Pin on Eltham 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). 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. June 11, 1972. 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. This caused nine out of 10 carriages to derail, injuring many occupants and killing 6 including the driver. ", -- More Tools -- As part of British Railways ten-car suburban train scheme, which aimed to boost capacity on South Eastern Division commuter lines, Well Halls platforms were lengthened at their eastern ends in 1955 using prefabricated concrete components. The adequacy of the taxonomy is discussed with regards to the socio-technical context of accident reports. 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. News Stories At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that Wilsdon had been intoxicated by alcohol. 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]. The train passed through at high speed without braking and sped into the curve at around 65mph. Eltham Well Hall. However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. As well as Wilsdon, two passengers died at the scene; a woman later died of her injuries in August and a male likewise in November, bringing the number of fatalities to five. At 15:22 Wilsdon signed on duty with Hither Green by telephone. He had worked with Wilsdon a few times before and considered him an experienced 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. The Inspecting Officer, Colonel J.R.H. It was concluded that his eventual response to Wilsdon's behaviour was appropriate. SYND 12-6-72 AFTERMATH OF ELTHAM TRAIN CRASH - YouTube Stokes had arrived first, having spoken with the supervisor at Ramsgate to ascertain the details of the train. 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. 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). [2], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}512719N 00301E / 51.45536N 0.05019E / 51.45536; 0.05019, Events prior to Wilsdon arriving at Ramsgate, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, "Railway crash driver survived dismissal", "Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eltham_Well_Hall_rail_crash&oldid=1142297435, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 16:48. Train Crash Videos and HD Footage - Getty Images Lessons learned from Cannon Street crash - Rail 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". In contrast, Stokes claimed that Wilsdon mentioned drinking some sherry when they met at Ramsgate. 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 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. 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. At this time, Well Hall gained concrete lampposts with the SRs trademark hexagonal lampshades. However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Shortly afterwards, a freight train collided heavily with the wreckage, killing the drivers of both locomotives. Despite this, Wilsdon suggested the pair go to the nearby Railway Staff Association Club at about 19:00 and get a drink to which Stokes agreed, with the pair arriving just in time for the club to open at 19:05. The only other theory was that Wilsdon had obtained a bottle of spirits at some point, stored it on his person and had drunk it at some point after leaving Margate, and later disposed of the glass by throwing it out the window of the locomotive, with the theory being that Wilsdon either obtained the bottle at some point whilst in Margate or had kept one on his person since he left Rainham for work. 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. 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. 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. 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. Stokes recalled that when Wilsdon turned to speak with him, he "smelt something pretty strong" on the driver's breath and when asked, Wilsdon explained that he had been drinking at lunchtime and later had some sherry prior to arriving in Ramsgate. It was suggested at the time that the closure of both existing Eltham stations and the provision of a new, single set of platforms would save British Rail 45,700 (158,400 at 2018 prices) per year in operating costs. Credits Photograph by Press Association, 1972. The Inspecting Officer, Colonel J.R.H. However, this evidence was contradicted by a later statement made by Secondman Stokes that when they met at Ramsgate, Wilsdon told Stokes that he had "ended up going somewhere and drinking some sherry". Stokes recalled that when Wilsdon turned to speak with him, he "smelt something pretty strong" on the driver's breath and when asked, Wilsdon explained that he had been drinking at lunchtime and later had some sherry prior to arriving in Ramsgate. 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. 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 (24 miles (39km) from 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 no point did Wilsdon even attempt to slow his train beyond having already shut off the engine to coast which was normal at this long downhill sector of the line. The actions of his superior regarding this incident were criticised as "unwise" but were not considered a serious failing. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at 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. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. The closure of Eltham Park in connection with the road scheme was formally approved on 26th March 1984. 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. At about 15:20 he booked on duty by telephone with Hither Green depot and travelled by train to Ramsgate. He later claimed to a representative from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen that he would not drink again. The empty train left Ramsgate and made an uneventful journey to Margate, arriving at around 19:59. After arrival at Margate, the train was stabled at Ramsgate. On Sunday 11 June 1972, a day-trip to Margate had been arranged for the employees (and their families) of British Rail's Midland Region based at the North London depot at Kentish Town. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Two of them were the beer bottles that Stationmaster Arundell had seen at Margate and both were confirmed to have been unopened. 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. This evidence contradicts that of Wilsdon's brothers who claimed that he had not drunk between 14:02 and 17:15. 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". 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 65mph. This was agreed as there was no evidence to the contrary and it was believed that Wilsdon was travelling to Ramsgate at this time. These trains would be driven by Southern Region drivers for some of the journey (particularly to ensure that experienced drivers took the trains through the complex arrangements around Clapham Junction) and would, on reaching Margate and being cleared of passengers, take them onward to Ramsgate Depot where they would be stored until the return trip. 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. Return to the Kent Rail Homepage or alternatively, check for Updates. The train arrived at Margate and the entrainment of passengers was routine, with boarding complete by 20:04. Both men were subsequently suspended shortly afterwards, against which Wilsdon immediately appealed, claiming that the event was an isolated incident. The first coach followed the overturned locomotive but remained upright, the coupling failing quite late into the sequence. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11th June 1972 at Eltham He stated that he was thoroughly ashamed and that he had been celebrating a promotion to the position of Passed Fireman with his colleague who greatly assisted him. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. By contrast to this, secondman Stokes arrived at Hither Green, signed on duty in person at around 15:12 and was instructed by the Supervisor to travel on the 15:32 train and try to meet Wilsdon on the train. Whilst it was agreed that it was a fairly common occurrence in the Southern Region and British Rail had adopted a policy where certain drivers could be granted need to book on via telephone (typically those either living far from depots or those whose duties commenced far from their depots). 