Derailment at Carnforth, Furness Railway
10th November 1881

Sir,

I HAVE the honour to report, for the information of the Board of Trade,in compliance with the Order of the 17th ult., the result of my inquiry into the causes of the accident which occurred on the 10th ult. close to Carnforth station on the Furness Railway.

In this case, as the 5.30 p.m. passenger train (consisting of engine, tender, and 11 vehicles, of which the third and last were break-vans, with a guard in each) was passing; a set of facing points about a quarter of a mile from the spot at which the engine of the train would have had to stop at the platform, the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th vehicles, and the trailing wheels of the 7th left the rails, the 8th, 9th, and 10th being turned over on their left sides.
Four passengers have made complaints of injury.
Three carriages were slightly damaged.
In the permanent way four sleepers and two chairs had to be replaced.

Description.

Extensive alterations have been for some time past in progress in the neighbourhood of Carnforth station, and the facing points at which this accident occurred are only for giving temporary access to a goods line. They are worked by a lever in a signal- cabin, 167 yards on the station side of them, in which cabin they are interlocked with a lever which slots a home-signal (called an advanced starting-signal, as it is also slotted from a goods junction signal-cabin)83 yards from the facing points, which are not provided with any locking bar or bolt.

The goods line leads off to the left, and directly after the accident a Slight blow was observed on the tip of the right-switch. 19 yards from this was the track of a Wheel crossing the left rail, and 18 yards further on the track of the wheels of the rear van was visible in the ballast.

After the accident the rear van was standing on its wheels about 50 yards in advance of the facing points, with its left trailing wheel just over the right rail of the goods line, and its other wheels in the ballast between the main line and goods line ; then came the three next vehicles on their left sides, with an interval of 12 yards between the second and third, also in the space between the main line and goods line; the .trailing wheels of tile next vehicle (the 7th) being dragged off to the left.

Evidence.

1. James Fallows, 29 years in the service, 22 years driver.-I left Barrow at 5.30 p.m. on the 10th November, with a train consisting, after leaving Grange, of engine and tender, running engine first, and 11 vehicles. I had control of a tender break, and there were two guards breaks on the train. We were 22 minutes late leaving Grange, and did not make up time, and on approaching Carnforth I found the signals all off, except the distant signal worked from the platform. I passed the advanced starting signal at a speed of about eight miles an hour. I had had steam off, but had to put it on again at this signal to get to the platform. This signal was off when I passed it, and I did not notice it again ; when close to the box I felt a sudden twitch ; upon which I shut off steam, and told the fireman to get the break on; but he did not get it on before the tender screw-coupling broke in the screw, and the engine and tender went ahead and stopped in about three yards. I then found there were three of the rear carriages lying on their left sides, but I did not go back till some little time afterwards, when I found nothing wrong with the points, which have always worked very well since I have known them. The signalman said he had not moved the points. There was a Midland engine waiting to come out through these points, and I think the signalman must have moved them before my train had all passed. My train was longer than usual by two horse-boxes and a carriage truck. It is generally about a uniform length, viz., eight vehicles. The night was fair, and not dark.

2.John Atkinson, 10 years in the service, nine years fireman, corroborates the driver's evidence.

3. Isaac Holmes, 11 years in the service, four years guard.-l joined the 5.30 p.m. from Barrow at Dalton, and left it 22 minutes late, owing to the late arrival of the Whitehaven train. At Grange we put off two empty horse-boxes, after which the train consisted of engine, tender, two empty horse-boxes, one loaded carriage-truck, one van (in which I was), two composites, three thirds, one composite, and one van; 11 vehicles in all. We had gained a minute or two, and were approaching Carnforth at a speed of six miles an hour, the signals all being clear, except the distant-signal at the end of the platform. I did not notice whether the advanced stop-signal remained off till I had passed it. Soon after passing the facing- point I felt a jerk, and I immediately put on my break, after which we stopped in a few yards. I then found my van and the two vehicles behind it on the rails, and the rear five vehicles off the rails, two third-class and the composite being turned over on their left sides, there being an interval of about 4 yards between two of the carriages; the tender had also broken away from the front vehicle. I had no conversation with the signalman ; I went back to look at the points, and saw a slight mark on the tip of the right switch. The accident occurred at 7.18 p.m.

4. John Irving, eight years in the service, nine months guard.- I accompanied the 5.30 p.m.. train from Barrow. From Dalton I was in the rear-van, with two horse boxes behind it; and from Grange my van formed the rearmost of a train of 11 vehicles, three more than ordinarily. The signals were off for running into Carnforth, and we passed the facing--points at a speed of six or seven miles an hour. I had seen the advanced stop-signal off, but I did not notice when it was put to danger. The first thing I felt was a jerk, and then a sudden check. I put my break on hard, and then my van ran about 10 yards jumping over the sleepers. I did not feel the van turn to the left before the first jerk. I was not knocked down or hurt so as to have to leave my work. On getting out I found three of the carriages on their sides, the composite and two thirds, the coupling between the two thirds having given way. The trailing-wheels of the next composite were also off the rails. I had no time to examine the points, nor had I any conversation with the signal- man. The accident occurred at about 7.18.

5. Charles Hatton, 15 months in the service, 14 months signalman, all the time in the Narhouse cabin.- I came on duty at 2 p.m. to remain till about 11. I had the 5.30 p.m. train advised from the goods junction, and I pulled the slot off the advanced stop-signal, which locks the facing-points. I do not know whether this locks the lever which slots the home-signal at the junction. This was about 4� minutes before the train arrived. It was running about the usual speed of seven or eight miles an hour. I was leaning through the window as it passed, and remained so till the driver came back to me, and asked me to come to the points. Before coming out I put back the slotting lever. There was nothing to have prevented my putting back m lever as soon as the train had passed. I went to the points with the driver, and found them all right, lying close for the straight road. I saw no mark on the switches. There was a Midland engine standing on the goods line ready to come out, but the driver had not whistled. I do not know whether the points did or did not work properly after the accident, which occurred at 7.18. I cannot account for the accident.

6. William Ibison, nine years in the service, all the time inspector of permanent way from Wennington to Furness Abbey.-I got to the scene of the accident directly after it occurred. I found the train in the state described. I found the points lying for the straight line, the left blade lying quite close to the stock rail. I had them opened from the box ,and they opened properly, but I could not get them back again. I noticed a slight blow on the top of the right switch, and I saw a mark of a wheel crossing the left rail, 19 yards from the points. I had no doubt from the general appearance that the accident bad occurred from the points: having' been shifted before all the train had passed. The signalman would make no acknowledgement of this.

Conclusion.

From, the circumstances connected with this accident, there is but little doubt that it was caused by the signalman having shifted the facing-points before all the train had passed over them ; he probably did this between the passage of the rear wheels of the last, carriage and three front wheels of the rear break-van, the distance between which was about 14� feet ; the van was thus diverted for a short distance on to the goods line until it and the other vehicles were forced off the rails by the drag of the front of the train.

This accident would have been prevented had the facing-points been provided with a locking bar. The Furness Company had no right to use these temporary facing-points for passenger traffic without having first obtained the sanction of the Board of Trade. As some length of time must still elapse before the alterations in progress at Carnforth are completed, the facing-points should be at once provided with a locking bar, so that a recurrence of a similar accident to the present may be prevented.

  Printed copies of the above report were sent to the Company on the 2nd January.

Board of Trade Report 7 ^th December 1881

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