‘End of Steam’ Exhibition, English Bridge W’shop

Mr G Stephenson, Mr D Smith, Mr M Williams,

Mrs M de Saulles,  Mrs D Bradshaw,  Mr R Mulford.

 

A message from the Chairman    (Councillor M. Williams)

THE SHREWSBURY Railway Heritage Trust was established in 2003 to raise awareness of Shrewsbury’s Railway Heritage. The Trust was born out of a growing realisation of the passing of a generation of railwaymen and their families who had worked on the network in the days when Shrewsbury was a major railway centre. The Trust continues to document, record and commemorate their achievements.

Below I have itemised some of our activities:

In March 2007, Johnny Morris, who began work at age 15 in the Coleham Signal box, organised an excellent reunion of former ‘Box Boys’, some fifty years after they first met. 

In May 2007, David Giddins contributed a display illustrating the Railway history and activity at Abbey Foregate and ‘the back of the sheds’, to the Exhibition at the Wildlife Trust, organised by the Shrewsbury Museum Service, entitled ‘A Celebration of Abbey Foregate’. 

In June to July 2007, the Trust organised a major Exhibition & Display at the English Bridge Workshop Gallery, entitled ‘Over the Points – 1967’ – The End of Steam in Shrewsbury.  The Exhibition proved to be a ‘block-buster’ and attracted serious interest locally, regionally and nationally.  The Trust wishes to thank Network Rail, Arriva Trains Wales and the Severn Valley Railway, who sponsored the Exhibition.

Ted Jones continues to organise recordings, capturing railway people’s memories, some of it technical, some social, to be deposited in the Shropshire Archive, for the benefit of future generations’ research.

This autumn there is a full programme of events, which the Trust is organising; please find them listed under Future Events.  If you want to become involved in helping the Trust to continue its work, please contact us.  (Contact details on back page). MW

Fit and strong this man’s to be
His job to keep the fire you see
Arms and legs work all at once
And with the shovel he often grunts
‘Must keep the gauges up’!

Coal dust, smoke and steam swirl round
Into the night the train moves on
He shovels quicker, the gauges rise
The driver knows he’s got it right
He can now relax
And wipe the coal dust from his face

He’s done his job and kept steam up
And what a sight to see
With full steam on and the fire so bright
And not much coal left in sight
So they travel on throughout the night
And that’s the fireman’s job. Alright!

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN in the local Press of the success of our Exhibition at the English Bridge Workshop between 21^st June and 7^th July. Our Visitors’ Book is a very satisfying record of how a wide range of people felt about what they had seen.

An aspect the organisers did not foresee was that many visitors wanted to talk about aspects of the railway heritage they had been a part of. “My grandfather used to work there..…..” “We used to live near the sheds………” “I played on the turntable when I was a lad….”, “I was covered in soot by the time I got home….” “I never knew there was an English Bridge Signal Box….”, “Can you send me a copy of the signal box plan…..”, “I remember…..”

The exhibition provided a forum for people to reflect on the ways that the railways in and around Shrewsbury had affected their lives in many unforgettable ways.

It also proved that there is still an intense interest in the region’s railway heritage and legacy, including the present generation, and this encourages us to plan more events that bring so many different people together here.

FACTS: 850+ visitors over 15 days. 112 people to Russell  Mulford’s talk. Sales of a wide variety of items.  Donations of historical items to the Trust such as maps, photographs, old wages sheets, lamps etc……

MY PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE grew firstly from visiting Dorrington on a cycling holiday about 1942 when I saw the Milk Train leave in the evening for London. Secondly during the early 50s when I was growing up in Solihull  about ¼ mile from the main GW line and thirdly in the summers of 1954/55 when, as a university undergraduate, I was working in the Trains Office at Liverpool Street which looked after the Great Central Line into Marylebone as a ’side show’! 

I was to learn more about it when I was involved in buying trains for the District Line of the Underground from Metro Cammell whose CME, the late George Canham, born and bred in Shrewsbury, a Premium Apprentice on the GWR, elected to ‘serve his shed time’ at the Coleham Sheds. George described how one of the best afternoon excursions for Apprentices was to go up to Dorrington with the loco for the Milk Train and to help out making up the train – this involved local shopping and seeing how the creamery worked.  The Apprentice dropped off the train at Coleham to change footplate crew before the journey.

Coleham Sheds

The daily cycle started early afternoon when a Shrewsbury based GW loco (usually a Hall or a Grange) came off Coleham Shed and ran tender first, light engine, to Dorrington.  Then, in the time honoured language of the railway, ‘dressed‘ the sidings to place the 6-wheel milk tanks in the correct position to make up the train for the evening departure.  The normal formation of the departing train was the loco, 6 – 8 tanks for the Marylebone Express Dairy Bottling Plant, a Bogie Guards Van followed by 2 or 3 Milk Tanks to be detached at the South Ruislip Express Dairy siding.

