1883



NEWICK & CHAILEY


4th JANUARY 1883


INVOLVING 


BRIGHTON DRIVER JESSE MARSHALL


AND FIREMAN JOSEPH GEORGE



DEPOT UNKNOWN


Extracted and adapt from a report 

by W. Yolland Colonel





A collision that occurred on the 4th January between a passenger train and the buffer-stops at the end of a siding at the Newick and Chailey station of the East Grinstead and Lewes branch of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
No passenger was injured, hut the fireman of the engine was somewhat seriously
hurt.
The engine was a good deal damaged, having the foot plating broken, and the break rods, back tool box, lamp irons, and hand rail broken.
The third class break carriage, which was next to the engine, had one headstock, one end panel, three buffer-facings, one step-hoard, and one end-rail broken; also one door-light, two buffers, one draw bar, and two step-irons broken.
No. 293, second-class carriage, had two headstocks, two buffer-castings, one buffer facing, and one quarter-light broken, and one sole-bar slightly damaged.
No. 305, third-class carriage, had one buffer-casting broken, and the buffer-stops at the end of the siding were smashed.

Description

The East Grinstead and Lewes Branch is a single line, with loop lines at most of the stations which are used as passing places. There is such a loop at the Newick and Chailey station, with sidings on each side of the line. The signal-box is situated at the south end of the up platform at the south end of the station, and there is a pair of facing-points about 40 yards south of the signal-box on the down line, which points are properly interlocked with the signals and worked from the signal-box. These facing-points lead to the single line on the right hand, and to a siding about 400 yards in length, and terminated by buffer-stops on the left hand.

Before the down starting-signal, moved by No. 3 lever, can be lowered for a down train to leave the station, levers 9 and 10, which shift the facing-points and locking bar, must be pulled over to ensure that the points are in their proper position for a down train to proceed.
The following extracts from the Appendix to the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company s Working Time Book will show what a signalman has to do when anything is wrong with the facing-points or starting-signals :

SIGNALS CONTROLLING FACING-POINTS.

In the event of a signal, which is interlocked and controls facing-points, being blown down, or removed from any other cause, arrangements must at once be made for all trains passing over such points to be stopped, and passed over by hand, until the signal is again replaced and properly interlocked with the points.
This will apply to facing-points on single or double lines, and in the case of a double line of rails, trains passing in the opposite direction must also be first brought to a stand, and pass the spot at a foot pace, if the facing-points lead to or across the line on which the train in the opposite direction is running.
This rule must also be strictly observed in the case of any temporary disarrangement of the interlocking gear for repairs or other cause.
Each signalman must at all times keep a close watch on the working of his signals and points, and immediately he finds anything wrong must carry out the fore going rules ; sending out hand signalmen to act under his directions, and place a man at the points to see they are set right for the passing of every train in either direction.
The signalman must also immediately inform the station-master, who will be held responsible to see these instructions are properly carried out.

Evidence

William Notley, porter about five months, states: I was in the signal-box at Newick station on the night of the 4th January doing duty as a signalman. I went in at 6.30 p.m., and I was to remain there until the last train hail passed a little after 10 p.m. I had

Jesse Marshall, engine driver between seven and eight years, states: I was driving tank-engine No.265 in front of the 9.10 p.m. train from East Grinstead to Brighton on the 4th January. It consisted of five carriages altogether, including a break van and one break-carriage. It was fitted throughout with the Westinghouse automatic break. We reached Newick about 10 p.m., the proper time. We were running with the chimney behind. The station master and guard gave the signal to start, after a delay of about one minute. The starting signal was not taken off for us to leave. I started the train, and stopped at the signal, which was on at danger against me, and the signalman put his head out of the window, showed a green light, and said he could not pull the starting signal. He said, All right, right away. It was a very dark night. 1 then started again, and I thought I was running on the right road, and I did not find out that we were not running on the right road until my mate called out, Hold hard,” and we struck the buffer stops just as lie called out. I had shut off the steam as we struck the buffer stops. I think we might have been running about 20 miles an hour when we struck the buffer stops, which we knocked down. The engine got off the rails. The carriage break next the engine also got off the rails, and the front wheels of the carriage next to it also got off the rails, but no other vehicle. My mate was seriously hurt and off duty for a fortnight. I was not hurt.

Joseph George, fireman to Jesse Marshall, states: We reached Newick about 10 p.m. and stopped there about a minute. We then started and stopped at the starting-signal, which was on at danger. We received a green light from a hand-lamp from the signal box. The signalman said the lever or the rod of the starting signal was broken, and he could not pull down the signal. We then started again, and I was not aware that we were running on the wrong road until I saw the reflection of the light of the lamp on the buffer- beam of the engine on the buffer-stops, when we were not more than about two yards from them. We were then running about 30 miles an hour. As soon as I saw the light on the buffer-stops I told my mate to stop. I do not know what my mate did, as I was struck in the head as the engine came into collision with the buffer stops. I was taken to the hospital and was a good deal hurt.

