a slope and derailed due to excessive speed on a curve in the centre of town, spilling of oil and causing fires which killed 47 people. Democratic Republic of the Congo west of Kananga (2007) - 100 killed. Igandu train disaster, Tanzania (2002) – runaway backwards - 281 killed. Tenga rail disaster, Mozambique (2002) – runaway backwards - 192 killed. San Bernardino train disaster, California (1989) - brakes failed on freight train which crashed into houses Gare de Lyon train accident, France (1988) – valve closed by mistake leading to runaway. Chester General rail crash, UK (1972) - brakes failed on fuel train which hit a parked DMU Chapel-en-le-Frith, Great Britain (1957) – broken steam pipe made it impossible for crew to apply brakes. Federal Express train wreck, Union station, Washington, DC, (1953) - valve closed by badly designed bufferplate. Torre del Bierzo rail disaster, Spain (1944) - brakes failed on overloaded passenger train which collided with another in a tunnel; a third train was unaware and also crashed into it. Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment, France 1917 - runaway train on 3.3 percent grade, with air brakes on only 3 of 19 cars and on locomotive unable to keep train below authorized speed - 700 killed. Armagh rail disaster, Northern Ireland (1889) – runaway backwards led to change in law. Shipton-on-Cherwell train crash, Oxford (1874) - caused by fracture of a carriage wheel. Gallery See also Counterweight brake Driver's brake valve Dual brake Dynamic brake Eddy current brake Electromagnetic brake Emergency brake (train) Gladhand connector Heberlein brake Railway air brake Railway disc brake Railway tread brake Regenerative brake Riggenbach counter-pressure brake Track brake Vacuum brake Yaw brake Manufacturers The Rane Group of Companies (Rane Brake Lining Limited),Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO), later Wabtec, United States Faiveley Transport, France Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems, Germany Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd (now a division of Knorr-Bremse), UK New York Air Brake (now a division of Knorr-Bremse), United States MTZ TRANSMASH, Russia MZT HEPOS, Macedonia(now a division of Wabtec) Mitsubishi Electric, Japan Nabtesco, Japan Dellner, Sweden Aflink, South Africa Hanning & Kahl GmbH LRT trains, Hydraulic Brakes and control components, Germany Voith, Germany YUJIN Machinery Ltd, South Korea References Sources British Transport Commission, London (1957:142). Handbook for Railway Steam Locomotive Enginemen Further reading Marsh, G.H. and Sharpe, A.C. The development of railway brakes. Part 1 1730-1880 Railway engineering journal 2(1) 1973,