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Off the Rails by John Miller and Peter Davis Who have researched two separate incidents in our not so recent history. First published in issue 76 of The Tenterden Terrier Summer 1998. Reproduced with permission of then-editor Mr P D Shaw Saturday 26th March 1949 It is reported that No.8 “Knowle” will soon enter traffic on the K&ESR after her long overhaul at Rolvenden. (It is curious how we still refer to locomotives by their original names long after they have been removed from the engine - “Knowle” lost her name some 90 years ago!). Some readers may remember a less happy episode in the engine’s history, so perhaps this should be recorded before we celebrate her new lease of life. Apart from the K&ESR owned Terrier class engines (No.3 “Bodiam” and No.5 “Rolvenden”), “Knowle” has the longest association with the railway of any of her class. She was allocated to the line in February 1940 and remained for eighteen years. Following nationalisation, she was the first of the class to appear with a British Railways number, 32678 in August 1948, bit remained in plain Southern Railway black. On Saturday 26th March 1949, “Knowle” left Robertsbridge with a single carriage, No. S 5317, forming the 5.50pm train to Tenterden Town. The train reached Northiam without incident. The weather had been wet and it was now dark. Ahead, work had been in progress on the track leading up to the Rother Bridge, and there was a 15 mph speed restriction in force until the work was completed. However, the driver was in a hurry to reach Tenterden and set off at a brisk pace. At the curve to the left before the bridge, the track gave way, and “Knowle” left the rails and ploughed into the soft ground of the right hand ditch. The engine came to rest tilted onto her right hand side, pulling the carriage with her, which also tilted to the right. Most of the obvious damage was to the end of the carriage resulting from the impact on the back of the engine. Jack Hoad, who was the fireman on that occasion, recalled the incident when interviewed in 1974. He and the driver were shaken up but not injured, and the only casualty was the guard, Cyril Packham, who was very badly shaken and bruised. There appear to have been no passengers on board. The driver was suspended for three days following the incident. The track was quickly repaired and services resumed without undue interruption. The damaged end of the coach was covered with a tarpaulin sheet, and there both engine and carriage lay while consideration was given to the method of recovery. The obvious problem, due to the line’s light engineering, was one of axle loading of the recovery vehicles. Meanwhile, with “Knowle” out of action, another Terrier, No.32644 [1] was drafted in from the Hayling Island branch to cover the services. The date of the recovery of the carriage has not been recorded. It certainly stayed put for at least two weeks, and it may indeed have remained in position until “Knowle” wasrecovered a month after the accident. All we know is that the carriage was removed before the engine. On [Sunday] 24th April, a small crowd of onlookers walked across the fields to watch, as two 36 ton Rapier cranes were brought onto the line to lift the engine. The Brighton crane was on the Tenterden side of the accident, propelled there by 01 class locomotive No.1434 [2] and with an ex-SE&CR ‘birdcage’ coach in support. An unidentified Terrier class engine assisted the Bricklayers Arms crane at the Robertbridge end, which was accompanied by two support coaches, one ex-L&SWR and another ex-SE&CR ‘birdcage’. It is assumed that the Ashford crane, although nearest to the line, was too heavy. The track had been underpinned with layers of sleepers under the lifting point. The engine appears to have been lifted with chains and hooks under the buffers at the rear, and with a sling under the boiler barrel behind the smokebox, at the front. She was gently lifted back onto the rails and towed to Rolvenden depot for examination. The only serious damage was to the coal bunker, resulting from the impact damage from the carriage. By the middle of June “Knowle” had arrived at Brighton Works for repair. In September, she reappeared looking none the worse for her undignified experience, this time painted in fully lined out BR black but with blank sides as BR crests were not then available. “Knowle” resumed her duties, working nearly nine more years on the K&ESR. - - - - - Published footnote [1] No.32644 originally named “Fulham”, remained on the K&ESR following the return of “Knowle” but was withdrawn in April 1951 and cut up Published footnote [2] Apart from occasions during World War II, when a number of movements of took place of 01 class and War Department ex-GWR Dean Goods engines, even as far as Robertsbridge, this is the only recorded authorised movement of an 01 class engine below Rolvenden Tuesday 7th November 1953 On Tuesday 7th November 1953 Mr A Waterhouse and his wife, of Hollow Wall Farm, Staplecross set off for Ashford market with four ewes in a small wooden trailer behind their 1934 Standard Nine. As they ran downhill on the A28 towards Northiam level crossing the 8.20am from Headcorn, the only through train of the day, was hurrying across the misty levels on time for its 10.02am departure from Northiam to Robertsbridge. Following normal practice on ungated crossings the driver shut off steam, whistled continuously and coasted over the crossing at less than 10 mph. Neither driver nor locomotive can be identified, though at that time the latter would most likely have been Terrier 32655 or 32678. |
