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. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. The front of the cab was torn open and debris thrown and 'ploughed' inside, killing Wilsdon and severely injuring Stokes. In contrast, Stokes claimed that Wilsdon mentioned drinking some sherry when they met at Ramsgate. The inquiry hypothesized that the driver had taken spirits into the cab with him, having collected them during his unexplained absence before leaving Margate. 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. 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. Having left Margate eight minutes late and scheduled to run non-stop (aside from a later stop to change crew), Wilsdon was able to run the train at high speed and according to Atterbury's timings, was only a minute late after passing Faversham (24miles from Margate). Shortly thereafter, Wilsdon and Stokes returned and entered the cab preparing for departure, with neither seeming unusual: when Arundell told them to hurry up, Wilsdon calmly noted they could regain lost time on the journey. The SR also re-faced the platform sides with prefabricated concrete supplied by their factory at Exmouth Junction, Devon. He later commented to Stokes a joking complaint about the driver of the first excursion train, calling him a "slow bastard". His suspension in 1961 was considered a warning sign of Wilsdon's alcoholic tendencies but it was agreed that at the time there was no evidence to disprove Wilsdon's statements that he would better himself and not drink again. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. Lessons learned from Cannon Street crash - Rail The empty train left Ramsgate and made an uneventful journey to Margate, arriving at around 19:59. Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. Those who knew the driver said that he was quite a frequent drinker of alcohol and could "carry" much beer. Both brothers confirmed that he had not drunk after leaving the pub and were adamant on this point at the later public inquiry. Investigating this theory, the morning after the accident, the cab was searched and three smashed glasses were found in the cab's wreckage. The final uncertainty was the fact that when his body was autopsied, Wilsdon's blood alcohol content was 0.278% (the legal limit for driving a road vehicle in England at that time was 0.08%). None of the staff were criticised for failing to stop Wilsdon from his duties under the belief he was too drunk and evidence by Wilsdon's father-in-law, brothers and friends confirmed that although Wilsdon did drink heavily, he could "carry" his alcohol well and that the amount of alcohol he drank was not enough to make his drunkenness visible, although the report believed that Wilsdon's actions at Rainham and his reactions at Eltham Well Hall clearly showed that he was beginning to suffer effects of drunkenness. Investigating this theory, the morning after the accident, the cab was searched and three smashed glasses were found in the cab's wreckage. 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. 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. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Credits Pin on Eltham and Environs - Pinterest An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. 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. The second uncertain moment was what occurred to both him and Stokes during the stop at Margate, in which both seemingly left the station via the Platform No.1 entrance. Emergency services were notified, and arrived between 21:40 and 21:42. Despite this, Robertson felt that there was no severe issue with drinking amongst drivers on Britain's railways, with only two other accidents (one in 1913 and another in 1952) having occurred explicitly due to driver drunkenness in the sixty years prior to the accident, and as such he believed that it was a combination of railway staff's thoughts and self-discipline for drivers' behaviour with alcohol. He briefed the pair on the train's particulars with Wilsdon appearing sober and routine. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Pictures by my father, Reg Godsave. At 19:45 they met with the guard and drove the train to Margate to receive the passengers. He later commented to Stokes a joking complaint about the driver of the first excursion train, calling him a "slow bastard". Eltham Well Hall rail crash explained An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The 1969 incident also showed Wilsdon's disregard of what had occurred in 1961 but it was agreed that the manager at the time had been unwise in waiting two months to question Wilsdon, but had acted appropriately when he did. 6635 documents9207 accidentsUpdated 24th Apr. The public inquiry into the accident eleven years later agreed that this incident was a seemingly isolated occurrence and all had reason to believe Wilsdon; the Line Manager who reinstated the two was not criticised for this approach, although some criticism was given to the Management in 1961 for promoting Wilsdon so quickly after being reinstated. The last recommendation that Robertson made regarding the accident was the usage of telephone to sign on duty within the Southern Region. All of the coaches were Mark 1 rolling stock with the oldest coach dating back to 1954 and the newest coach dating to 1962.[2]. When Arundell went to examine the cab, he found it empty but after returning shortly afterwards, saw a pair of beer bottles in the cab. From 1st October 1916, the station was known as Well Hall and North Eltham. After arrival at Margate, the train was stabled at Ramsgate. Semi-detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900-39. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. For this case study, the available worldwide railway accident data are analysed in order to build taxonomy. He subsequently gave Wilsdon a stern reprimand and advised him that such behaviour was not acceptable. Two of them were the beer bottles that Stationmaster Arundell had seen at Margate and both were confirmed to have been unopened. 