User:Simon the Likable/Cudworth rail accident

Simon the Likable/Cudworth rail accident
Details
Date	19 January 1905 (1905-01-19) 03:37
Location	Cudworth, South Yorkshire
Country	England
Line	Midland Railway
Cause	Express passed signals at danger in fog and collided with rear of slower-moving mail train; third train in minor collision with wreckage
Statistics
Trains	3
Deaths	7
Injured	17
List of UK rail accidents by year

The Cudworth rail accident took place on the Midland Railway at about 3:37 am on 19 January, 1905. A southbound passenger express passed signals at danger in thick fog and collided with the rear of a slower-moving mail train near Storr's Mill signal-box, roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-east of Cudworth station, South Yorkshire. The two trains were... ; A third train collided slightly with the wreckage.

Seven persons were killed, and 17 injured, many seriously. Among those killed was the Scottish artist Robert Brough.

Reference

Accident

At 1:15 am on 19 January 1905 the signalman at Storr's Mill signal box telephoned Cudworth station to report that fog-signalmen were required. A porter was sent to request the designated call-man to order out all the fog-men. He was found to be ill, and so the porter returned to the station and was now instructed to call a ganger, George Moore, who left his house at 2:00 am and commenced rousing the men. But Moore, and others to whom he delegated parts of his duty, were not familiar with the addresses of all required staff, and further delays resulted.

At 2:25 am an up mail train departed Leeds heading south to Sheffield. It consisted of a tender, four fish trucks, two coaches, and three brake vans, drawn by a single four-wheels-coupled engine. Stopping at most stations and slow-moving at the best of times, in the thick fog it travelled at perhaps 10 miles (16 km) miles per hour.

At 3:05 am the up express train (Leeds to St. Pancras)

On this night there were two key fog-men: platelayer Alfred Blackburn, who was assigned to the up distant signal for Carlton Main (3.2 miles (5.1 km) north of Storr's Mill), and platelayer Sidney Woolstone, who was employed to fog the Storr's Mill up distant signal (.6 miles (0.97 km) distant). Blackburn was called at 2:35 am, and reported to the signal box roughly half an hour later, having dressed and walked 1.5 miles (2.4 km) over frozen snow in thick fog. At the box he equipped himself with his lamp, flags and detonators, and made his way a further .6 miles (0.97 km) to his post. He arrived at about 3:32 am, only in time to witness the up express passing the signal at danger (i.e. in its 'prepare to stop' position) at full speed. As it transpired, the driver of the express had not seen this warning signal.

Alfred Shirley:

Henry Taylor was the signalman in the Cudworth Station South Junction signalbox. "About one and a half minutes after receiving the "Train entering section" signal I heard a train approaching at a high rate of speed, and could tell it was close to me. I knew it must be the Scotch express, and that it was passing my signals at danger. I picked up my hand lamp, and ran to the south end of the box with a view of exhibiting a red light to the driver, but the train passed me before I could exhibit the signal. I went to the up line bell, and ... sent the block signal "Train or vehicles running away on right line " to Stores Mill at 3.35 a.m."

By this time the express had passed at speed through eight distant (warning) signals and two stop signals, all set at danger.

Meantime, platelayer Woolstone, who had eventually been called at 2:50 am, was still required to call five other men before proceeding to his post. He then started for Storr's Mill signal box to collect signalling equipment, having to walk past his signal post on the way. He was 150 yards (140 m) past his signal when the up mail train passed him, and he continued on his path. Approximately 45 seconds later he heard the up express approaching. "Having a lighted lamp with me, and hearing the second train approaching so close behind the other, I knew something was wrong, and attempted to give the driver of the express a red light but he passed me before I could do so." Because he had not yet visited the signal box he had no detonators to lay upon the track.

An express train, running south from Leeds to St. Pancras, passed a signal at danger and overtook a slower moving mail train (Leeds to Sheffield) roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-east of Cudworth station. The resulting rear-end collision overturned the leading engine and tender of the express and derailed the second engine. The first three coaches were overturned and broken up, and all save the last three carriages derailed.

Of the mail train all vehicles were derailed save the engine and tender, with the last three coaches smashed into pieces.

The leading engine of the up express train came to rest some 300 yards (270 m) from the point of impact.