Departure, usually around 1930 hrs, started as the train shunted onto the main line, ran down to Coleham where the footplate crew changed and then via the Abbey curve on the first stage south to London.  The ‘Dorrington’ was about the only train I ever saw run through Snow Hill non-stop and unchecked at about 50 mph.  It also stuck rigidly to its booked time of 2156 hrs and had a distinctive noise signature with the mixture of 6-wheel tanks and the bogie van in the centre. 

At Banbury the train was looped and the Shrewsbury loco replaced by a Neasden based loco (usually a B1) from the Eastern Region which had run light from Woodford Halse.  Now the train ran south via Bicester and High Wycombe to South Ruislip where the locomotive collected the empty tanks from the previous day’s train from the Express Dairy siding, re-coupled to the train and then propelled the loaded tanks for South Ruislip at the rear into the siding.

Arrival at Marylebone

At Marylebone 20 minutes later the main section of the train was shunted into the yard of the large Express Dairy Bottling Plant by the station pilot loco.  The return train was made up with the bogie van at the rear and another loco would come from Neasden Shed. Around 0200hrs the journey back to Dorrington began.

At Banbury the Shrewsbury locomotive joined the train again and the Eastern Region locomotive went to Woodford Halse.  The return trip was completed via the West Midlands, the Abbey Curve and after another footplate crew relief at Coleham was back at Dorrington and stabled in the Creamery Siding.  The loco ran tender first back to Coleham for disposal and servicing and so the 6-day a week cycle finished.

I wonder how many tanker lorry loads of milk from Shropshire to London were saved by this simple, cost effective use of locos and rolling stock. This was only one of many milk trains operated by the GWR and later the Western Region.  For 1922 the volume moved was 22 million gallons per year – a substantial undertaking.

‘Betton Grange’

A number of the 230 Hall class locos have survived into preservation available for main line trains, including 5972 ‘Olton Hall’ and 4951 ‘Pitchford Hall’ – both with name connections to my place of birth and my current residence. None of the 80 Grange class survived the end of steam but there is a project which will see the 81^st built – No 6880 ’Betton Grange’ – an appropriate name for the area – which will join the fleet on the Llangollen Railway.

I hope this short article serves as an illustration of the heritage of our railways, the service provided & of the ingenuity employed.

We always need people to help run events. The exhibition was only possible because a few people, too few, devoted a lot of time to make it happen. A few more would have spread the work around a bit. Can YOU help?

……….….NOW some different type of help is required…Ernie Jenks is engaged in a huge project which involves sifting through the Shropshire Archives for relevant information. Ernie needs some help, possibly from students who need work experience in this field, possibly from someone who would like to sit at the Archives for a few hours a week searching for information. Ernie will explain further. Please call him on 01743 872492

 

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN some letters, which we wish to share with you, concerning the cost of installing and maintaining a lift at Shrewsbury Station sorting office, Island platform, between April and September 1913.

June 25^th 1913 from Mr Frank Potter

“With reference to the correspondence which has passed on this matter: the Joint Companies have now considered the suggestion contained in your letter and I beg to inform you that there will be no objection to the provision of a lift near the staircase on the Island Platform and a subway to connect it with Castle Foregate, as shown in the enclosed plan.

The cost of carrying out the work, including the provision of the hydraulic lift, is estimated at £1,214 and the annual maintenance of the lift at £200. On hearing that the Postmaster General will be prepared to pay the annual cost of maintenance of the lift and a rental of £20 per annum, it will afford me pleasure to give instructions and submit to the Department”

15^th July 1913 from Mr W H Powell, for Engineer-in-Chief

“The annual maintenance cost suggested in the Great Western Railway Company’s letter of the 25^th ultimo is very high, but in order that I may be in a position to criticise the proposal, I suggest that the annual cost of the lift apart from the provision of the subway and lift well should be obtained from the Railway Company, as well as the capacity, speed and travel of the lift.

It is probable that the chief item in the £1,214 is the building work in connection with this proposal, as from the information available I think it should be possible to provide a suitable hydraulic lift for about £200.  It would be as well also to ascertain exactly on what basis the £200 annual maintenance is arrived at such as the cost of power, water, number of journeys per annum allowed etc.

