers' gang at a sharp bend on the private railway.
What happened
On 20 September 1906 ten men of the platelayers' gang at Main Colliery, Bryncoch, near Neath, were riding a trolley on the colliery's private railway, about two miles long, when a locomotive returning to the colliery ran into them at a sharp bend. The collision was violent enough to kill three of them, John Nichols, 47, Thomas Brown, 57, and John Dunn, and to injure others: four slightly by one account, seven by another.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 20 September 1906 three men of the platelayers' gang at Main Colliery, Bryncoch, near Neath, were killed when a locomotive ran into the trolley they were riding. 1,2
- The dead were John Nichols, 47, Thomas Brown, 57, and John Dunn. 1,2
- The collision happened at a sharp bend on the colliery's private railway, about two miles long, as the locomotive was returning to the colliery. 2
- Four other men were slightly injured. (uncertain) 2
- Seven other men were injured. (uncertain) 1
- The colliery belonged to the Main Colliery Co. Ltd. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three platelayers riding a trolley on Main Colliery's private railway at Bryncoch, near Neath, were killed on 20…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1906 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Accident record: John Dunn, Main, Bryncoch, 1906 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026