We continue with our series of tales of the old Stockton and Darlington Railway as dictated to Mr Harold Oxtoby by Mr George Graham, who was the driver of Engine No.1 ‘Locomotion’.
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On August 10th, 1831, engine driver John Morgan was reported for carrying three girls and a man on his engine. Fined 2/6d by Edward Pease.
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On November 17th, 1831, Edward Corner, engine driver, was reported for allowing a man and a woman to ride on his engine after being told to stop anyone travelling on the engine. Fined 2/6d by order of Edward Pease.
NOTE: This man was the first official fireman employed on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. He continued with the S&DR as fireman and driver until 1841 when he left to work on the Great North of England Railway where he was employed as Running Shed foreman at Darlington. In 1846 he went to the South Eastern Railway Company at the 'Bricklayers Arms' London where he worked as Shed Foreman. He died in 1894 at the age of 90.
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On December 6th ,1832, engine driver Thomas Lanchester was reported for running at too high a speed, namely ten miles an hour, which caused one of the wagons to leave the road (rails) and others to follow it. thereby blocking the line for some hours. The remark made by Edward Pease was that Thomas Lanchester be brought before the Directors, as excessive speed was the cause of the accident. He, Mr E.Pease, ordered that the men be watched in future so as to stop them running too fast.
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On 18th January, 1833, another case of excess of speed was recorded when Charles Jennison, engine driver, was reported for having run a trip from Shildon to Stockton and back in 4 1/2 hours including stoppages - a distance of 40 miles. He was ordered by Edward Pease to appear before the Directors, who sacked him.
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On May 17th, 1833, Ralph Morgan, driver of the 'Coronation' engine and George Jennison, driver of the 'Lord Durham' engine, collided at Urlay Nook with their engines - through their own carelessness. Both engines and tenders were broken. The remark made by Edward Pease was that each driver be fined £2.10.0d and put on older engines to drive in future.
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On July 31st, 1833, John Lyle, engine driver, was reported for getting down from his engine at Heighington Station and sending two firemen to Stockton and back with it, and as he had been reported before for a similar case, and he had been careless and indolent, he was dismissed by John Graham. The remark made by Edward Pease was 'Quite right!'.
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On August 9th, 1833, an accident occurred between Darlington and Stockton. An ass had strayed on to the line and the engine ran into it causing the engine to leave the rails. Thomas Hutchinson, apprentice driver, was thrown off the engine and one of the wheels passed over his leg which had to be amputated.
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On September 19th, 1833, the engine named 'Experiment' when travelling between Darlington and Stockton, was thrown off the line into a ditch. No-one was to blame.
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On 16th October, 1833, Joseph Bell, fireman, was reported for neglecting to clean the tubes out. Accordong to the report 'He was dealt with'.
NOTE - Bell went on to become a driver, serving on the Stockton and Darlington, the Great North of England and the South Eastern Railways. He was still driving locomotives in 1890 when he must have been in his late seventies. He died in London in 1895.
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On January 16th, 1835, John Graham reported that the wooden wheels on No.10 engine (Planet) were in a bad state of repair and he recommended that they be replaced with iron wheels. This was agreed by Joseph Pease.
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On June 12th, 1835, it was reported that a Mr Hutchinson of Heighington, who had lost a leg in an incident at 'Goose Pool' 18 months earlier, was asking the Directors to give him a situation as a clerk as he had been to school during the 18 months he had been off work.
We don't know if his application was successful but it is recorded that he was employed as Coal Depot manager at York in December 1840 and continued there for many years
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We'll have yet more tales from the old S&DR soon.