25^th July 1913to Mr Potter from Mr Casey at Shrewsbury

“With reference to your letter of the 25^th June ultimo marked 85636/E I am directed by the Postmaster  General to inform you that the terms proposed …are much higher than was anticipated especially in view of the fact that the proposed lift would benefit the Company to a considerable extent by relieving the present lift.  Before the matter is considered further perhaps you will be so good as to say what would be the capacity, speed and travel of the lift and the actual cost of it apart from the provision of the subway and the lift well.  The PG would be obliged if you would also say exactly how the proposed annual maintenance charge of £200 is made up, e.g. the cost of power, (electric or hydraulic), the number of journeys allowed for per annum etc

22^nd September 1913 from Mr Potter

“With further reference to your letter of the 25^th July last: I beg to inform you that the capacity of the proposed lift will be 40cwt, the speed 37’ 7’’ per minute and the travel 20’. The cost of the lift is estimated at about £200.  As regards the annual maintenance charge of £200, the lift will be worked by hydraulic power and the maintenance charge has been based on the actual cost of working the present hydraulic lifts at the Station.  I am, Sir, your most Obedient Servant”

THE SECTION from Kinnerley Junction to Criggion is evident mainly at Kinnerley and the [third] old 1947 bridge across the Severn just south of Melverley.  Just beyond Kinnerley there is plenty of evidence of the old workshops and water tower

The map shows where the track continued across the fields to Melverley station, but only its foundations now exist. Climbing down from the road, which rises and falls slightly along a minor road, it is possible to imagine a bridge over the track.  Stones and some bricks strewn about in the field convince us that is the site of a ‘structure’. Walk further away from the apex and a small piece of the parapet can be made out.  Other than this there is no evidence of the station or even the direction of the tracks here.

The 1947 bridge, now carrying a road towards Crew Green is in good condition. The engineering techniques are worth a few minutes’ viewing!

A walk from the site of Crew Green Station west towards Criggion is well worth an hour, preferably in dry weather when the Severn is less ‘full’!

Alas there is no evidence of a [wooden] station at Crew Green now.  Just the site where the present road way towards and over the bridge marks the track which continued west across farmland.  The old track bed is quite clear for most of this length. Hedges, slight embankments and very probable track ways between hedges all serve to ‘prove’ the existence of a railway……

Above: The bridge at Melverley.

Above: The Water Tower at Kinnerley Jnctn.

Above: Looking back towards Kinnerley.

Above: The station at Berrington.

Above: The weighbridge at Berrington.

Above: Melvyn surveys the cleared bridge

Above: Coleham Sheds and Signal Boxes.

Above: The late Ron Bradshaw’s Tool bag.

Above: Open to the public.

Above:  Chatting & looking & pointing

Above:  Display of tickets by Dave Giddins

Above:  Historic pamphlets and booklets

Above:  The well-known CCE Headboard.

Above:  Various shed and number plates etc

Above:  Geoff Stephenson (Mrs Stephenson seated) presents prizes.

Above:  Advertising Inter City - 1970.

Above: Artist and prize winner Euryl Stevens with Doug Smith, Network Rail Manager.

Above: “All aboard!” – Johnny Morris.

Above: Dave Giddins leads a walk, Belle Vue.

Above: Observing the wreckage.

Above:  Clearing the line.

Above:  What a tragedy!

At one point we observe three sleepers half buried in the grass/mud and all the way along old sleepers have been used to prop up farm fences. Near Lane Farm there are the remains of a small bridge over the track bed.  The bridge walls next the track have deteriorated and the ‘roof’ has gone but nonetheless it is clear that this is the route of the Belan Bank Quarry narrow gauge track.  There is also a culvert, now reinforced but with original brick work clearly visible and a narrow bridge carried the tracks between two low walls.

The approach to Llandrinio Road station proves that this was a road crossing and not a bridge. The approach of both track and road shows no cutting, embankment or bridge stones in evidence.  Old photos of this station show it to have been a level crossing but, sadly, there are no remains of either the platform or the station house.  The continuation of the track bed towards Criggion is evident for a few hundred yards but beyond this there are now cattle with the attendant underfoot mud to contend with.

For the enthusiastic traveller The Hand and Diamond awaits exploration of ales and good food!!  Next: Through MoD land to Shrawardine.  Bob Jones (Advisory Group)

All the evidence confirms that the accident occurred because the train was travelling too fast. Nearly four hundred tons travelling at sixty miles an hour is very powerful missile. But why was it travelling so fast?

The official Board of Trade enquiry, Coroner’s Court and press reports all tried to find the answer.

The Enquiry led by a Colonel Yorke opened the day after the accident at the Raven Hotel.  In attendance was future Prime Minister David Lloyd George, representing the Board of Trade and the Government.  He eloquently expressed sympathy to those affected by the crash. Assisting the Colonel were eight officials from the Railway Companies and an organising secretary from The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants.

