Statistics Pictures by my father, Reg Godsave. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The last recommendation that Robertson made regarding the accident was the usage of telephone to sign on duty within the Southern Region. 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. The mansion was demolished in 1733, save for a barn, and replaced by a smaller property located outside of the moat. 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. Despite his experience and long time working on the railways, Wilsdon had been reprimanded five times throughout his career. 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. 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. 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. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. RSS Feeds The 1969 incident also showed Wilsdon's disregard of what had occurred in 1961 but it was agreed that the manager at the time had been unwise in waiting two months to question Wilsdon, but had acted appropriately when he did. This issue was however was brought up again in 1991 after the Cannon Street station rail crash in which the driver in that instance was believed to have been high on cannabis and caused a buffer-stop collision. Eltham Well Hall train crash; Statements. He later claimed to a representative from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen that he would not drink again. 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 crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. 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. Well Hall Road had accommodated a tramway route until July 1952, when all such services within London were withdrawn. This took the platforms beyond the bridge which carried the running lines over Well Hall Road, and a new entrance was opened between the latter and the stations down platform, by means of a staircase upon the embankment. It seems these splashes were too late and light to register in the cab. An excursion train from. Sometime between these two renaming occurrences, the goods yard acquired a five-ton crane. 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 crash happened at around 3.30pm today (May 23). Another steam-era system to go was the mechanical signalling, semaphores and the cabin going out of use on 14th March 1970, when four-aspect colour lights, controlled from a temporary panel at St Johns, came into use. 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. It seems these splashes were too late and light to register in the cab. Wilsdon met with his secondman, a youth of 18 years, there. After arrival at Margate, the train was stabled at Ramsgate. June 11, 1972. [1] Again, he was off-duty at the time and British Rail was not informed of this occurrence until April. 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.". 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. The closure of Eltham Park in connection with the road scheme was formally approved on 26th March 1984. The wreckage of a rail crash the day before at Eltham Well Hall railway station in Eltham, London, UK, 12th June 1972. Approaching Eltham Park he became so concerned at the speed that he made two quick applications of the vacuum brake to try to draw the driver's attention, but before he could get a reaction it was too late. 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. 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. The second excursion train, scheduled to leave Margate at 20:05 was to be crewed by Driver Wilsdon, Secondman P.E. Further Reading 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 1908, Well Hall had acquired a footbridge between the platforms, east of the main building and waiting shelter. 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. A third smashed bottle found was later proven to have been a medicine bottle and was unlikely to have carried any alcohol at the time of the accident. Along this paper, the methodology is exemplified on a specific accident: the derailments caused by over-speed in curve. 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. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Two bottles of beer given to the crew by the excursion's organisers were found in the cab, but they were unopened. D1677. Initial reports suggest a person was hit by a motorbike. 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. The station comprised a hybrid of structures: a main building from 1931, a waiting shelter from 1895, and a footbridge from about 1907. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. This did not occur, and the two met up at Ramsgate Depot by the locomotive at around 18:25. Credits The train passed through at high speed without braking and sped into the curve at around 65mph. Photograph by Press Association, 1972. 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. 6635 documents9207 accidentsUpdated 24th Apr. 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). Investigating this theory, the morning after the accident, the cab was searched and three smashed glasses were found in the cab's wreckage. The pair had three pints of light and bitter each with Wilsdon possibly drinking another half pint of light ale, according to the evidence of club staff who served him. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. 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. A diesel locomotive pulling ten coaches entered the curve which has a 20 mph speed restriction at 65 mph. This item is linked to the Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972. 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 second and third coach followed the first coach until relatively late into the derailment, with the coupling between the first and second failing around the end of the derailment. The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. 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. 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. Again, he was off-duty at the time and the British Rail was not informed of this occurrence until April. The rear end of the first coach came to rest up against the leading cab. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. RSS Feeds Please see this explanation for further details. 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. 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. 6635 documents9207 accidentsUpdated 24th Apr. 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. There was an imbalance with the urine alcohol level which made it very likely that the driver had also been drinking alcohol within an hour of his death, meaning it was possible he had been drinking at the controls. 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. United Kingdom. He briefed the pair on the train's particulars with Wilsdon appearing sober and routine. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Investigating this theory, the morning after the accident, the cab was searched and three smashed glasses were found in the cab's wreckage. Most Wanted 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. It was written by Col. J. R. H. Robertson. He briefed the pair on the train's particulars with Wilsdon appearing sober and routine. This accident has been the subject of a published formal accident investigation, which you will find below. Transport Libraries His speech was clear and his gait was normal. News Stories This document was published on 1st June 1973 by Department of the Environment. Stokes had arrived first, having spoken with the supervisor at Ramsgate to ascertain the details of the train. This evidence contradicts that of Wilsdon's brothers who claimed that he had not drunk between 14:02 and 17:15. 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. The latter had a twelve-chain radius, curving sharply to the right after Well Hall station for the 1 in 75 descent towards Kidbrooke, and had a permanent speed restriction of 20 MPH. 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. instance of. The last station the train passed on its journey that Atterbury had to time was at Bexleyheath railway station 4.3miles east of the accident site. Between the footbridge and the new station structures, on the left, can just been seen the exit from the "down" platform to Well Hall Road. Running slightly late and at Wilsdon's urging, the pair returned to Ramsgate Depot at around 19:40. 