Rail accident at Chapel-en-le-Frith - 60th anniversary

Sixty years ago today, on 9^th February 1957 a serious collision occurred at Chapel-en-le-Frith South railway station. The 11.15 freight train from Buxton to Arply (Warrington) ran out of control, and collided with the rear of the 8.45 freight from Rowsley to Edgley (Stockport). 

The initial cause of the accident was the failure of the pipe, on the Arply engine, which fed steam to its brakes. This had the effect of filling the cab with scalding steam at full boiler pressure, and making the loco's brakes ineffective. The failure of the pipe took place as the train was ascending the steep incline from Buxton to Bibington Sidings. The locomotive was working hard with the regulator full open, and another loco was assisting at the rear of the train. Due to the intense heat in the cab, the driver and his fireman were unable to close the regulator. Driver John Axon ordered his fireman, Ron Scanlon, to jump off and make an attempt to pin down some wagon brakes (every wagon had it's own hand operated brake, but they were travelling too fast for the fireman to pin them down effectively).

Once over the summit at Bibbington there is a steep descent of 1 in 57 to Chapel-en-le-Frith and beyond, so the train gathered speed, with no effective brake and full steam on.

Driver Axon bravely remained at his post to give warning he was running away, and a hope that he could regain control when the track levelled out. 

At 11.21 John Axon's loco and waggons, with a combined weight of 775 tons and at an estimated speed of 55 mph, collided violently with the rear of the Rowsley to Edgley freight, which was passing slowly through Chapel station.
Driver Axon and the guard of the Edgley train, John Creamer, were killed.

Chapel signal box was destroyed; the signalman having a narrow escape.

The full Ministry of Transport report on the accident is available here http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_Chapel1957.pdf

In recognition of his bravery John Axon was, posthumously, awarded
the George Cross.

 

On the fiftieth anniversary of the crash, in 2007, this plaque was unveiled at Chapel station by John Axon's granddaughter Melanie Axon. 

The tranquil scene at Chapel-en-le-Frith on the 50^th anniversary of the incident in 2007.

John Axon's loco was a Class 8 number 48188, similar to this one I photographed at Derby in 1966.

 [Please note: For many years trains have been fitted with fail safe brakes (known as fully fitted brakes) on all carriages or wagons. At the time of this incident it was normal for some freight trains, as in this case, to rely entirely on the locomotive and the brake van at the rear for braking. One of the recommendations of the inquiry into this accident was that all trains should have fully fitted brakes.]

The first in the series of  Radio Ballads, 'The Ballad of  John Axon', tells the story of the incident, and of John Axon's life, and is still available to buy on CD.

STOP PRESS: Today, at 11.20, Friends of Chapel Station will be holding a short commemoration and the laying of a floral tribute. All are welcome, but anyone wishing to attend should arrive no later than 11.15.

Stanage Edge?

Stanage Edge is hiding in the mist

Unseasonal Weather

Perfect day for a walk

Another Thrush

A rare visitor to our garden. A Mistle Thrush, so named for its love of Mistletoe berries.

 Thanks to Nick at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust for identifying these photos of our bird.

In from the cold

Hundreds of bird enthusiasts have descended on Beeley to catch a glimpse of a rare bird.

The Dusky Thrush breeds in Central Siberia, and has been seen in Britain only a dozen time before. The Thrush would normally fly South from Siberia in the Autumn, but, it's believed, that strong Easterly winds blew the bird to the West rather than to the South.

Train crash 1867

On 10^th September 1867 a fatal accident occurred on the Midland line between Peak Forest and New Mills.

A cattle train with twenty-seven wagons containing around a thousand sheep and cows, ran into the rear of a stationery ballast train in Dove Holes tunnel. The force of the collision caused the cattle wagons to become uncoupled from the locomotive. They, immediately, began rolling back down the steep gradient in the direction from which they had come, gaining speed as they went. There were nine people riding on the runaway wagons, eight drovers and the guard. Two or three drovers and the guard jumped off, but the others remained on-board.

The wagons travelled about six miles on the wrong line, before crashing into the engine of an express train near New Mills. It appears that the express train's driver was made aware of the wagons bearing down on him, so stopped, threw the engine into reverse, and then jumped off. At that moment the runaway wagons hit the loco with tremendous force. 

 

Illustrated London News  September 1867

The express train with steam on, but no crew carried on backwards down the falling gradient with its cargo of frightened passengers. It eventually stopped as it reached a section of rising gradient near Romiley about five miles from the collision at New Mills.

Four of the drovers were killed as the cattle train collided with the express. A little girl aged twelve, Martha Vaines, was also killed. Against regulations, she had been given a lift in the rear van of the ballast train, so died in the first collision in the tunnel.  

The accident was caused largely by the actions of an inexperienced signalman at the Peak Forest end of the tunnel. He had, mistakenly, indicated to the signalman at the Chapel-en-le-Frith end of the tunnel, via his instruments, that the ballast train was clear of the tunnel, where in fact, it had stopped to unload ballast. Consequently, the cattle train was allowed to enter the tunnel. The blame was  shared by an official who had passed the Peak Forest signalman as competent after only one month of training.

The Times 11^th & 13^th September 1867

Air crash on Bleaklow

Superfortress

Sixty-eight years ago today, November 3^rd 1948, an American Air Force Superfortress crashed near Higher Shelf Stones on Bleaklow.

The aircraft was flying from Scampton in Lincolnshire to Burtonwood near Warrington in low cloud. The crew misjudged their height as they passed over Bleaklow, and flew into the ground. All thirteen crew members were killed instantly.

That particular Superfortress, with nick name 'Over Exposed', was a photo reconnaissance aircraft, and had seen service at the nuclear bomb tests on Bikini Atoll and during the Berlin Air Lift.

The crash site in 2011

Sixty-eight years on, the wreckage is still visible, as are a number of other crash sites in the Peak District.

Thanks to air crash sites.co.uk for photo of the crash site and for information.