ASLEF sided with Wilsdon and General Secretary William Evans sided with Wilsdon. This caused both coaches to overturn onto their right side, with the leading end of the second coach coming to a stand in front of the locomotive and the rear of the first coach, which in combination with the fourth coach, formed an "N" shape with the first four coaches. Eltham Well Hall train crash; Statements. Both Wilsdon and his colleague were reinstated on 18 December 1961, with Wilsdon being promoted to driver less than a week later on 25 December with his transfer to Hither Green. Physical description 1 photograph : photoprint ; sheet 15.3 x 20.2 cm Contributors This occasion aside, the station survived the war years intact. Contents Background The journey The accident Investigation Recommendations References An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Exactly where the pair went in this period is unknown owing to Wilsdon's death and Stokes having little recollection of the events after leaving Ramsgate and although another pub was close to the station, it was considered that neither had time to reach it. An ambulance was seen landing at the scene and police are also in attendance. Links That day the Harrow Observer reported the horrific accident and 66 years later, getwestlondon pays tribute to the victims. When Stokes boarded the engine, he waited alone in the cab until around 18:25 when Wilsdon arrived and spoke about the preparations for the journey back to London. 125 passengers were injured.[2]. The locomotive and first four coaches left the rails and came to rest at an angle to the track, the second and third coaches on their sides. All three of these coaches were leaning over on their left sides to various degrees, with the leading end of the fifth coach having been badly damaged by the impact with the fourth coach. A track foot crossing for staff remained in place, this of which was situated roughly midway down the platforms and required climbing on small steps to access. He later claimed to a representative from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen that he would not drink again. The last train to call at Eltham Park and Well Hall stations was the 23:43 Charing Cross to Dartford. He had worked with Wilsdon occasionally before and had driven with him a few times prior. Despite this, Robertson felt that there was no severe issue with drinking amongst drivers on Britain's railways, with only two other accidents (one in 1913 and another in 1952) having occurred explicitly due to driver drunkenness in the sixty years prior to the accident, and as such he believed that it was a combination of railway staff's thoughts and self-discipline for drivers' behaviour with alcohol. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. By the time the train approached Eltham Well Hall station it was running at around 65 miles per hour (105km/h). Lessons learned from Cannon Street crash - Rail The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Here, Wilsdon drank two pints of light and bitter and a half pint of light ale which was confirmed by his brothers who'd drunk similarly. The structure sat at milepost 9 from Charing Cross. It seems these splashes were too late and light to register in the cab. Single-storey they may have been, but these were substantial main buildings for these intermediate stations, extending for 145-feet in length, with widths of 20-feet and 25-feet at their narrowest and widest points respectively. Two bottles of beer given to the crew by the excursion's organisers were found in the cab, but they were unopened. In reality, Wilsdon did not leave for Rainham station until 17:15 and as such his move was solely to gain pay for an extra two hours for which he had not actually been on duty. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. injuries= 126The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. It seems these splashes were too late and light to register in the cab. Nevertheless, at Wilsdon's suggestion, they both went to the nearby Railway Staff Association Club at about 19:00 and drank three pints of light and bitter beer each. The driver of the Excursion train was Robert Wilsdon, a Driver for British Rail's Southern Region based at Hither Green TMD since December 1961. Well Hall, Eltham, train crash, 1972: an injured train driver being Railman Akehurst, who was on duty on the Well Hall platforms, had seen several earlier trains pass through the station and thence the curve, all of them slowing to the safe speed of 20mph but when he saw the excursion train approaching, he was quite certain it was traveling far beyond that speed. Today. In the meantime, the Bexleyheath, Dartford Loop, and North Kent Lines were electrified using the SRs favoured 660-Volts DC third rail system. He later claimed to a representative from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen that he would not drink again. David Glasspool Collection, The main building on the "up" side was a carbon copy of the structure which still exists today at Bexleyheath. Guard Atterbury was not criticised whatsoever for his behaviour and it was considered unfortunate that his "splashes" were too weak to gain Wilsdon's attention. ", -- More Tools -- His speech was clear and his gait was normal. In the background can be seen the structures of the replacement station, today's "Eltham", taking shape. Most Wanted Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. For this case study, the available worldwide railway accident data are analysed in order to build taxonomy. This seaside excursion train derailed on a bend outside Well Hall station, Eltham, South London on June 11th, 1972 killing at least 4 people and. Stokes and Guard H. Atterbury. Attached to the building was an arched-roof platform canopy with clover-patterned valance, a style which is still evident today at Paddock Wood. Owing to the large number of day-trippers booked for this customary annual works-outing, a pair of excursion trains were laid on to transport them to Margate and back. The first and most serious of these moments was the fact that it was uncertain what had occurred with Wilsdon and his brothers between 14:02 and 17:15 with his brothers both declaring that Wilsdon had not drunk after returning from the pub in Rainham. Date: 1972 Reference: 778393i Pictures About this work Publication/Creation [London] : Press Association, 1972. 