CRYSTAL PALACE (LOW LEVEL)


16th JUNE 1876


INVOLVING DRIVER CHARLES CLARKE & FIREMAN ALFRED POINTER

DEPOT UNKOWN


extracted and adapted from the report by

H.W. Tyler

Captain





The accident that occurred on the 16th ultimo, near the Crystal-Palace station, on the London-Brighton-and-South-Coast Railway. 

In this case, as the 5.18 p.m. passenger-train from Victoria for South-Croydon was approaching the Crystal-Palace station, the leading-wheels of the engine left the rails at the diamond-crossing of the junction between the line from Victoria for London- Bridge and the line from Victoria for South-Croydon. After running for 56 yards off the rails, the off-leading- wheel of the engine struck the check-rail of another crossing, and the engine was turned against the up- platform on the main-line side of the Crystal-Palace station, a coping-stone of which was displaced. None of the carriages of the train left the rails, and no passengers have complained of injury. The diamond- crossing of this junction and the portions of line near it are shown on the accompanying diagram, on which also will be observed, marked with a dotted line, the path of the engine after it left the rails. The gauge between the rails, as taken during my inquiry, and the levels of the rails, are also marked on the diagram.

The train in question consisted of a tank-engine, No. 213, and eight passenger-carriages, of which two were break-carriages.

Evidence.

The engine-driver, Charles Clarke, has been driving for about twelve months, and has had charge of No. 213 engine since last May. He was approaching the Crystal-Palace tunnel-mouth junction at a speed of about four miles an hour, and he felt his engine give a
sudden jump in passing the diamond-crossing opposite the signal-cabin. He helloed out "Woa! ! " Woa! " meaning the fireman to apply his break, which he did, and he whistled for the guard's break, and he believes he pulled over the reversing-lever, but he is not quite sure whether he did so. After running along the 
chairs, his engine met with the check-rail, which turned it across to the platform. The trailing-wheels of the engine remained on the rails after it came to a stand, the leading and driving wheels having been thrown off the rails. He went back to examine the rails. All the carriages were on the rails. He saw a mark along the check-rail on the off-side, where a wheel appeared to have passed over it ; but he could not see any mark made by the engine before reaching that point. He noticed some fish-bolts broken, but did not notice any chairs broken.

The fireman, Alfred Pointer, with the previous witness, confirms the statement of his engine-driver. He felt something wrong with the engine as it on approached the crossing; but he did not know that the engine was off the rails. He thought something must have given way underneath. He put on break and looked over at the side, and only found out after the engine had stopped that she was off the rails.

The guard, Joseph King, was riding in the break- carriage at the tail of the train. The train left Gipsey-Hill about 5.51, three minutes late. The train was coming out of the tunnel very- slowly, and he was about to take off his break, to allow it to run forward to the station, when he heard the engine- driver whistle, and the train came shortly to it stand. His first impression was that they had run over someone. He went to the front of the train, and was surprised to find the engine off the road. He then examined the road, and the only mark he could see was one on the off-side of the diamond-crossing.

Richard Turner, the inspector on duty at the Crystal-Palace station, was standing on the platform, and watching the train as it came out of the tunnel. He heard a blow, as if something had struck a piece of metal with a sledge-hammer. He could see then that the engine was jumping along on the chairs, from the diamond-crossing to the crossing of the cross- over-road opposite the main-line-platform, and then the engine pitched into the platform. On going back he found that none of the carriages had left the rails and no passengers were hurt; in fact, they did not know that anything was the matter. He got the train moved back, so as to put it on the other road, by another engine. The only marks he could see on the permanent-way were the point where the engine struck the check-rail, and the line where it ran along the check-rail, and the marks on the chairs between the two crossings. Some of the chairs were broken, and some of the fish-plates also.

George Sharman, the foreman of platelayers in charge of this part of the line, was on his garden near the Crystal - Palace station, when Inspector Turner came to tell the signalman that something was off the line, and he then went to see what was the matter. He could not see any trace of a wheel-mark until the engine reached the check-rail, along which one of the wheels evidently ran on the off-side. Ile lifted the crossing at that part of the line about six or seven months ago, and very little has been done to it since. He believes the crossing was put in about 2 1/2 years ago.

Richard Elliot, inspector of the permanent-way for the district from Balham to Norwood, including the part of the line at which the accident occurred. He  has been on this district for about twelve months. He reached the spot about half an hour after the accident, and found the engine off the road with four of its wheels. He went back to ascertain where the engine had left the rails, but could not see any mark produced by the engine on the rails until it came to the check- rail, along which one of its off-wheels had run.

The engine, No. 213, is a six-wheeled tank-engine, with four coupled-wheels in front of five feet, and trailing-wheels of four feet in diameter. The cylinders are 16 inches in diameter, by a stroke of 20 inches. The total weight is stated to be 35 tons 2 cwt., distributed as follows : 12 tons on the leading, 12 tons 6 cwt. on  the driving, and 10 tons 16 cwt. on the trailing wheels. The wheel-base measures 7' 3" from leading to driving,  and 8' 7" from driving to trailing wheels, making, altogether, 15' 10". The off-leading-spring was stated to have the top plate newly broken after the accident, and I had no opportunity of examining it, as it was repaired before my inquiry. In examining the other springs, after the buckles had been removed from them, I found an old fracture in one plate in the left-leading-spring. The driving-springs were both sound, as well as the near-trailing-spring ; but the off-trailing- spring had six plates cracked or broken, two of them showing chiefly, and others partially, old flaws.

Conclusion.

In considering the circumstances of this accident, it is evident that the near-leading-wheel of the engine first mounted the near-rail at the point A in the diagram. The off-leading-wheel, thus liberated, struck, and passed over, the check-rail B C: and the engine ran forward with its leading-wheels only off the rails, until its off-leading-wheel struck a second check-rail opposite the main-line-platform. Its driving-wheels then also left the rails, and its near-leading-end was thrown against the coping of the platform.

Two causes contributed to produce the accident. One cause had reference to the condition of the permanent-way, the other had reference to the condition of the engine. The superelevation of the outer rail of the curve, which it is always more or less difficult to adjust at diamond-crossings of curved lines, was lost in approaching the crossing, partly by an actual fall of the outer-rail, and partly by a rise of the inner- rail ; and a certain amount of weakness in the off- trailing-spring tended to disturb the balance of the engine. These two causes combined to enable the near-leading-wheel to pass over the near-rail at A without even marking it.

To prevent such an accident from again occurring, it id desirable, besides taking care that the engine. springs are all sound, and the permanent-way is in better level, and rather wider in gauge, to add a check-rail from E to B. This will prevent the wheels of engines or vehicles from thus leaving the rails, even though, from causes such as the above, they may have a tendency to do so.

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