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". At the subsequent public inquiry it was revealed that Wilsdon had been intoxicated by alcohol. When Stokes boarded the engine, he waited alone in the cab until around 18:25 when Wilsdon arrived and spoke about the preparations for the journey back to London. Eltham Well Hall train crash; Statements. He had worked with Wilsdon occasionally before and had driven with him a few times prior. The last train to call at Eltham Park and Well Hall stations was the 23:43 Charing Cross to Dartford. This document was kindly sourced from Harry Knox and is in our Accident reports collection. He later claimed to a representative from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen that he would not drink again. The eighth coach was upright but derailed, the ninth coach was derailed at its leading bogie but also upright, and the tenth coach (in which Atterbury had been riding) was upright and on the rails, though some internal damage had occurred. However, changes were made to the signalling at Eltham so that through trains would receive a yellow signal on approach. Credits In that year, the Greater London Council (GLC) published proposals for the Rochester Way Relief Road, today known as the A2. At no point did Wilsdon even attempt to slow his train beyond having already shut off the engine to coast which was normal at this long downhill sector of the line. 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. 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. Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, Railway accident : Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11 June 1972 at Eltham (Well Hall) Station in the Southern Region, British Railways, Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972. "Well Hall", as the station was first known, was the subject of two closure attempts during its lifetime - the second of which succeeded - and came into use with the 8-mile Bexleyheath Line on 1st May 1895. Although uncertain, it seems that Wilsdon believed that the two stoppages that occurred to his train at Sittingbourne and Rainham and having not seen the first excursion train at Newington, was because the first train was running slowly and kept stopping his train. Well Hall was located exactly nine miles from Charing Cross upon an 86-chain curve, descending at 1 in 120 in the London direction. By the time the train approached Eltham Well Hall station it was running at around 65 miles per hour (105km/h). A medical expert stated that during the time given, 5 pints of bitter, a third of a bottle of sherry and a quarter bottle of spirits would "just about achieve" the levels found, providing that "the bulk of the spirits was drunk between 20:15 and 21:30". In the earliest years, a trailing crossover between the running lines was evident within the limits of the platforms. Eltham Well Hall rail crash - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core Whilst the original main building of 1908 and sections of platform remain in evidence today at the former site of Eltham Park, at Well Hall not a brick remains. 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%). Before he could go ask superiors as to where they were, he saw Stokes and Wilsdon return. This item is linked to the Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972. The actions of his superior regarding this incident were criticised as "unwise" but were not considered a serious failing. An Inter-City express ran into a freight train carrying 30,000 gallons of fuel oil, after the . Eltham station - Tickets & Information | Grand Central In the Electric Railway Society Journal in 1981, the following was reported: Eltham Well Hall station is to be replaced by a massive bus/rail interchange at Glenlea Road. The fourth coach had ended up roughly 90 degrees to the track, leaning over on its left side. A ten-coach excursion train, the 20.05 Margate to Kentish Town, hauled by Brush Type 4 No. Genealogy 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. 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. It also meant that his Supervisors at Hither Green would not see him in person. On Sunday 11 June 1972, a day-trip to Margate had been arranged for the employees (and their families) of British Rail's Midland Region based at the North London depot at Kentish Town. Upon completing his phone conversation, Wilsdon returned to his cab and departed having been stopped at Rainham for about four minutes. It was concluded that his eventual response to Wilsdon's behaviour was appropriate. There was an imbalance with the urine alcohol level which made it very likely that the driver had also been drinking alcohol within an hour of his death, meaning it was possible he had been drinking at the controls. Jan 15, 2015 - A major rail crash happened at Well Hall on Sunday evening 11 June 1972. Eltham Well Hall | EPC Resilience 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. The outbound journeys left Kentish Town around 0830, were completed uneventfully and the trains stabled at Ramsgate as planned. June 11, 1972. Whilst it was agreed that it was a fairly common occurrence in the Southern Region and British Rail had adopted a policy where certain drivers could be granted need to book on via telephone (typically those either living far from depots or those whose duties commenced far from their depots). 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. There was an imbalance with the urine alcohol level which made it very likely that the driver had also been drinking alcohol within an hour of his death, meaning it was possible he had been drinking at the controls. Places time Forgot London Bus East London London Areas Old Well Hall Bus Station 1970's J Michele Janes Eltham History Both were severely damaged. 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. Well Hall Road, which is one of the key arterial roads between Eltham and Woolwich, is blocked near the junction of Arsenal Road. Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972 - Railways Archive Eltham Well Hall rail crash - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia 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. As he did not need to be on duty until the afternoon, Wilsdon joined his two brothers for lunch at around 12:55, the three travelling to a local pub where they stayed until closing time just after 14:00. The final uncertainty was the fact that when his body was Autopsied, Wilsdon's blood alcohol content was 0.278% (the legal limit for driving a road vehicle in England at that time was 0.08%). 1973 . It also meant that his Supervisors at Hither Green would not see him in person. The structure sat at milepost 9 from Charing Cross. Train Crash Videos and HD Footage - Getty Images Contents Background The journey The accident Investigation Recommendations References An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. Contributions 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). According to them, the three returned home and spent the afternoon indoors with the children until Robert was driven by one of his brothers to Rainham station at around 17:15. 