1896
SOUTH CROYDON
24th APRIL 1896
Involving
Driver Alfred Reigate
& George Waters and his fireman W. Friend
depot unknown
extracted and adapted from the report by
G.W. Addison, Lieut. Col., R.E.
A slight collision that occurred on .April 24th, about 12.5 a.m., at South Croydon Junction on
the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway. In this case, as the 1.1.28 p.m. passenger train from East Grinstead to Victoria was passing from the up branch line to the up main line at South Croydon it came into collision with the rear brake-van of the 11.30 p.m. Norwood Junction to Newhaven goods train, which was standing on the down main line foul of the crossing.
No passengers or servants of the Company are reported to have been injured.
The passenger train consisted of a four-wheel-coupled tank-engine with trailing
bogie, running bunker in front, and four six-wheeled coaches, the train being fitted
throughout with the Westinghouse automatic brake. The engine had one footplate
turned up, but otherwise the train was uninjured, and no wheels of this train left the
rails.
The goods train consisted of a six-wheel-coupled tender goods engine, and 38 vehicles. The goods brake in rear of the train had two step-boards, one corner-pillar, one side-rail, and one side-board broken ; one step-iron, one iron casing of solo, one iron headstock and scroll iron broken ; one axle-box. cover broken off; two axle guards and one draw-bar bent; casing of one headstock badly bent and one door shifted. The trailing wheels of the van were knocked off the rails.
Description.
The main lines of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway run through South Croydon station nearly due north and south, and at the south end of the station there is a junction with tho lines from Oxted and East Grinstead on the east or down side of the main line. An up train from East Grinstead has thus to cross the down main line at South Croydon junction when passing from tho up branch to tho up main line.
The branch line approaches the junction with reverse curves of 30 chains radius, and on a falling gradient of 1 in 83.
The main lines are on a gradient falling from south to north at 1 in 266
The signal-cabin is just opposite to the junction points, and the following distances from the centre of tho cabin should be noted, viz. :-
To point of collision - 80 yards.
To up home-signal, branch line 170 ,
To down advance-signal, main line - 370
The engine of the goods train was apparently standing about 25 yards in rear of the advance-signal.
Evidence.
Alfred Reigate states: I have been 21 years in the Company's service, 7 1/2 years as driver. On the 23rd April I booked on at 5.15 p.m., to work until about 4 a.m., on the 24th. My engine, No. 401, is a six-wheel-coupled tender goods engine. On the night of the 23rd I left Norwood junction at 11.45 p.m. to run to Newhaven, with 38 vehicles behind the engine. We arrived at South Croydon about. 11.55 p.m. On approaching the home-signal, it was pulled
off by the signal man to allow me to draw up to the down advance-signal, which was at danger. I stopped about the length of the engine and tender away from the signal post, or it may have been a little more. My usual number of trucks is about 40. I take this train two or three time a week almost every week. It is a comparatively rare occurrence for me to be brought to a complete stand at the advance-signal. On the occasion in question, as soon as we stopped, I went round the engine to do some oiling, and as I passed the front or the engine I saw a passenger train coming off the branch line. I got back on to the footplate as soon as I could, but as I got on to it I felt a pull on tbc engine, which showed me that the passenger train had struck us. I do not ever recollect passenger train being allowed, before then, to pass
the branch up home-signal whilst I was standing at the down advance on the main line.
Albert Tucknott states: I have been six years in the Company's service and for a month past I have been rated as a brakes man. On the 23rd April I came on duty at 5.30 p.m., to work until about 3.30 on the 24th. I was brakes man in the rear brake of the 11.30 train from Norwood junction to Newhaven. We pulled up at the advance signal at South Croydon about midnight, and the collision occurred two or three minutes afterwards. I was looking out of the window in the fore part of the brake on the left-hand side. I saw that we were foul of the junction, and
the two trailing wheels of the broke appeared to be on the crossing. As soon as I saw the signalman was allowing the passenger train to come past the branch home-signal I showed the driver a red light. He applied his brakes. I tried to get out of the van, but was too late. The buffers of the engine struck us about the middle of the van. I was not knocked down nor hurt. The two trailing wheels of the ran left the rails. The tail-lamps were lighted and were burning well.
