Narrative following this introduction has been kindly provided by Mr M. Gerrard as a way of remembering those who were killed and were injured on 16th July 1961 in the Singleton Rail Crash. Mike’s family were personally devastated by this incident – Aunt Janie was tragically killed and Uncle Len was injured.  The PWRS would like to thank Mr Gerrard for taking the time to describe the events of that fateful day.

Due to a staff communication breakdown, that stretch of line wasn’t clear; ahead of him a ballast train was slowly making its way back to singleton following the nights work proceeding in the same direction. The Ballast train consisted of 39 loose-coupled open high-sided, for-wheeled wagons with a 20 tone break van at each end. The train was pulled by a class 8 loco with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement and a six-wheeled tender, total weight of train, 575 tones.

The weather was fine but overcast, the visibility was good but the tracks still wet from overnight rain.

As driver Shaw went under bridge number 33, approaching a right handed continuous curve he spotted the brake van of the ballast train a few hundred yards ahead. He applied his breaks but couldn’t avoid the pending collision. At a point some 400 yards from the bridge and at an impact speed of 45 miles per hour the front coach struck the rear break van of the ballets train, the ballast train guard jumping clear just before impact.

The leading coach of the express struck and completely destroyed the rear break van of the ballast train, mounted the last six wagons and plunged down a 15 foot embankment, coming to rest parallel with the track, in the field below. The second coach parted, but not before it had pulled the latter leading end down the embankment behind it, coming to rest at right angles to the track and its rear projecting high into the air with the front end of the third coach. The leading end of the fourth coach, mounting wagons, the last two coaches remained on the track.

The rear break van and the last three wagons of the ballast train were completely wrecked, plus two more derailed and damaged, the body of another wagon was damaged.

The first ambulance was on site at 1036 after being notified at 1030, the last casualty was at hospital at 1115am. 6 passengers and driver Shaw lost their life and 116 passengers sustained injury, 18 were detained in hospital.

Breakdown trains arrived from Preston and Newton Heath at 1215 and 1340 respectfully, both lines were clear for working 11 hours later.

Driver Shaw was in no way responsible for the collision and was praised for his attempt in reducing the impact speed.

The official report into the accident concludes ‘ It became clear that slack working by senior and junior members of the railway staff, the contravention of The Block Regulations on several occasions, the misinterpretation of Railway Rules and the misunderstanding of major telephone conversations were major factors affecting the issue.

The jury verdict given at the inquest of the victims which was concluded at Preston on 23rd August 1961, found that the seven persons died from injuries caused in the accident, due to a misunderstanding of none-compliance with the Signaling Regulations and Rules laid down by British Rail. The jury returned a verdict of Death by Misadventure in each case.