0 references. Attached to the building was an arched-roof platform canopy with clover-patterned valance, a style which is still evident today at Paddock Wood. The second incident occurred on 28 March 1969, when Wilsdon was fined 1 for being drunk in Lewisham. 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. At no point did Wilsdon even attempt to slow his train beyond having already shut off the engine to coast which was normal at this long downhill sector of the line. He immediately tried to signal to the driver to stop but was unable to gain Wilsdon's attention. Photograph by Press Association, 1972. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th, in which the guard was riding, was not. United Kingdom. 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. Stokes and Guard H. Atterbury. 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]. 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.". 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". Eltham,Well,Hall,rail,crashThe,Eltham,Well,Hall,rail,crash,was,an,accident,on,the,British,railway,system,that,occurred,on,11,June,1972,at,approximately,21:35. Wilsdon did not meet with the supervisor at Ramsgate, likely owing to the fact that his was the only Class 47 engine at the depot and would have been easy to find.[2]. The fourth coach had ended up roughly 90 degrees to the track, leaning over on its left side. Compliments. The crew left the cab for a few minutes and as a result the train departed from Margate eight minutes late. News Stories An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at A combination of the signal checks at Sittingbourne and Rainham and the unscheduled stop at Rainham had caused Wilsdon to lose most of the progress he had made between Margate and Sittingbourne. Well Hall - Wikipedia 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. Col J.R.H. The recommendation that booking-on by telephone be carefully controlled was reiterated in the Inspectorate report of the Cannon Street Station rail crash in 1991. By the time the train approached Eltham Well Hall station it was running at around 65mph. David Glasspool Collection, The main building on the "up" side was a carbon copy of the structure which still exists today at Bexleyheath. By 1908, Well Hall had acquired a footbridge between the platforms, east of the main building and waiting shelter. An excursion train from. Secondman Stokes, who agreed with Wilsdon to get some extra drinks at Ramsgate was severely criticised for his "disgraceful" behaviour in drinking three pints prior to taking the train back to Margate, but it was agreed that Stokes' young age and weak character meant that he seemed unwilling to stop Wilsdon from going to get some drink. In the background can be seen the structures of the replacement station, today's "Eltham", taking shape. good people helping eachother, Ilford rail crash, Ealing rail crash, Wembley Central rail crash, Cannon Street station rai, Spa Road Junction rail crash. The cause of the crash was concluded to be intoxication of the driver. Royal Borough of Greenwich. Despite his experience and long time working on the railways, Wilsdon had been reprimanded five times throughout his career. 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. 1630 (latterly Class 47 No. June 11, 1972. 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 second and third coach followed the first coach until relatively late into the derailment, with the coupling between the first and second failing around the end of the derailment. This evidence contradicts that of Wilsdon's brothers who claimed that he had not drunk between 14:02 and 17:15. RSS Feeds As well as Wilsdon, two passengers died at the scene; a woman later died of her injuries in August and a male likewise in November, bringing the number of fatalities to five. Explore. Shortly thereafter, Wilsdon and Stokes returned and entered the cab preparing for departure, with neither seeming unusual: when Arundell told them to hurry up, Wilsdon calmly noted they could regain lost time on the journey. From the evidence gained of Wilsdon's activities on 11 June, a fairly thorough timeline of Wilsdon's movements were tracked and confirmed by those who he made contact with but three moments of uncertainty were later found in Wilsdon's movements that day. The rear end of the first coach came to rest up against the leading cab. 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". It came to a stand laying parallel with the locomotive, having jack-knifed and pushed slightly around so the leading cab was facing back towards the line and the rear cab was pointing away from the track. 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. Secondman Stokes, who agreed with Wilsdon to get some extra drinks at Ramsgate was severely criticised for his "disgraceful" behaviour in drinking three pints prior to taking the train back to Margate, but it was agreed that Stokes' young age and weak character meant that he seemed unwilling to stop Wilsdon from going to get some drink. 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. The wreckage of a rail crash the day before at Eltham Well Hall railway station in Eltham, London, UK, 12th June 1972. On the morning of 14th November 1944, a V2 rocket impacted a site on Sherrard Road, just 80 yards to the south of Well Hall stations main building. When Stokes boarded the engine, he waited alone in the cab until around 18:25 when Wilsdon arrived and spoke about the preparations for the journey back to London. Having left Margate eight minutes late and scheduled to run non-stop (aside from a later stop to change crew), Wilsdon was able to run the train at high speed and according to Atterbury's timings, was only a minute late after passing Faversham (24 miles (39km) from Margate). On the Dartford Loop Line via Sidcup existed Eltham & Mottingham station; this was subsequently renamed plain Mottingham on 1st October of the same year. D1677. 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. Eccles Rail Crash . This issue was however was brought up again in 1991 after the Cannon Street station rail crash in which the driver in that instance was believed to have been high on cannabis and caused a buffer-stop collision. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. Eltham Well Hall rail crash - en-academic.com News Stories The Inspecting Officer, Colonel J.R.H. Eltham Eltham station Well Hall Road Eltham Greater London SE9 6SL GET DIRECTIONS Ticket office opening hours: Monday - Friday - 06:40 to 20:00 Saturday - 06:10 to 20:00 Sunday - 08:10 to 15:40 NO Waiting room YES Ticket machine YES Toilet YES Impaired Access Staff Station facilities Ticketing Services & Information Oyster Pre-Pay YES Yes

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