Numerous vehicles had come to rest fouling the down express line; the southernmost of these was a derailed fish truck from the mail train. A third train, the midnight north-bound express from St. Pancras to Carlisle, was warned to slow, first by a signal at danger and then by the whistle of the mail train. Before it could be brought to a standstill, it came into contact with the fish truck, causing minor damage but no further injuries.

Approximately five minutes after the first collision a fire broke out in one of the derailed express coaches. A guard, with the assistance of passengers, managed to separate the last three carriages and push them away. The same guard managed to retrieve all baggage from the now-last vehicle, a brake van, before it and all the remaining express coaches were consumed by flames and totally destroyed.

The accident caused the immediate death of four passengers, a guard, and a fireman, all of whom were from the express. Another 18 people were injured, one of whom later died from his injuries. Fortunately the wrecked express carried few passengers, or the toll would have been far greater.

Rescue efforts

After taking steps to protect their trains from further collisions, members of the express running staff who had not been incapacitated by the collision began to assist passengers from the train. The intense cold, thick fog and slippery conditions made particularly difficult the task of moving victims down the high embankment, over a ditch and hedge, and into an adjacent field. A number of passengers, including a doctor, assisted. Contemporary press reports make particular mention of a Royal Artilleryman, Wright, who recovered a number of seriously wounded victims, and lead the rescue efforts.

The glare of the burning train attracted miners returning home to Cudworth after the night shift at the nearby Grimethorpe Colliery. Working by the light of the fire they assisted in rescuing people from the wrecked express and in removing the bodies of the dead.

Messages reporting the accident were sent by the signal man in the adjacent Storr's Mill signal box. As soon as the news reached Sheffield a special train was prepared, which left for the scene at 4:50am. An hour later, in response to further requests for assistance, a second special was despatched conveying more doctors, railway officials and ambulance men.

Victims conveyed to Sheffield...

Inquiries

Inquest

On 20 January, the day after the collision, the County Coroner, Mr Maitland, opened an inquest at Cudworth on the then six persons killed in the incident.

Board of Trade

On the order of the Board of Trade an investigation into the causes of the collisions was instituted. Major J. W. Pringle tendered his report at the end February 1905. Pringle concluded that the primary blame for the incident belonged to the lead driver of the up express, Oliver Mugg, who had failed to take into account the dense fog, had failed to take proper responsibility for viewing signals, had driven at high speed past signals at danger, and, as a result, had entered "into the block section between Cudworth Station South and Storr's Mill posts, when that section was already occupied by the up mail train". He also assigned blame "in a very much less degree" to the driver of the second engine of the express who should have taken upon himself responsibility for reducing speed.

Although regulations were explicit that the driver was responsible for observing signals even in low visibility ("when the fog is so dense that the fixed signals cannot be seen by the engine driver ... he must ... assume that the fixed signal is at danger") Pringle was also critical of the Midland Railway:

The Company's arrangements for fog signalling, and for calling fog-men, cannot be described as complete and satisfactory. As this unfortunate collision proves, there may be cases when the gain of a few minutes in getting fog-men into position will avert serious and fatal results.

Pringle made a number of specific recommendations for improvements, including providing busy signalmen with mechanical devices to aid them in placing detonators on the tracks, that fog signalmen should be housed as close as possible to the scene of their duties, and where possible that "electric communications" should be provided from signal boxes to the fog-men's quarters.

In Pringle's view the conduct of some railway staff deserved commendation. In particular he singled out the driver of the down express (the third train), James Pearson, whose vigilance in observing and acting upon the Storr's Mill down distant signal averted a further disastrous collision. Four other men were commended for their behaviour under what Pringle laconically described as "very trying circumstances".

Notable victims

Robert Brough, the Scottish painter, had been in Scotland working on a portrait commission and was travelling home to London on the up express. Trapped in his sleeping berth, he was seriously burned in the accident. He was taken to a hospital in Sheffield, where he died on 21 January. His death was reported around the world.

See also

• Cudworth railway station
• Midland Main Line
• North Midland Railway
• Midland Railway
• Search for "Storr's Mill signal-box"
• West Gippsland Gazette, Tuesday 28 March 1905
• The Mercury, Saturday 4 March 1905
• Detonator (railway)
• Fog signal#Railway fog signals

External links

• Railways Archive – Accident at Cudworth on 19th January 1905
• Oxford Art Online – Robert Brough

Category:Railway accidents in England Category:Railway accidents in 1905 Category:1905 in England Category:Rail transport in South Yorkshire Category:Disasters in Yorkshire