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All went well until the morning of Monday. 12th September, 1955. The first run of the day was being prepared and the full complement of men — 65 in all — boarded the train. On the signal from the conductor, the hauling engineman started away in the normal manner. After the train had travelled about 98 feet, it had reached a point where the gradient changed from 1 in 4 to 1 in 28 when the rope broke, 18 feet from the capel. The train ran amain for 172 feet before becoming derailed. In consequence many of the passengers received injuries, four of them being reportably injured. It is fortunate that the train was derailed so soon otherwise there might have been a major disaster. Excellent first-aid arrangements were put in hand immediately and I must pay tribute to doctors, first-aid men and others who did such sterling work in tending the injured. The more serious cases were on the way to hospital within minutes, while all persons who were on the train had been medically examined and treated within three hours.

No. 2 Plan shows the position of the carriages after the accident.

 

A copy of this report was kindly donated by
West Cumbria Mines Research.