@jack.spamacc22: 🚂💥 OPERATION SMASH HIT — 1984 On 17 July 1984, Britain carried out one of the most extraordinary railway tests ever witnessed. At the Old Dalby Test Track in Leicestershire, an unmanned 138-tonne Class 46 locomotive, hauling three carriages, was deliberately crashed into a nuclear waste transport flask at around 100 mph. The impact almost completely destroyed the locomotive and wrecked the carriages, but the real target survived remarkably well. The flask remained intact, with only a tiny drop in internal pressure. The aim? To demonstrate that the containers used to transport spent nuclear fuel by rail could withstand a serious collision without releasing their contents. The spectacular test, witnessed by a large crowd and broadcast to millions, became known as Operation Smash Hit. A controlled collision, a wrecked train, and a test that made history. Sometimes, the only way to prove the strength of something is to put it to the ultimate test. 🇬🇧🚆 #BritishTransport #RailwayHistory #trains #fyp #viral

Lucass ⚛️ :

Rip class 46

Just looking not buying :

Not a phone in sight just enjoying the moment

user4739052494795 :

Is the driver ok?

Dom :

The Legendary Bob Symes narrating it!!

andysmzdtji :

I kinda feel for the locomotive, a sad end for a loyal workhorse

shanelola92 :

Why did I form an emotional bond when it set off on its own? 😭

maryfield :

Used to machine these. Forging came in at 88 tons, and was 44 tons when fully machined.

stevieogee :

remember this well as i lived in melton mowbray at the time watched it from a field, it was amazing to watch

Addi :

its outside Heysham power station i believe

davidwalker7775 :

I remember this 🤔💯🙏🫣😳✅

Farside :

Are where are that being dumped ?

ralph :

the flask c9ntents are transported to Sellafield for reprocess or storage, the train in the crash was empty it was a test

𝙉𝙒𝙍 :

Bloggdocs :

Wasn't it Terry Pratchett (Discworld author) who set this up while working in PR?

Gary :

this was Grandslam

Bruton Street Tailor :

You would think they would learn to make the reactor pressure vessel of a NPP to the same standard🤔

Sulzerman47 :

If you only required say 2 miles to clear tis loco for the magic 1000 mile clearence, would yo sneak onto one of the coaches?. Asking for a friend

Glenn :

Iconic 💪RIP 46009

David Lewis :

rigged loosend all the engine mounts

winker :

yes but would it survive a direct hit 🎯 from a 10 megaton nuclear bomb 💣❓

Dready🇯🇲 :

80mph max

Gwyndaf :

Now that’s an experiment!!!!👍

Nidge t :

Environmentalists will be taking extra tablets watching this [Laugh approved]

Fool on the hill :

🤔 are these the same flasks that thay used to dump nuke waste in the sea ? 😳

MICHAEL NICKEAS :

I believe that SAS drill one, filled it with gas and blew it open, spreading shit everywhere. Easy when you know how 🤔