Walter Hunt, guard a little more than two years, states : I was guard of the 9.10 p.m. passenger train from East Grinstead to Brighton on the 4t.h January last, and rode in the last vehicle, a break-van. We reached Newick at the proper time, stopped about a minute, and then started, but we stopped at the starting signal, which was on at danger against us. The signalman showed a green light from a hand-lamp, and we then started again. I was not aware that we were travelling on the wrong road until after the accident bad occurred. I think wejwere travelling at from 16 to 20 miles an hour when we were suddenly stopped. There was no whistle previous to the stoppage. I was not hurt. There was only one passenger in the train ; he did not complnin of being hurt. I was not aware that anything was wrong until the stoppage took place.

William Mullinger, station master about four years, and six months at Newick, states : The train arrived about one minute past 10 o clock, and I handed the driver a staff ticket, and I turned to assist some passengers with their luggage. After that I went into my office. About five minutes after this porter Notley came in, saying that there had been an accident, and I at once went down with Notley and saw the train at a standstill in the siding. The three men in charge of the train and the passenger were together. The passenger said he was not hurt at all ; the fireman said he was hurt, but not much. About half an hour afterwards I went into the signal-box ; Notley was was me. I noted that only No. 7 lever was pulled over. I tried none of the levers. Notley told me that he could not take off the starting signal, and had given a hand signal to the driver. We have two regular signalmen at this station, one from 6.45 a.m. till 6.40 p.m., and th other fog 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. There is only one porter, Notley. I do not whether the signalling arrangements were out of order when the accident happened or not.

EXTRACT from Inspector BARKSHIRE S REPORT of the 6th January 1883 as to the 9.10 p.m. East Grinstead to Brighton passenger train being turned into Overshot siding at Newick and Chailey station, 4th January.

On going to signal-box with Mr. Mullinger and Notley I found No. 7 lever only over, all the others standing in their normal position.

No. 7 lever releases the gear in small cabin at the north end of station. I inquired of Notley what levers were over when the 9.10 train came in, and he replied1, 2, 7, 9, and 10. No.1is the distant; No.2 the home; No.9 the facing-points; and No.10 the bolt, and these two latter levers must be got before the starting-signal No. 3 lever can be lowered.

I asked Notley how it was 9 and 10 were not then over, and he replied he put them hack directly train had left, as is usual ; in this he was very persistent, although both I and Mr. Mullinger explained to him that if his statement was correct the train would not have been where it then was, as the points were properly connected and in good working order.

I then instructed Notley to set the road exactly as he had done before the train arrived ; he pulled over levers 1 and 2, but, to his surprise, he could not get 9 and 10, although they had not been touched since he had put them back after train had gone.

After making several unsuccessful attempts to get them, he was told to sec if all the springs were right, and in looking through them found No. 12 lever spring was not out, and directly he rectified that he was able to get 9 and 10.

I have no doubt, in my own mind, that Notley could not get 9 and 10 levers when driver whistled for starting-signal, and, getting confused, gave the hand-signal and told driver he could not get the signal.

Conclusion.
From the preceding statements it will be seen that the collision with the buffer- stops was produced by the porter (Notley), acting as a signalman, having started the 9.10 p.m. down passenger train from East Grinstead to Brighton from Newick and Chailey station, by means of a hand-signal from the signal-box, without having first ascertained that the facing-points, which are about 40 yards from the signal-box, had been set right for the train to travel on the single line southwards.

The train, which consisted of a tank-engine and five carriages, then started, passed into the siding instead of travelling on the single line, and ran along it until it came in contact with the buffer-stops at the end of the siding and smashed them, the train travelling at the time at a speed estimated at from 16 to 30 miles an hour. The engine and the vehicle next to it, and the leading wheels of the next vehicle, got off the rails and were damaged.

Neither the engine-driver, fireman, nor guard of the train were aware that they were travelling on the wrong road, and I do not consider that, as regards the driver and fireman, a proper look-out was kept, especially as the train was started by means of a hand-signal.

The collision resulted from the porter acting as signalman having improperly started the train ; but this man had only been employed five months, and from his statements it does not appear that he had been properly instructed in the duties of a signalman.

The porter had varied in his statements as to what he had actually done in the signal-box when endeavouring to take off the starting-signal, but these statements clearly showed that he was not properly qualified to act as a signalman, inasmuch as he did not understand the working of the apparatus for taking off the starting-signal.

The person most to blame, in my opinion, was the station-master, who had only been six months at this station, in having authorised the porter (Notley), during one week out of three, to take the signalman's place in the signal-box from 6.30 p.m. till
after the last train at night had passed about 10 o clock.

The station-master appears to have done this without having apparently obtained the
sanction of the superintendent of the line.

Fortunately the consequences were not very serious, as there was only one passenger
in the train when it left the station.

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