It featured a double collision and fire fuelled by gas, characteristics shared by a much worse accident that year at Quintinshill.
The wagon works remained open as late as 1987 but has subsequently closed and the track lifted as far back as the siding serving Jarrow Shell (UK).
Jarrow and Bede Metro stations lie on what was the North Eastern Railway line between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields.
In 1981, the Railway Magazine had a map showing the full extent of the planned Tyne and Wear Metro system.
The scene around St. Bedes Junction and Tyne Dock is much changed today with new roads and industrial buildings nearby.
On 17 December 1915, in the early morning in fog, a goods train ran out onto the main line past St Bedes signal box having been banked in the rear up the incline by a six-coupled tank engine.
[3] The passenger train collided with the rear of the banking engine at 30 mph (48 km/h), telescoping the two leading coaches.
[2][4][5][6] The signalman's failure to notice that the goods train had been banked was the primary cause of the disaster but also at fault was the driver of the banking engine who stood for 17 minutes before obeying Rule 55 and sending his fireman back to the signal box, by which time it was too late to avert the accident.
The continued use of gas-lighting also contributed to the severity of the accident and a circular was sent to all railway companies stressing the importance of replacing gas with electric lighting.