The first day was taken up by hearing evidence from railway workers who had experience of the engine type. A theme appeared to be developing during this day to establish the health and sobriety of the engine driver.

The Inquest also opened on Wednesday 16^th. The death toll of eighteen was made up of three postal workers, four railway staff including the driver and fireman and eleven passengers, only one of whom lived in Shrewsbury.  The postal workers lived in Shrewsbury and their deaths are recorded on a memorial plaque inside the Shrewsbury Sorting Office. Severe injuries were suffered by some of the survivors.  The story is told of a lady passenger from Exmouth who tore up her petticoat to make bandages.

The Coroner took evidence of identification of the deceased one of whom was named Kelly from Bath.  The Coroner ordered a post mortem to be carried out on the engine driver.

The second and third days of the Enquiry listened to evidence from further witnesses and from railway staff from Crewe and Holyhead. Colonel Yorke recalled witnesses who had spoken on the first day, challenging some of them as to the accuracy of their previous submissions.

Of note he was not satisfied with the statement provided by the train guard who claimed the train brake had been applied much earlier than other witnesses testified.  He also established that the employment record of the driver was not as exemplary as had been presented on the first day.  Witnesses were also questioned on the contents of the driver’s basket, particularly a small bottle.

The Inquest resumed on Wednesday 23^rd.  During the few days that had elapsed since the accident letters and articles in the press were questioning the effectiveness of the engine and train braking system.  In 1907 the newspaper was the only means of mass communication and therefore carried much influence.

Chief Constable Baxter of the Shrewsbury Police presented most interesting evidence.  He had arrived at the accident scene at 02:50 and stated that the body of Mr Kelly (from Bath) was found lying under the front part of the tender much further forward than any other victim.  His clothing had been dirtied by coal and his hands were covered in grease; he had no ticket.  He concluded that Kelly was on the footplate at the time of the accident.

The Inquest jury recorded a verdict of ‘accidental death’ and expressed a unanimous opinion that the accident was caused by insufficient brake power.

The duty of the Inspector was to determine the cause of the crash and then make recommendations to improve safety.

 

Insufficient Braking Power

His 34-page report covers in great detail the composition and construction details of the train and the engine, the characteristics of the permanent way, the signals and the cross examination of sixty witnesses.  He did not accept the view of the Coroner’s jury regarding the insufficient braking power on the grounds that the driver would have whistled the signalman on Crewe Bank if he were unable to respond to the stop signals because of brake failure.

Despite probing cross-examination of witnesses with regards to the driver’s character the enquiry concluded that all the evidence, including the post mortem chemical analysis of the driver’s stomach contents, indicated that alcohol and drugs were not present and that the driver did not suffer a seizure.

Colonel Yorke was critical of the railway men who found the bottle belonging to the driver and who washed it out before presenting it at his enquiry.  He is also stated to have “thoroughly investigated”, but dismissed, the claim of the Chief Constable that a third person was on the footplate.

The report concludes “the extreme improbability that the disaster was due to any defect in the permanent way or mechanism of the engine or brakes” and that the most probable cause of the crash was that the driver fell asleep.  The fireman was busy with his duties and was unaware of his driver or of the train’s closeness to Shrewsbury Station.  Evidence from eyewitnesses led the Inspector to conclude that the driver woke up and took action to brake the train just before the accident happened.

Automatic Train Control System

Colonel Yorke raised for consideration by the Railway Companies that appliances be fitted in engine cabs that provide distinct audible signals in response to the status of signals.  [An Automatic Train Control System was being evaluated in 1907 on the Henley branch line by G.W.R.]  He also raised for consideration that Crewe Bank signal–box and its signal be moved further away from the station and equipment installed which enabled a signalman from inside his box to place detonators on the line to warn the driver in the event of him passing a signal at danger.

Today’s signal box now functions only when an adjacent small siding is used.  Box and signal are approximately in the same position as at the time of the accident.

As with all reviews of historical events students can form their own opinions on cause and effect.  Perhaps in this instance, since the footplate crew and the mystery man Kelly were killed, the Inspector was of a mind that no amount of investigation would return the unfortunate victims or yield incontestable truth and that prevention of a repeat on the rail system was his priority.

In considering this crash we can reflect on how our lives have changed over 100 years.  Rail travel is safer, highly regulated and employs up to date technology.  Forensic science now enables us to examine an accident in the smallest detail.  Society demands that responsibility for an accident is positively identified and all involved are subjected to rigorous cross-examination.  To-day’s science would probably have established more clearly what actually happened.                                         

Bob Jones