The 1851 Avenwedde rail accident was a train derailment that occurred near Gütersloh, Germany on January 21st of that year.

The distance between the axles and the wheelbases combined with the weight distribution of the engine and boiler caused a natural imbalance as the train would travel.

[1] On January 21, 1851, a royal train carrying Prince Friedrich Wilhem was traveling near Gütersloh.

As it passed through, Avenwedde, 3 kilometers away from Gütersloh, the engine began to wobble due to balance issues.

Among the dead were two crew members of the train, as well as well as a US secretary named John B. Andre who died while attempting to leap from his tipping carriage, only to be crushed as a result.