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.". 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". The locomotive jumped the sharp curve, derailing and rolling onto its left side and sliding through a coal yard. Stationmaster Arundell signalled the train clear to depart for London, but both he and Atterbury found that there was no response in the cab. 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. Both Wilsdon and his colleague were reinstated on 18 December 1961, with Wilsdon being promoted to driver less than a week later on 25 December with his transfer to Hither Green. 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. In reality, Wilsdon did not leave for Rainham station until 17:15 and as such his move was solely to gain pay for an extra two hours for which he had not actually been on duty. 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. 0 references. At 19:45 they met with the guard and drove the train to Margate to receive the passengers. Railman Fleming, who was on duty at the platform and knew Wilsdon well, saw the train arrive and asked Wilsdon if it had broken down (owing to the clear signal visible from the platform), to which Wilsdon merely said "No" and jumped down from his cab before walking to a telephone on the platform to speak with Obee. 125 passengers were injured. However when approaching Eltham Park railway station he became concerned at the train's apparent speed and more so as it neared Eltham Well Hall, where a sharp curve changed the train's direction from southwest to northwest. The "up" platform still had vintage style benches, and it is evident that a window had been bricked up in that wall of the main building nearest the camera. The curve had a maximum permitted speed to be taken at 20mph but the train was estimated to have been travelling at 65mph resulting in the locomotive and all but one of the ten carriages derailing. Since 1969, Wilsdon had had a clean record with no reprimands. The locomotive and first four coaches left the rails and came to rest at an angle to the track, the second and third coaches on their sides. Further Research This occasion aside, the station survived the war years intact. Again, he was off-duty at the time and the British Rail was not informed of this occurrence until April. Despite this, Wilsdon suggested the pair go to the nearby Railway Staff Association Club at about 19:00 and get a drink to which Stokes agreed, with the pair arriving just in time for the club to open at 19:05. Eltham Well Hall rail crash explained Those who knew the driver said that he was quite a frequent drinker of alcohol and could "carry" much beer. The station building was located on the London-bound platform and was a familiar SER design, being a single-storey timber structure with a hipped slated roof, the main part of which was 60-foot length . . An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at This was a very unusual action, particularly as he had made up almost seven minutes of the lost time. In the earliest years, a trailing crossover between the running lines was evident within the limits of the platforms. Please note that the Railways Archive is not responsible for the content of external websites. News Stories derailment. 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". Transport Libraries The name "Well Hall" derived from that of a former Tudor mansion, which resided on a site surrounded by a moat, located 160-yards north of the station. Although it was agreed that the signalling played no part in the collision, it was later agreed that the signals around Eltham Well Hall would be redesigned to slow a train to round the curve rather than remain at green, which would mean it would be less likely a driver would be caught by surprise with the curve. Before he could go ask superiors as to where they were, he saw Stokes and Wilsdon return. Stokes recalled that when Wilsdon turned to speak with him, he "smelt something pretty strong" on the driver's breath and when asked, Wilsdon explained that he had been drinking at lunchtime and later had some sherry prior to arriving in Ramsgate. I much regret to report that five passengers in the train and its driver lost their lives and that 126 people, including the secondman on the locomotive, were injured and were either taken to hospitals in the area or received medical attention at the site of the accident: 40 of those taken to hospital were detained, some of them being very seriously injured. SYND 12-6-72 AFTERMATH OF ELTHAM TRAIN CRASH - YouTube Links When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The actions of his superior regarding this incident were criticised as "unwise" but were not considered a serious failing. Stokes and Guard H. Atterbury. Owing to the large number of day-trippers booked for this customary annual works-outing, a pair of excursion trains were laid on to transport them to Margate and back. This did not occur, and the two met up at Ramsgate Depot by the locomotive at around 18:25. The last recommendation that Robertson made regarding the accident was the usage of telephone to sign on duty within the Southern Region. 1973 . 2004 - 2023 railwaysarchive.co.uk - all rights reserved. A third smashed bottle found was later proven to have been a medicine bottle and was unlikely to have carried any alcohol at the time of the accident. 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. Accident at Eltham Well Hall on 11th June 1972 Accident Summary and 2 more images Location Eltham Well Hall Train Operator British Railways (Southern Region) Primary Cause Excessive speed Secondary Cause Driver intoxicated Result Derailment 6 fatalities, 126 injured Accident Investigation Status Stokes was uncertain on this point but agreed that "Bob could have got one in". The second incident occurred on 28 March 1969, when Wilsdon was fined 1 for being drunk in Lewisham. His speech was clear and his gait was normal. This procedure was considered practical and was allowed to remain in use, but it was agreed that the method Wilsdon used (where he casually booked on duty and for his own benefit of gaining two additional hours' pay by booking on at 15:22 instead of around 17:00 when he actually did leave home for work) was not appropriate and was to be stopped or prevented wherever possible. East London Train Station Vintage Photos City Photo Autos A major rail crash happened at Well Hall on Sunday evening 11 June 1972. The Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35. Lessons learned from Cannon Street crash - Rail 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. Those who knew the driver said that he was quite a frequent drinker of alcohol and could "carry" much beer. This evidence contradicts that of Wilsdon's brothers who claimed that he had not drunk between 14:02 and 17:15. The driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed, and 126 people were injured. The crash happened at around 3.30pm today (May 23). 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). 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. There are currently no news items related to this accident. It was concluded that his eventual response to Wilsdon's behaviour was appropriate. D1677. Eltham Well Hall station is to be replaced by a massive bus/rail interchange at Glenlea Road. Here, Wilsdon drank two pints of light and bitter and a half pint of light ale which was confirmed by his brothers who'd drunk similarly. Genealogy He claimed that he was going to head directly to Ramsgate from Rainham and said that he had to catch an earlier train from Rainham (the 15:32 instead of the 15:42, which was not running on Sundays) and therefore asked Hither Green if he could be considered on-duty from 15:12. 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. David Glasspool Collection, The main building on the "up" side was a carbon copy of the structure which still exists today at Bexleyheath. Eltham Well Hall rail crash and Related Topics Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash in pictures: Remembering - MyLondon It also meant that his Supervisors at Hither Green would not see him in person. An excursion train from. This document was published on 1st June 1973 by Department of the Environment. Although it was agreed that the signalling played no part in the collision, it was later agreed that the signals around Eltham Well Hall would be redesigned to slow a train to round the curve rather than remain at green, which would mean it would be less likely a driver would be caught by surprise with the curve. An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. 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."[2].