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Mr Waterhouse was unable to pull up and ran into the train between the ex-L&SWR bogie brake and an SR 20 ton goods brake being moved from Rolvenden to Robertsbridge for attaching to the 12.20pm down mixed. The alert locomotive driver made an emergency stop but not before the car, caught between the two vehicles, had been dragged off the road onto the cattle grid. The Waterhouses were shaken but not injured and although the car at first appears to be badly damaged, the only irreparable component seems to be the radiator. Such was the shortage of cars in those days, with long waiting lists for new models, that the little Standard would have soon been repaired. There was no damage done to Railway property. The train came to rest with the goods brake entangled with the car and obstructing the highway, so it was uncoupled and hand shunted to the Wittersham [Road] side of the crossing. The Northiam policeman was summoned and took control of the incident. It is not known whether charges were brought by either party but it is quite likely they were not; in those far off and leisurely days people were more prepared to accept responsibility for their own actions. The locomotive driver could not have been to blame and the police are unlikely to have taken action against Mr Woodhouse as nobody was hurt. Contemporary press reports are conflicting, the Express-Herald quoting Mrs Woodhouse as saying “The railway line was obscured by a house and high hedges and by the time they heard the train whistle the car was within three lengths pf the crossing”. She went on to say “We were partly on the crossing. My husband pulled up sharply and put the car into reverse, but had no time to get back, so we sat and waited for it! The Kent & Sussex Courier’s report was perhaps more accurate stating that Mr Woodhouse was about to drive across when he heard the train’s whistle. He braked but the train took off the train’s bumpers and badly damaged the bonnet. Significantly, neither report mentions the sheep trailer. The level crossing was protected in accordance with procedures agreed between H F Stephens and the MOT [Ministry of Transport] in the 1920s when the gates were removed. Counting down, there was first the MOT “ungated crossing” sign, followed by a very large board stating “LEVEL CROSSING AHEAD – NO GATES – BEWARE OF TRAINS” and immediately before the crossing a large cast “TRAINS CROSS HERE” sign on a black and white post surmounted by a red triangle. As already mentioned it was mandatory for trains to whistle continuously on the approach and while crossing the road, and not to exceed 10 mph. Sometimes, but not on this occasion, station agent Bill Rann controlled the road traffic with a red flag or lamp; it was never clear whether this was a requirement or perhaps only carried out at Bill’s discretion in certain circumstances or in poor visibility. Of course, Mr Woodhouse would have been aware of the level crossing; he must have used the road regularly. He would surely have approached with some caution and would not have been surprised by the locomotive’s whistle. It is most likely that his attempt to pull up was thwarted by the notably weak cable operated brakes fitted to the Standard and the momentum applied by the unbraked trailer with a gross weight of about 15cwt. This was just an unfortunate accident from which the Woodhouses were lucky to escape with little more than a shaking and maybe a handful of people missed their main line connections. As is often the case, anther couple of seconds, or a few inches, could have resulted in a less happy ending. The incident took place just two months before closureto passenger traffic but new concrete fence posts can be seen [in the photographs] lying in the cess opposite the station. Most of the line was refenced at this time and no doubt the cost contributed to the case for closure, even though the line continued to carry quite heavy goods traffic for several more years.
- E N D - There appears to be some doubt about the coach 32678 was hauling; please see next Correspondence item on this matter The reference to No.8 pertains to current K&ESR listings; it is most unlikely the engine will ever appear in this guise. 2678 or 32678 should be the correct nomenclature and although an A1X appearance as No.78 “Knowle” is not an impossibility, nor are Isle of Wight reincarnations as W4 or W14. As for the name reference, blame, longevity of the class, frequent number changes and the fact that “Stepney” is the only genuine engine in the Thomas the Tank Engine books For the record, this derailment took place exactly 249 weeks before 32678 worked the very last 5.50pm from Robertsbridge with 32655 on Saturday 2nd January 1954 and the recovery 50 years to the date prior to my wedding day! Remember the maximum line speed for a light railway is 25 mph Some sources, record the site of the derailment as “near Wittersham Road”. Quite obviously this is not correct; “tongue-in-cheek” it is not even in the same county! It is interesting to speculate which Terrier assisted in the recovery especially as there do not appear to be any pictures of it. Unless someone can come forward with some sort of evidence, the best bet is that it was probably a regular Ashford-based Terrier that assisted. Similarly, information would be grateful received concerning the engine involved in the Northiam crossing collision. Because the railway was built from the Robertbridge, trains heading this way were regarded as Up, even from Headcorn. There was no directional split such as exists at Maidstone West; if there had been, there is a strong case to argue for this to have happened at Rolvenden rather than Tenterden Town! Witness statements at accidents can be notoriously inaccurate and are sometimes made worse by poor journalism and/or selective editing of the facts! HN-04/12/2006 |