Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash in pictures: Remembering - MyLondon The crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. Electric services ran again from 6th June 1926, and the full suburban electric timetable through to Dartford commenced on 19th July 1926. The train was an excursion for Kentish Town-based railway employees of the London Midland Region and their families. Guard Atterbury, who arrived at Ramsgate some hours earlier and had been relaxing in the staff break room of the station, had gone to prepare the train for its departure at around 19:30 and initially noted that the engine crew were absent. Stokes was 18 years old and had been working on the railways for almost two years at the time of the accident, having been based at Hither Green this entire time. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. A member of staff on the platform at this time noted that he had seen both Stokes and Wilsdon depart the locomotive and leave the station via Platform No.1 three minutes after having arrived at Margate and this was later compared with the timings made by Guard Atterbury, who recorded a 20:13 departure from Margate (eight minutes late) noting that both Stokes and Wilsdon were absent. 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 thoroughly critical of Wilsdon's behaviour, describing it as "reprehensible" and "disgraceful". An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Upon completing his phone conversation, Wilsdon returned to his cab and departed having been stopped at Rainham for about four minutes. An intoxicated train driver drove a train at triple the permitted speed around a sharp curve. The public inquiry into the accident eleven years later agreed that this incident was a seemingly isolated occurrence and all had reason to believe Wilsdon; the Line Manager who reinstated the two was not criticised for this approach, although some criticism was given to the Management in 1961 for promoting Wilsdon so quickly after being reinstated. The Bexleyheath Line was double-track from the outset and, except for the layout at Barnehurst, stations along the route were built to the same standard design. The outbound journeys left Kentish Town around 0830, were completed uneventfully and the trains stabled at Ramsgate as planned. This caused nine out of 10 carriages to derail, injuring many occupants and killing 6 including the driver. Transport Libraries While they chatted the secondman 'smelt something pretty strong' on the driver's breath and when questioned about it, he replied that he had "had some beer at dinner time" and had "ended up going somewhere and drinking some sherry". 11 June 1972: D1630 was involved in the notorious Eltham Well Hall rail crash in which six people were killed. The Inspecting Officer, Colonel J.R.H. The wreckage of a rail crash the day before at Eltham Well Hall railway station in Eltham, London, UK, 12th June 1972. Cannon Street station rail crash - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia 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. An excursion train returning from Margate came off the track on the sharp curve outside the station. In the meantime, the Bexleyheath, Dartford Loop, and North Kent Lines were electrified using the SRs favoured 660-Volts DC third rail system. The fourth coach had ended up roughly 90 degrees to the track, leaning over on its left side. Wilsdon met with his secondman, a youth of 18 years, there. 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. Stokes was uncertain on this point but agreed that "Bob could have got one in". At about 15:20 he booked on duty by telephone with Hither Green depot and travelled by train to Ramsgate. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Six lives were lost including the driver, and 126 people were injured. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. 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. Railman Akehurst, who had heard the derailment, immediately called Dartford signal box and reported the derailment. A post-mortem examination of Wilsdon showed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.278% (the legal limit for driving a road vehicle is 0.08%). This travel time and distance between Rainham and Hither Green played a key role in the accident that occurred.[2]. There are currently no news items related to this accident. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. The "down" platform was equipped with a timber shelter sporting a backward-sloping curved roof; happily, an example of this design is still in use today at Welling. 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. Compliments. D1671 was withdrawn some four months later. Closure of Eltham Well Hall and Eltham Park stations was scheduled for Saturday 2nd March 1985, when the new platforms east of the former would be brought into use with a huge interchange with bus services. Explore. 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. Genealogy Both brothers confirmed that he had not drunk after leaving the pub and were adamant on this point at the later public inquiry. 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. The second incident occurred on 28 March 1969, when Wilsdon was fined 1 for being drunk in Lewisham. A combination of the signal checks at Sittingbourne and Rainham and the unscheduled stop at Rainham had caused Wilsdon to lose most of the progress he had made between Margate and Sittingbourne. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Although it was agreed that the signalling played no part in the collision, it was later agreed that the signals around Eltham Well Hall would be redesigned to slow a train to round the curve rather than remain at green, which would mean it would be less likely a driver would be caught by surprise with the curve. The actions of his superior regarding this incident were criticised as "unwise" but were not considered a serious failing. In future, train crew would have to book in by telephone or report to a supervisor who could visibly look for signs of unfitness for duty. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that the driver had been intoxicated by alcohol. The fourth coach had ended up roughly 90 degrees to the track, leaning over on its left side. The outbound journeys left Kentish Town around 0830, were completed uneventfully and the trains stabled at Ramsgate as planned. David Glasspool Collection, The main building on the "up" side was a carbon copy of the structure which still exists today at Bexleyheath. On Sunday 11th June 1972 at 21:36, disaster struck. Eltham Well Hall rail crash - Unionpedia, the concept map British Rail Class 47 - Incidents Rail; . Eltham Eltham station Well Hall Road Eltham Greater London SE9 6SL GET DIRECTIONS Ticket office opening hours: Monday - Friday - 06:40 to 20:00 Saturday - 06:10 to 20:00 Sunday - 08:10 to 15:40 NO Waiting room YES Ticket machine YES Toilet YES Impaired Access Staff Station facilities Ticketing Services & Information Oyster Pre-Pay YES Yes Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. Book: Ministry of Transport . Both men were subsequently suspended shortly afterwards, against which Wilsdon immediately appealed, claiming that the event was an isolated incident. 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. On the Dartford Loop Line via Sidcup existed Eltham & Mottingham station; this was subsequently renamed plain Mottingham on 1st October of the same year. Having been in operation for ninety years, today there is no trace of this station having ever existed, the site having fallen foul to a road widening scheme. Two of them were the beer bottles that Stationmaster Arundell had seen at Margate and both were confirmed to have been unopened. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. 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. Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11th June 1972 at Eltham The tragedy killed 112 people and injured 300 more and to date is the most catastrophic train crash to happen during peace time in England. Having left Margate eight minutes late and scheduled to run non-stop (aside from a later stop to change crew), Wilsdon was able to run the train at high speed and according to Atterbury's timings, was only a minute late after passing Faversham (24miles from Margate). The journey was normal until the train stopped for signals at Rainham, whereafter the driver made an unscheduled stop in the station to telephone the signalman and ask about another excursion train that they were due to pass some distance ahead. At 19:45 they met with the guard and drove the train to Margate to receive the passengers. 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. After arrival at Margate, the train was stabled at Ramsgate. Contributions [1] Links 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.

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eltham well hall train crash