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. An excursion train returning from Margate came off the track on the sharp curve outside the station. [1] Although Wilsdon paid the fine, British Rail were not notified of this occurrence until a colleague of Wilsdon's was similarly charged five days later. 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. An Inter-City express ran into a freight train carrying 30,000 gallons of fuel oil, after the . The 20:05 return excursion train crewed by Wilsdon, Stokes and Atterbury consisted of a British Rail Class 47 locomotive, No.1630 from the Midland Region, and ten coaches; a Brake Second Corridor, a Second Corridor, a Composite Corridor, three more Second Corridors, another Composite, a Tourist Standard Open, another Second Corridor and another Brake Second Corridor at the rear. News Stories 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. 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. 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%). The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. 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. At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that the driver had been intoxicated by alcohol. 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. 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. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. -- More Tools -- 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. 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. Computations later proved that the driver had apparently shut off power where required, but had not made a brake application. Date: 1972 Reference: 778393i Pictures About this work Publication/Creation [London] : Press Association, 1972. 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. On the morning of 14th November 1944, a V2 rocket impacted a site on Sherrard Road, just 80 yards to the south of Well Hall stations main building. 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 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. 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". 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. This was a very unusual action, particularly as he had made up almost seven minutes of the lost time. Note how the staircase of the footbridge passed through the roof of the canopy. The last station the train passed on its journey that Atterbury had to time was at Bexleyheath railway station 4.3 miles (6.9km) east of the accident site. 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. Both were severely damaged. Although Atterbury had been somewhat concerned about excessive speed between Gillingham and Chatham, he stated that Wilsdon had operated appropriately through Dartford. Electric services ran again from 6th June 1926, and the full suburban electric timetable through to Dartford commenced on 19th July 1926. Physical description 1 photograph : photoprint ; sheet 15.3 x 20.2 cm Contributors Further Research 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. Both brothers confirmed that he had not drunk after leaving the pub and were adamant on this point at the later public inquiry. This was agreed as there was no evidence to the contrary and it was believed that Wilsdon was travelling to Ramsgate at this time. Well Hall was located exactly nine miles from Charing Cross upon an 86-chain curve, descending at 1 in 120 in the London direction. 11 June 1972: D1630 was involved in the notorious Eltham Well Hall rail crash in which six people were killed. Pinterest. 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". An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. More like this London History Local History Family History Eltham Palace London Family The Tudor Boy George Lido Abandoned swimming pools A A.M.C.O. 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. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. 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. All witnesses who saw the driver including the guard, the station staff at both Rainham and Margate, and the depot staff at Ramsgate, observed no signs of intoxication. 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. 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. Those who knew the driver said that he was quite a frequent drinker of alcohol and could "carry" much beer. Explore. In contrast, Stokes claimed that Wilsdon mentioned drinking some sherry when they met at Ramsgate. The station building was located on the London-bound platform and was a familiar SER design, being a single-storey timber structure with a hipped slated roof, the main part of which was 60-foot length . 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. 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 used the correct telephone and spoke quite clearly and was not at all slurred according to both Fleming and Obee. 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. 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. 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. The first occurred on 7 November 1961, when Wilsdon had been charged 150 for being Drunk and disorderly, causing damage to a shop window and assaulting a Police constable whilst off-duty. D1671 was withdrawn some four months later. That day the Harrow Observer reported the horrific accident and 66 years later, getwestlondon pays tribute to the victims. Well Hall, Eltham, train crash, 1972: an injured train driver being carried to an ambulance. A ten-coach excursion train, the 20.05 Margate to Kentish Town, hauled by Brush Type 4 No. Well Hall station will be partially covered by the new Rochester Way relief road. 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, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. Stokes was uncertain on this point but agreed that "Bob could have got one in". 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. He immediately tried to signal to the driver to stop but was unable to gain Wilsdon's attention. In the meantime, the Bexleyheath, Dartford Loop, and North Kent Lines were electrified using the SRs favoured 660-Volts DC third rail system. Your author surmises it was during this incident that the up side platform canopy was damaged. [1] Although Wilsdon paid the fine, British Rail were not notified of this occurrence until a colleague of Wilsdon's was similarly charged five days later. 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. Jan 15, 2015 - A major rail crash happened at Well Hall on Sunday evening 11 June 1972. It will be noticed on those structures which still survive at Bexleyheath and Welling that their wider, 25-foot portions also demonstrate a higher hipped roof section. The train arrived at Margate and the entrainment of passengers was routine, with boarding complete by 20:04. 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. Today. The last train to call at Eltham Park and Well Hall stations was the 23:43 Charing Cross to Dartford. However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. Well Hall station will be partially covered by the new Rochester Way relief road. Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. 2004 - 2023 railwaysarchive.co.uk - all rights reserved. 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. Wilsdon did not meet with the supervisor at Ramsgate, likely owing to the fact that his was the only Class 47 engine at the depot and would have been easy to find. It was concluded that his eventual response to Wilsdon's behaviour was appropriate. The 1969 incident also showed Wilsdon's disregard of what had occurred in 1961 but it was agreed that the manager at the time had been unwise in waiting two months to question Wilsdon, but had acted appropriately when he did. Most Wanted His colleague was similarly promoted but resigned in early 1963 after a series of reprimands and suspensions. Before he could go ask superiors as to where they were, he saw Stokes and Wilsdon return. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. 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. An excursion train returning from Margate came off the track on the sharp curve outside the station.