The name "Well Hall" derived from that of a former Tudor mansion, which resided on a site surrounded by a moat, located 160-yards north of the station. 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. country. The Bexleyheath line became fully track-circuited at this time and, in the same year, a check rail was laid west from Well Hall station, along what was known as the Well Hall Curve. 11 June 1972: D1630 was involved in the notorious Eltham Well Hall rail crash in which six people were killed. At 15:22 Wilsdon signed on duty with Hither Green by telephone. 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". 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. The overgrown area behind the fence on the right was formerly the goods yard. Well Hall, Eltham, train crash, 1972: an injured train driver being carried to an ambulance. He had worked with Wilsdon occasionally before and had driven with him a few times prior. 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 train was an excursion for Kentish Town-based railway employees of the London Midland Region and their families. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Both men were subsequently suspended shortly afterwards, against which Wilsdon immediately appealed, claiming that the event was an isolated incident. Latest Documents 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.[1]. The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. They prepared the train which consisted of a Class 47 diesel locomotive and 10 coaches. 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. Photograph by Press Association, 1972. Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. 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. In 1927, yet another renaming occurred, the Southern Railway designating the site as Eltham (Well Hall) from 26th September. [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. Well Hall Road had accommodated a tramway route until July 1952, when all such services within London were withdrawn. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. He was thoroughly critical of Wilsdon's behaviour, describing it as "reprehensible" and "disgraceful". Eltham Well Hall rail crash a train derailedderailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall stationEltham (Well Hall) derailmentLondon-bound train came off the track The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35.wikipedia 47Related Articles [filter] His colleague was similarly promoted but resigned in early 1963 after a series of reprimands and suspensions. The train arrived at Margate and the entrainment of passengers was routine, with boarding complete by 20:04. Shortly afterwards, a freight train collided heavily with the wreckage, killing the drivers of both locomotives. Investigating this theory, the morning after the accident, the cab was searched and three smashed glasses were found in the cab's wreckage. Pictures by my father, Reg Godsave. The locomotive jumped the sharp curve, derailing and rolling onto its left side and sliding through a coal yard. 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. Physical description 1 photograph : photoprint ; sheet 15.3 x 20.2 cm Contributors 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. Both brothers confirmed that he had not drunk after leaving the pub and were adamant on this point at the later public inquiry. 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. Statistics 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 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. 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. The original document format was Stapled Book, and comprised 27 pages. ASLEF sided with Wilsdon and General Secretary William Evans sided with Wilsdon. Since 1969, Wilsdon had had a clean record with no reprimands. Wilsdon met with his secondman, a youth of 18 years, there. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at The "up" platform still had vintage style benches, and it is evident that a window had been bricked up in that wall of the main building nearest the camera. 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 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. Semi-detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900-39. Emergency services were notified, and arrived between 21:40 and 21:42. Stokes and Guard H. Atterbury. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. 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.". At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that Wilsdon had been intoxicated by alcohol. 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 20 miles per hour (32km/h) but when he saw the excursion train approaching, he was quite certain it was traveling far beyond that speed. 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. It seems these splashes were too late and light to register in the cab. RSS Feeds Well Hall Road, which is one of the key arterial roads between Eltham and Woolwich, is blocked near the junction of Arsenal Road. Links Six lives were lost including the driver, and 126 people were injured. Both were severely damaged. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. 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. I am a dreamer who dreams of a world full of 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. Genealogy 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. It also meant that his Supervisors at Hither Green would not see him in person. 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. 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. 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. A second trailing crossover between the running lines had been installed 50-yards east of the platforms, and the goods yard acquired a further two sidings and a shed (although, as per that at Bexleyheath, rails did not pass through it). 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. This did not occur, and the two met up at Ramsgate Depot by the locomotive at around 18:25. The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. 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". All three acquired a new main building, replacing the SER timber structures on their up platforms. 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. The crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. He immediately tried to signal to the driver to stop but was unable to gain Wilsdon's attention. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Attached to the building was an arched-roof platform canopy with clover-patterned valance, a style which is still evident today at Paddock Wood. An Inter-City express ran into a freight train carrying 30,000 gallons of fuel oil, after the . The adequacy of the taxonomy is discussed with regards to the socio-technical context of accident reports. The train was an excursion for Kentish Town-based railway employees of the London Midland Region and their families. 