Collision at Oxenholme station LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.
Sir, In compliance with the instructions contained in your minute of the 2lst ultimo, I have the honour to report, for the information of the Board of Trade, the result of my inquiry into the circumstances which attended the collision that occurred on the l9th ultimo, at the south side of Oxenholme station, on the Lancaster and Carlisle section of the London and North-western Railway. Three passengers are returned as having been slightly hurt, and the engine-driver of the passenger train was also slightly hurt. On the day in question a pick-up goods train, which is due to leave Carlisle at 9 a.m., arrived at Oxenholme station about 1 p.m. This train proceeded to the south end of the station. Ten loaded waggons were to be placed in a siding at the west side of the railway, and fifteen empty waggons were to be taken out of a siding at the east side of the railway and taken on by the goods train. There is a public level crossing at the south end of Oxenholme station. This level crossing is about 100 yards to the south of the Kendal junction signal cabin, which is placed at the north end of the station. The Kendal junction down distant signal is placed at the public level crossing. The man who has charge of the gates of the level crossing, works this down distant signal in connexion with the man in Kendal junction cabin. The levers are slotted, so that both men must pull the levers attached to this signal before the semaphore arm can be lowered. The man who has charge of the gates of the level crossing also works a down-line signal ( which is placed about 530 yards to the south of the crossing, for the purpose of protecting trains that are working in or out of the sidings that lead on to the down line, and he is supposed to protect, by hand-signals exhibited at the level crossing, such trains as are working in and out of the sidings that lead on to the up line. Owing to the railway being in a deep cutting and forming an S curve as it runs southwards from Oxenholme, the man at the level crossing cannot see the trains which he has to protect when they are shunting in and out of the sidings at the east and west sides of the railway. On the 19th ultimo, a yard shunter had gone to assist in shunting the goods train. Six empty waggons, thirteen loaded waggons,and the guard's break van were left on the main up line, in sight of the gate-keeper, while the ten loaded waggons were being put in, and the fifteen empties were brought out of the sidings and attached to the train. About 1.17 p.m. the goods train was completed, and it was drawn southwards, out of sight of the gate-keeper, so as to he placed in the south siding, out of the way of the 11.30 a.m. "up" passenger train from Carlisle. There was some delay in getting the goods train into the siding, as there were twenty other waggons in the siding which had to be pushed up, in order to make room for the goods train, which at that time consisted of an engine and tender, thirteen loaded, twenty-one empty waggons, and a break van. When about half of the goods train had been pushed into the siding, it was run into by the passenger train from Carlisle. Two empty and two loaded waggons were thrown off the rails and damaged. The engine and front van of the passenger train were damaged, but none of the vehicles of this train left the rails. The passenger train consisted of an engine and tender, a break van with a guard, two first, one composite , two second,two third-class carriages, and a break van with another guard. The vehicles were coupled together in the order in which they are given. This train arrived at Oxenholme about 1.21 p.m., and left about 1.25 p.m. According to the rules at Oxenholme station, the man at the gates of the level crossing should not have allowed the passenger train to pass him, without giving the engine-driver a caution signal, unless the goods train had been placed in the siding, clear of the up line. It was customary to communicate the fact of the goods train having got clear into the siding, by the shunter coming back to tell the gate man, or by the engine-driver of the goods train crowing, or rather whistling, sharply with the engine whistle. No such communication was made to the gate man on the 19th ultimo, but he altogether forgot that the goods train was being shunted about 500 yards to the south of his station. The engine-driver of the passenger train did not see the goods train until he was within 160 yards of it. He was running at the rate of about 20 miles an hour, down a falling gradient of 1 in 153 at the time. He shut off steam, reversed, whistled for the guards' breaks, and the fireman applied the tender break, but he could not stop his train. He struck the goods train at a speed of about 8 miles an hour. The goods train was standing still at the time. The accident was caused by the forgetfulness of the man at the gates of the level crossing. This man had only been ten weeks employed as gatekeeper at Oxenholme; he had been employed as a platelayer for six months previous to his- being put in charge of the gates. It is perfectly impossible for him to protect the south end of Oxenholme station with the means at his disposal. I was informed that the London and North-western Railway Company, proposes to ask Parliament for powers to divert the public road, and do away with the public level crossing at the south end of Oxenholme station ; and if they obtain the necessary powers, they intend to build a bridge to carry the public road, and erect a signal cabin, with a proper locking apparatus and proper signals to control the numerous sidings at the south side of Oxenholme station. I would suggest that the signal cabin, with proper signals and locking apparatus, should be put up at once, and that the sidings at the south side of Oxenholme station should be protected with distant signals in each direction, which should be worked in connection with the siding points while the signal cabin and locking apparatus are being provided. These sidings and the main up and down line to Scotland, are at present in a more unprotected state, than sidings on lines which have been opened during the last ten years where there are only about half a dozen trains in the twenty-four hours. I have, &c., The Secretary, Board of Trade Report 19 th March 1872
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