6635 documents9207 accidentsUpdated 24th Apr. Two of them were the beer bottles that Stationmaster Arundell had seen at Margate and both were confirmed to have been unopened. Wilsdon was not due to be on duty until the afternoon and had gone to a pub at lunchtime with his brothers who said he spent the afternoon at home. mexico train crash 2,325 Train Crash Premium Video Footage Browse 2,325 train crash videos and clips available to use in your projects, or search for money train crash or mexico train crash to find more footage and b-roll video clips. Again, he was off-duty at the time and the British Rail was not informed of this occurrence until April. Decline at Well Hall started when the goods yard ceased to handle coal traffic, in December 1964, followed four years later by the withdrawal of public goods facilities on 7th October 1968. 0 references. From 1st October 1916, the station was known as Well Hall and North Eltham. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Shortly after leaving Rainham, Atterbury noted that the speed seemed "a little bit excessive" and that Wilsdon had been braking intensely between Gillingham and Chatham railway station. Before he could go ask superiors as to where they were, he saw Stokes and Wilsdon return. Although uncertain, it seems that Wilsdon believed that the two stoppages that occurred to his train at Sittingbourne and Rainham and having not seen the first excursion train at Newington, was because the first train was running slowly and kept stopping his train. A medical expert stated that during the time given, 5 pints of bitter, a third of a bottle of sherry and a quarter bottle of spirits would "just about achieve" the levels found, providing that "the bulk of the spirits was drunk between 20:15 and 21:30". This evidence contradicts that of Wilsdon's brothers who claimed that he had not drunk between 14:02 and 17:15. This caused nine out of 10 carriages to derail, injuring many occupants and killing 6 including the driver. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. Exactly where the pair went in this period is unknown owing to Wilsdon's death and Stokes having little recollection of the events after leaving Ramsgate and although another pub was close to the station, it was considered that neither had time to reach it.[2]. In the cab, Stokes later recalled that Wilsdon had suddenly shouted in a frightened way at the sight of the curve approaching, to which Stokes immediately braced himself in the seconds that he had available. Running slightly late and at Wilsdon's urging, the pair returned to Ramsgate Depot at around 19:40. Both brothers confirmed that he had not drunk after leaving the pub and were adamant on this point at the later public inquiry. Six lives were lost including the driver, and 126 people were injured. Eltham,Well,Hall,rail,crashThe,Eltham,Well,Hall,rail,crash,was,an,accident,on,the,British,railway,system,that,occurred,on,11,June,1972,at,approximately,21:35. Well Hall is a place to the north of Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located 13.5 km (8.4 mi) east-southeast of Charing Cross. The station comprised a hybrid of structures: a main building from 1931, a waiting shelter from 1895, and a footbridge from about 1907. The secondman may not have been attentive because he had also been drinking, but he did not know the route and would not have realised that the driver was not braking for the curve when he should have been. This procedure was considered practical and was allowed to remain in use, but it was agreed that the method Wilsdon used (where he casually booked on duty and for his own benefit of gaining two additional hours' pay by booking on at 15:22 instead of around 17:00 when he actually did leave home for work) was not appropriate and was to be stopped or prevented wherever possible. Shortly thereafter, Wilsdon and Stokes returned and entered the cab preparing for departure, with neither seeming unusual: when Arundell told them to hurry up, Wilsdon calmly noted they could regain lost time on the journey. He had been working on the railways since 1958 and was experienced to drive the British Rail Class 47 locomotive, which would occasionally come down from trains in other regions. Railman Akehurst, who had heard the derailment, immediately called Dartford signal box and reported the derailment. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. The rear of the coach had been somewhat damaged by the fifth, sixth and seventh coaches passing by it, derailed but still on the track. This was agreed as there was no evidence to the contrary and it was believed that Wilsdon was travelling to Ramsgate at this time. 47048), came off the rails. [1] [2] In the past Well Hall was the grounds of a manor house, and then a hamlet. Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, Railway accident : Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11 June 1972 at Eltham (Well Hall) Station in the Southern Region, British Railways, Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972. However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. On the Dartford Loop Line via Sidcup existed Eltham & Mottingham station; this was subsequently renamed plain Mottingham on 1st October of the same year. Latest Documents The crash happened at around 3.30pm today (May 23). Statistics I much regret to report that five passengers in the train and its driver lost their lives and that 126 people, including the secondman on the locomotive, were injured and were either taken to hospitals in the area or received medical attention at the site of the accident: 40 of those taken to hospital were detained, some of them being very seriously injured. An Inter-City express ran into a freight train carrying 30,000 gallons of fuel oil, after the . Further Reading RSS Feeds Secondman Stokes, who agreed with Wilsdon to get some extra drinks at Ramsgate was severely criticised for his "disgraceful" behaviour in drinking three pints prior to taking the train back to Margate, but it was agreed that Stokes' young age and weak character meant that he seemed unwilling to stop Wilsdon from going to get some drink. Eltham Well Hall rail crash and Related Topics The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. News Stories Arundell believed that they were a gift left by the organisers of the excursion to the engine crew - such being a normal 'tip' for excursion drivers to enjoy off-duty - and he did not question their appearance. Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. 2004 - 2023 railwaysarchive.co.uk - all rights reserved. He had been working on the railways since 1958 and was experienced to drive the British Rail Class 47 locomotive, which would occasionally come down from trains in other regions. An excursion train returning from Margate came off the track on the sharp curve outside the station. Notable survivors of the 1931 rebuilding at all three stations mentioned were the SER timber waiting shelters. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. The eighth coach was upright but derailed, the ninth coach was derailed at its leading bogie but also upright, and the tenth coach (in which Atterbury had been riding) was upright and on the rails, though some internal damage had occurred. At 19:45 they met with the guard and drove the train to Margate to receive the passengers. The original death roll among the passengers was three but one died of her injuries in mid-August and another of his injuries in November. The actions of his superior regarding this incident were criticised as "unwise" but were not considered a serious failing. Lettering on paper caption-sheet stuck on verso of print catalogued. The actor Phil Daniels, star of Quadrophenia, Scum, and later EastEnders was aboard one of the derailed coaches with his parents after a day trip. Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972 Accident Summary and 2 more images Location Eltham Well Hall Train Operator British Railways (Southern Region) Primary Cause Excessive speed Secondary Cause Driver intoxicated Result Derailment 6 fatalities, 126 injured Accident Investigation Status There are currently no news items related to this accident. The scheme required the demolition of Well Hall station, for it partially resided on the site required for the trunk road, but also gave rise to the closure of Eltham Park station and the provision of a brand new set of platforms in-between the two. Ultimately, the later station was intended as a replacement for Well Hall, allowing the SE&CR to close the original site, but legal problems prevented this, as noted in 1973 by Alan A. Jackson in Semi-detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900-39: "The railway company, ever anxious to turn the odd penny, had planned to close [Well Hall] until they discovered they were under a statutory obligation to keep it open and so did not rate their chances of overcoming the opposition very highly.". Shortly afterwards, a freight train collided heavily with the wreckage, killing the drivers of both locomotives. None of the staff were criticised for failing to stop Wilsdon from his duties under the belief he was too drunk and evidence by Wilsdon's father-in-law, brothers and friends confirmed that although Wilsdon did drink heavily, he could "carry" his alcohol well and that the amount of alcohol he drank was not enough to make his drunkenness visible, although the report believed that Wilsdon's actions at Rainham and his reactions at Eltham Well Hall clearly showed that he was beginning to suffer effects of drunkenness. British Rail staff who came in contact with Wilsdon on 11 June (his supervisor at Hither Green, depot staff at Ramsgate, Secondman Stokes, Railway Club staff at Ramsgate, Guard Atterbury, Stationmaster Arundell and his staff at Margate, Railman Fleming and Signalman Obee at Rainham) were all intensively questioned and gave evidence at the inquiry regarding the state of Wilsdon, to which all agreed that Wilsdon appeared perfectly fit and sober even as late as his unscheduled stop in Rainham, with the only person aware of Wilsdon already having drunk alcohol prior to reaching Ramsgate being Secondman Stokes, who considered him still fit and sober enough to drive the train. SYND 12-6-72 AFTERMATH OF ELTHAM TRAIN CRASH - YouTube The cause of the crash was concluded to be intoxication of the driver. 125 passengers were injured. Those who knew the driver said that he was quite a frequent drinker of alcohol and could "carry" much beer. Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. Since 1969, Wilsdon had had a clean record with no reprimands. His suspension in 1961 was considered a warning sign of Wilsdon's alcoholic tendencies but it was agreed that at the time there was no evidence to disprove Wilsdon's statements that he would better himself and not drink again. Its nameplates were salvaged, and transferred to No. The design of the cabin at Well Hall was repeated at all those stations which opened with the route in 1895, and examples can be seen on the website's Barnehurst and Bexleyheath pages. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eltham Well Hall rail crash". Upon completing his phone conversation, Wilsdon returned to his cab and departed having been stopped at Rainham for about four minutes. The guard told the inquiry that after leaving Rainham he had noticed that the train's speed has been "a little bit excessive" and that the driver braked intensely between Gillingham and Chatham. Well Hall was located exactly nine miles from Charing Cross upon an 86-chain curve, descending at 1 in 120 in the London direction. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. From the evidence gained of Wilsdon's activities on 11 June, a fairly thorough timeline of Wilsdon's movements were tracked and confirmed by those who he made contact with but three moments of uncertainty were later found in Wilsdon's movements that day. The mansion was demolished in 1733, save for a barn, and replaced by a smaller property located outside of the moat. Electric services ran again from 6th June 1926, and the full suburban electric timetable through to Dartford commenced on 19th July 1926. 1630 (latterly Class 47 No. This document was published on 1st June 1973 by Department of the Environment. A 24-year-old man was cut free from wreckage crushing his head and abdomen and died from a heart attack on the way to hospital. Well Hall station will be partially covered by the new Rochester Way relief road. Wilsdon and Stokes were to sign on duty at Hither Green in person by 15:42 to catch a train as passengers to Ramsgate, transferring at Dartford. Stokes was unable to recall much of what occurred at Margate and Wilsdon died, so it was uncertain as to what had occurred during this period, and although a pub was close to the station, it was considered that they did not have enough time to reach it. This was agreed as there was no evidence to the contrary and it was believed that Wilsdon was travelling to Ramsgate at this time. Stokes had arrived first, having spoken with the supervisor at Ramsgate to ascertain the details of the train. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. However when approaching Eltham Park railway station he became concerned at the train's apparent speed and more so as it neared Eltham Well Hall, where a sharp curve changed the train's direction from southwest to northwest. He made recommendations that booking-on of drivers by telephone should be controlled carefully, but did not recommend any changes to warnings of permanent speed restrictions. This travel time and distance between Rainham and Hither Green played a key role in the accident that occurred.[2]. Credits Both were severely damaged. It came to a stand laying parallel with the locomotive, having jack-knifed and pushed slightly around so the leading cab was facing back towards the line and the rear cab was pointing away from the track. He was not suspended for this incident owing to the fact that his superior at Hither Green was busy and then went on leave and as such was not able to speak with Wilsdon until June. Depending on the status and age of the original document, you may need an OPSI click-use license if you wish to reproduce this material, and other restrictions may apply. The recommendation that booking-on by telephone be carefully controlled was reiterated in the Inspectorate report of the Cannon Street Station rail crash in 1991. http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=134, Images of the accident (approximately halfway down the page), https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Eltham_Well_Hall_rail_crash&oldid=202875, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11th June 1972 at Eltham (Well Hall) Station in the Southern Region British Railways Document Summary The report into the derailment at Eltham in 1972, caused by the intoxicated driver taking a sharp curve at excessive speed. Guard Atterbury was 57 and had been a guard since 1948 and was based at London Bridge and although he had worked the Bexleyheath line before, he had never done so on a fast train. The curve at Eltham has a speed limit of 20 miles per hour (32km/h), but according to eyewitness accounts, the train entered it whilst travelling at about 65 miles per hour (105km/h). However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. SYND 12-6-72 AFTERMATH OF ELTHAM TRAIN CRASH AP Archive 4.73M subscribers Subscribe 6 Share Save 2.5K views 7 years ago (11 Jun 1972) The aftermath scenes of a derailment of a excursion. According to Obee, Wilsdon had stopped at Rainham to inquire of the position of the first excursion train, which Obee explained was to stop at Gillingham railway station and would let Wilsdon overtake it, which was not as planned (Wilsdon's train was to overtake the first excursion train at Newington railway station which was prior to Rainham); to which Wilsdon told him "you should read your weekly notices". The second incident occurred on 28 March 1969, when Wilsdon was fined 1 for being drunk in Lewisham. Transport Libraries The second incident occurred on 28 March 1969, when Wilsdon was fined 1 for being drunk in Lewisham. After the crossing was cleared, he set the route for the train to proceed but instead, the train came to a stop at the platform.
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