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. Although Atterbury had been somewhat concerned about excessive speed between Gillingham and Chatham, he stated that Wilsdon had operated appropriately through Dartford. At about 15:20 he booked on duty by telephone with Hither Green depot and travelled by train to Ramsgate. Further Research 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. 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. 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. In contrast, Stokes claimed that Wilsdon mentioned drinking some sherry when they met at Ramsgate. This was a very unusual action, particularly as he had made up almost seven minutes of the lost time. 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%). The train passed through at high speed without braking and sped into the curve at around 65mph. "The train was the diesel-hauled 20.05 Margate to Kentish Town excursion train and it comprised ten coaches, well filled with passengers returning from a day's outing at Margate. Poor weather hampered construction and pushed back the commissioning of the new station, both the existing sites lingering on until Saturday 16th March 1985. 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. 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. 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. By 1908, Well Hall had acquired a footbridge between the platforms, east of the main building and waiting shelter. At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that Wilsdon had been intoxicated by alcohol. 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". 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. 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. Statistics 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. 125 passengers were injured. Further Research An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The last train to call at Eltham Park and Well Hall stations was the 23:43 Charing Cross to Dartford. Upon completing his phone conversation, Wilsdon returned to his cab and departed having been stopped at Rainham for about four minutes. The crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. 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. Lettering on paper caption-sheet stuck on verso of print catalogued. 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. 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. It was concluded that his eventual response to Wilsdon's behaviour was appropriate. 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. 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. This travel time and distance between Rainham and Hither Green played a key role in the accident that occurred.[2]. Well Hall, Eltham, train crash, 1972: an injured train driver being carried to an ambulance. 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. 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 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. This document was kindly sourced from Harry Knox and is in our Accident reports collection. The curve had a maximum permitted speed to be taken at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) but the train was estimated to have been travelling at 65 . 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. The curve had a maximum permitted speed to be taken at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) but the . The first coach followed the overturned locomotive but remained upright, the coupling failing quite late into the sequence. 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. Apr 2, 2017 - Eltham Well Hall Rail Crash. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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 Six lives were lost including the driver, and 126 people were injured. Website & Copyright information - Links - Contact the Webmaster, All content is copyright David Glasspool unless otherwise stated. Eltham Well Hall is seen in this Dartford-bound view less than a year before closure. 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 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. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. From 1st October 1916, the station was known as Well Hall and North Eltham. He briefed the pair on the train's particulars with Wilsdon appearing sober and routine. Computations later proved that the driver had apparently shut off power where required, but had not made a brake application. Touch device users, explore by touch . 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. 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 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. He used the correct telephone and spoke quite clearly and was not at all slurred according to both Fleming and Obee. 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. Of these penalties, three were fairly minor isolated offences (unauthorised absence in October 1960, persistent lateness in February 1961 and a "relatively minor driving offence" in February 1963) but two were serious offences, one of which resulted in a temporary suspension. 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. 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.". Genealogy [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. Date: 1972 Reference: 778393i Pictures About this work Publication/Creation [London] : Press Association, 1972. good people helping eachother, Ilford rail crash, Ealing rail crash, Wembley Central rail crash, Cannon Street station rai, Spa Road Junction rail crash. 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. 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. United Kingdom. The layout was controlled from a signal box positioned beyond the London end of the "down" platform; this was the product of contractor "McKenzie & Holland", which signalled the Bexleyheath Line. The outbound journeys left Kentish Town around 0830, were completed uneventfully and the trains stabled at Ramsgate as planned. For this case study, the available worldwide railway accident data are analysed in order to build taxonomy. 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. 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 Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. 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. 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 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. Before he could go ask superiors as to where they were, he saw Stokes and Wilsdon return. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Well Hall was located exactly nine miles from Charing Cross upon an 86-chain curve, descending at 1 in 120 in the London direction. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 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]. 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. Although Robertson could not confirm Stokes' statements, he considered it likely that Wilsdon had drunk after 14:02 owing to the smell on Wilsdon's breath at Rainham several hours later and, whilst not explicitly accusing Wilsdon's brothers of lying, considered that anybody who tried to hide evidence of Wilsdon's drinking that day "did him a disservice". 1973 . 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.
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