h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Kipper,
I'm the assigned Sub-Editor, and you can find the new version of your entry here: A62221466

I've made a few corrections in terms of spelling, grammar and style, but I think there's also one point of railway terminology that might confuse people. Just below the 'Turning Point' heading you say the driver 'eased back'. Is there a nice, simple explanation of what this is and whether it was necessary that I can add?

Eased back in this case means to roll backwards ever so slightly

Okay, though I'm curious as to why he should have done this. Is it typical for an engine starting on a hill?

I believe it was unintentional

Hello again.

Sorry, it took me a while to get around to having another look at this. It's just about fine for me to send it in for inclusion in the EG, but I'd like to check on the statistics:

You say 80 people died, all from the 10.00 train. I found another BBC article (http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/armagh/A1304245.shtml) that claims 88, and Wikipedia has 78. Then there's a question of how many carriages there were, the other BBC one says 12, of which 8 were left. Wikipedia agrees with you.

Obviously I've hardly done comprehensive research on this, but can I ask what your source was and how sure you are of it?

Finally you said there was an average of 28 deaths a year over the previous 20 years. Is this definitely reliable.

Thanks for your time.

The history of trains says 15 coaches and 80 lost and British railway disasters says 80 lost and 15 coaches. I cross reference
hope that helped.
All the fatalities of the accidents on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_in_the_United_Kingdom wiki page between 1869 and the Armagh disaster come to around twenty, that page also says 80 were killed

Its actuaklly less than I said being around 17

I make it about 23. I guess I'll leave the stats as they are other than that, though the fact I can find different numbers makes me a bit nervous.

If your taking out the averages stat take out the reference to the Tay bridge

Sorry, it's returned to the editors now. I can't make any more changes.