George Waters states: I have been 25 years in the Company's service, 15 years as a driver. On the 23rd April I came on duty at 3.30 p.m., to work until 2 a.m. on the 24th. My engine, No. 387, is a four-wheel-coupled tank engine with trailing bogie (eight wheels in all), fitted with the Westinghouse automatic brake and screw hand-brake. I left East Grinstead at 11.28 p.m. to run to Victoria, the engine being bunker first on that journey. We arrived outside South Croydon about 12.1 a.m., up to time. I saw the home signal at danger from the distant signal about 300 yards away. I whistled for the home-signal, and it was pulled off when I was about
a hundred yards away from it; the speed of the train would then be about 8 or 10 miles an hour, and I had shut off steam some time previously (Sanderstead station). No brakes were on. I first saw there was something foul of the main-line crossing ahead of us when the brakes man of the goods train showed me a red light, by which time I had pulled the home signal. I was on the right hand side of the engine as we were running. I could not sec tho side lights of the brake-van from my position on the engine. I applied the Westinghouse brake engine reversed the engine. After knocking the brake on one side we went on about the length of the engine and half a carriage. There were four six-wheeled coaches on the train. I have taken the same train about twice a week for four years, and I never notice a goods train standing fit the advance signal before. Neither I nor my mate was hurt at all. None of the wheels of my train left tho rails. One footplate was turned up but no other damage was done to my engine.
W. Friend states : I have been nine years in the Company's service, six years as fireman. On the 23rd and 24th April I was firing for driver Waters and my hours of duty were the same as his. Approaching South Croydon junction, with the 11.28 train from East Grinstead to Victoria, I was looking out on the left hand side of the engine. I saw the goods train on the main line as we passed through Selsdon Road Station, and just as we passed the junction home signal the goods guard waved a red light, and I applied the hand-brake as fast as I could. The driver applied the Westinghouse and reversed the engine. The brakes acted all right. It was a fine night. I had not seen any lights of the van until the red light was shown, nor could I have seen them on account of the curve.
Copy of Report made by signalman Blogg to Mr. Pilbeam, station master, South Croydon.
"I have to report that the cause of the brake being off the road was an oversight on my part, but after the 11.5 p.m. Willow Walk to Newhaven goods train had come to a stand at the advance signal, to await the arrival from Purley junction of the 10.15 p.m. Willow Walk to Three Bridges goods train, I, believing that the goods train was clear of the junction, plunged Selsdon Road junction for the 11.28 p.m. East Grinstead to Victoria train to cross the junction, that train being then standing at Selsdon Road junction, and I did not know but that
the goods train was clear of the junction until I saw the engine of the East Grinstead train strike the brake of the goods train."
Conclusion.
The cause of this slight collision was want of proper care on the part of signalman Blogg, who lowered the signal for a passenger train to cross from the up branch to the up main line when the brake-van of a goods train was standing foul of the crossing of the former line with the down main line, about 80 yards from the signal-cabin. Blogg had left the Company's service prior to, and was not present at, my enquiry. A copy of the report made by him to the station-master of South Croydon follows the evidence given at the enquiry, and it will be seen that his mistake is very candidly admitted.
It appears that a goods train, with 38 vehicles behind the engine, came to a stand at the advance-signal of the down main line at about 12 midnight. That signal is 290 yards in front of the fouling-point of the up branch line with the down main a distance which would apparently have admitted of the goods train being clear of the crossing had the engine been close up to tho signal. The driver says he stopped about the length of the engine and tender away from the signal-post, or it may have been a little more," and as it is above all things necessary that a train should not run past a signal at danger I do not think he can be blamed for giving himself that amount of margin, although a slightly less interval would have sufficed and would have prevented the accident. Driver Reigate says the goods train has usually 40 vehicles, and it is evident that a train of that length cannot be stopped at the advance-signal without most serious risk of fouling the junction, if, indeed, It is possible. It is very desirable that an advance-signal should not be further away from a cabin than is absolutely necessary, but there ought to be room to stand the longest trains at it clear of a junction in rear. I recommend that the position of the signal be altered accordingly, and in order to guard against the possibility of the junction being fouled by stopping too soon, it would be well to have a clearance bar in front of the crossing, interlocked with the branch line signal so that the latter cannot be lowered if a vehicle is standing on the bar.
Brakesman Tucknott, who was riding in the rear brake-van of the goods train, seems to have been fully aware of the fact that the trailing wheels of his van were on the crossing, and he was looking out in the direction of the branch line when he saw the signal lowered and the passenger train approaching. He then acted with commendable promptitude in showing a red light, which caused the driver to apply his brakes and reverse the engine, and thus minimise the effects of what might otherwise have been a much more serious accident. It is to be regretted that Tucknott did not take some steps to draw the signalman's attention to the position of his van but he had every reason to suppose that the latter would not allow a train off the branch line without first satisfying himself as to the position of affairs at the junction.
Owing to the curves of the branch line the passenger train men had no chance of seeing that there was anything foul of the line they were running on until it was too late to avert the collision, and no blame attaches to them.