Mexborough and Swinton Times August 13, 1937

Shunter Killed
Unexplained Wath Mishap
Derailed Wagons

Reference was made to two derailed trucks at the Wath inquest on Monday of Arthur James Victor Green (30), a shunter, of 38, Broomhead Rd, Wombwell, who was found dead and terribly mutilated in Wath LNER Concentration Yard last Thursday night.

The Sheffield District Deputy Coroner, Mr A P Lockwood, sat with a jury and a verdict that Green was “accidentally killed when he was struck or crushed by a wagon” was returned.

Inspector W Whiteley Detective officer H Saunders represented the LNER and the NUR was represented by Messrs H Triplett (district organiser) and Mr B E Kitson (secretary of the Wath branch)

Green was a son of Arthur J Green, a guard on the LNER railway, who lives at 39 Little Field Lane, Wombwell. For the past 12 months he had been bandmaster in the Salvation Army at Wombwell was a hard worker for the Army in many ways.

Three years ago he married Miss Elizabeth Penketh, daughter of Mrs Penketh, who was also an Army worker, the ceremony taking place in the Army Hall in Station Road, Wombwell. For several years Green was employed as a porter at Wombwell LNE station and was much appreciated by the public and his workmates for his helpful ways and kindly manner. He leaves no children.

Arthur John Green, 29, Little Field Lane, Wombwell, railway goods guard, said his son had been employed for 14 years by the LNER and had worked for three months as a shunter at Wath Concentration Yard. He was out saying that no incapacity whatever.

Knew Something Was Wrong

William E Hardaker, senior shunter, 30 Fitzwilliam Avenue, Wath, said about 9 PM Green came on duty and joined witness as assistant. He was quite cheery and appeared to be in his usual good health. They saw each other quite frequently until 10.15, when they were marshalling the train of wagons in the Concentration Yard between 15, 17 and 19 point.

One body was shunted into number 17 siding, and from that siding to number 15 there was a slight downward gradient. In the course of marshalling the train witness gave Green shouts and directions about the point, and saw him go towards them. It was after dark and Green signalled with his lamp that “I was all right to put the wagons in, and I gave the engine driver the signal to go forward with his wagons into number 15. I got ready to uncouple some of these wagons, and from a bumping noise I knew immediately something was wrong.”

Witness went on to say he gave the driver the red lamp to stop and went to investigate. He found the leading wagon of the shunt had all four wheels derailed; the wagon had passed the points at 15. Green was lying dead closer track about 11 feet from the points. The cause of the derailment was that the wagon placed in number 17 siding, which he found with its leading pair of wheels derailed. This wagon had moved from the position where he had last seen it.

Brakes Applied

It was Green’s duty to have secured it by applying the brakes. “When I looked at the wagon,” said the witness, “the brakes were down; the levers were dropped and the brake blocks were applied to the wheel.”

Answering Mr Triplett and the deputy coroner Hardacre said he thought Green must have dropped his lamp and stick and rushed across to try and drop the brake on the wagon in number 17 so that he could prevent a collision. In reply to Mr Lockwood, Hardacre said Green’s light was out, but a slight bump on the ground would extinguish it.

Richard T Morris, engine driver, 81 Cowper Road, Mexborough said at 10.15 on Thursday his engine was standing behind a number of wagons ready to shunt them. Received a signal from Hardaker to go forward, and he had travelled about 40 yards passing points all the time, when he received the signal to stop. Later he went to look at the train and found two wagons derailed. He thought neither actually belong to the train, nor were they coupled.

Hardacre, recalled, alleged that the previous witness was wrong when he thought the wagons was uncoupled. It was the leading wagon of the 16 in the shunt and was still coupled after the accident.

Harry Fowler, railyard inspector, Wath, said about 10:20 PM he was on duty in the Concentration Yard and received a telephone message telling what had happened. He found the derailed wagon about 6 yards from Green and still coupled. Another derailed empty wagon stood at the end of number 17 siding. Answering the Coroner, the witness said if he had been inspecting he would have thought to drop the lever on the latter wagon was quite sufficient in the circumstance.

Policeman Complemented

Addressing the jury, Mr Lockwood said the facts were simple so far as they went, but how the accident happened was clearly a question of surmise. Whether Green tried to get across to number 17 wagon and was struck, or he remaind there, and the leading wagon which was derailed caught him as he was standing by the side of the track had not been cleared up, and, he thought, never could be cleared up.

It was an accident to which it was impossible to attach any blame to any living person – and by that he did not imply that the blame lay with Green.

The jury returned a verdict as stated and attributed death to multiple injuries.

After Inspector Whiteley had expressed the Company’s sympathy, the Coroner said: although we have not been able to find the true cause of this accident the enquiry has been considerably helped by the very thorough investigation made by PC Brown after he was called to the scene.