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. This did not occur, and the two met up at Ramsgate Depot by the locomotive at around 18:25. 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. Date: 1972 Reference: 778393i Pictures About this work Publication/Creation [London] : Press Association, 1972. Two bottles of beer given to the crew by the excursion's organisers were found in the cab, but they were unopened. Eltham Well Hall station is to be replaced by a massive bus/rail interchange at Glenlea Road. 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. The train was an excursion for Kentish Town-based railway employees of the London Midland Region and their families. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Pinterest. 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. He briefed the pair on the train's particulars with Wilsdon appearing sober and routine. Statistics According to his notes, the train passed through Bexleyheath at 21:31, seven minutes behind schedule (estimates showed that Wilsdon had made up at least a minute and a half between Gillingham and Strood) and was running on clear signals.[2]. 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 a cloudy but dry evening, shortly before dusk and in good visibility and running under clear colour light signals over a route with easily identifiable landmarks, the driver failed to take any braking action to reduce his train's speed on the steeply falling gradient through Eltham Park to Eltham (Well Hall) in preparation for its entering the 12 chain radius right hand curve just beyond Well Hall station, the speed round which is permanently restricted to 20 mph. 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. By the time the train approached Eltham Well Hall station it was running at around 65 miles per hour (105km/h). An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The same design came into use at all three stations: a single-storey red brick structure with a hipped tiled roof, complemented with an upward-sloping canopy with plain valance. When Arundell went to examine the cab, he found it empty but after returning shortly afterwards, saw a pair of beer bottles in the cab. I am a dreamer who dreams of a world full of Wilsdon met with his secondman, a youth of 18 years, there. The curve had a maximum permitted speed to be taken at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) but the . Electric services ran again from 6th June 1926, and the full suburban electric timetable through to Dartford commenced on 19th July 1926. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. East London Train Station Vintage Photos City Photo Autos A major rail crash happened at Well Hall on Sunday evening 11 June 1972. The curve had a maximum permitted speed to be taken at 20 miles per hour (32km/h) but the train was estimated to have been travelling at 65 miles per hour (105km/h) resulting in the locomotive and all but one of the ten carriages derailing. The rear end of the first coach came to rest up against the leading cab. According to them, the three returned home and spent the afternoon indoors with the children until Robert was driven by one of his brothers to Rainham station at around 17:15. 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. Today. ASLEF sided with Wilsdon and General Secretary William Evans sided with Wilsdon. Since 1969, Wilsdon had had a clean record with no reprimands. Please see this explanation for further details. The locomotive jumped the sharp curve, derailing and rolling onto its left side and sliding through a coal yard. Robertson, concluded that the driver Robert Wilsdon had "grossly impaired his ability to drive safely by drinking a considerable quantity of alcohol both before and after booking on duty, including some shortly before leaving Margate and some more in his cab during the journey."[2]. Jan 15, 2015 - A major rail crash happened at Well Hall on Sunday evening 11 June 1972. 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. Physical description 1 photograph : photoprint ; sheet 15.3 x 20.2 cm Contributors There was an imbalance with the urine alcohol level which made it very likely that the driver had also been drinking alcohol at the controls. Along this paper, the methodology is exemplified on a specific accident: the derailments caused by over-speed in curve. The train passed through at high speed without braking and sped into the curve at around 65 miles per hour (105km/h). 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. Notable survivors of the 1931 rebuilding at all three stations mentioned were the SER timber waiting shelters. 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. However, as the train approached Sittingbourne, the train was forced to briefly stop due to signals and it was held again momentarily around Rainham by Signalman Obee who had been forced to open his level crossing to allow a pair of buses through as the train was running late. The second uncertain moment was what occurred to both him and Stokes during the stop at Margate, in which both seemingly left the station via the Platform No.1 entrance. Eltham Well Hall rail crash - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core 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. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. The only other theory was that Wilsdon had obtained a bottle of spirits at some point, stored it on his person and had drunk it at some point after leaving Margate, and later disposed of the glass by throwing it out the window of the locomotive, with the theory being that Wilsdon either obtained the bottle at some point whilst in Margate or had kept one on his person since he left Rainham for work. A public inquiry carried out into the cause of the accident was launched on 12 June 1972 by Colonel John R.H. Robertson that looked into the cause of the derailment. The final uncertainty was the fact that when his body was autopsied, Wilsdon's blood alcohol content was 0.278% (the legal limit for driving a road vehicle in England at that time was 0.08%). Railman Fleming, who was on duty at the platform and knew Wilsdon well, saw the train arrive and asked Wilsdon if it had broken down (owing to the clear signal visible from the platform), to which Wilsdon merely said "No" and jumped down from his cab before walking to a telephone on the platform to speak with Obee. Eltham station - Tickets & Information | Grand Central located in the administrative territorial entity. 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. 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". When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. Both men were subsequently suspended shortly afterwards, against which Wilsdon immediately appealed, claiming that the event was an isolated incident. 0 references. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972 - Railways Archive Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Eltham Well Hall is seen in this Dartford-bound view less than a year before closure. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. When Arundell went to examine the cab, he found it empty but after returning shortly afterwards, saw a pair of beer bottles in the cab. As well as Wilsdon, two passengers died at the scene; a woman later died of her injuries in August and a male likewise in November, bringing the number of fatalities to five. Please note that the Railways Archive is not responsible for the content of external websites. The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. Photograph by Press Association, 1972. The last recommendation that Robertson made regarding the accident was the usage of telephone to sign on duty within the Southern Region. An excursion train returning from Margate came off the track on the sharp curve outside the station. They prepared the train which consisted of a Class 47 diesel locomotive and 10 coaches. 1630 (latterly Class 47 No. 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.
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