| Date of Accident | Name | Age | Address | Location | Grade | Railway Company | Details | Plot Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29 1901 | Henry Llewellyn | 21 | Pearl Street | East Bute Dock, Cardiff | Brakesman | Cardiff Railway | Llewellyn stood between "iron ore" siding and another. At the crossover he was knocked down by a derailed wagon in a train leaving "iron ore", despite foreman's warning and before train was stopped. | S2941 |
| Feb 3 1903 | W E Hocking | 42 | Minny Street | Bank Terminous Yard, Cardiff | Guard | Fracture of skull. Accidental death. Wife and 6 children and 1 partially... £13 awarded. | Y396 | |
| Aug 4 1905 | Alfred Coles | 53 | Bromsgrove Street | Grangetown, Cardiff | Mineral guard | Taff Vale Railway | Right hand wheels of a train passed over him whilst Shunting. Coles, in normal practice, was riding the buffers between the first two wagons and appears to have fallen onto the four foot way after maybe slipping when attempting to cross from these buffers to those on the other side. No one has been deemed responsible but Coles actions may have intended to signal to the driver of the occasional presence of children and animals at this point and to keep a look-out in front of the train. Verdict - If trespassing is not preventable at this point, train speeds should be limited to allow guards to walk in front, and to prevent further accidents, instructions were to be issued forbidding men to ride on the buffers of vehicles. | M133 |
| Aug 4 1905 | John Burns Smith | 37 | Arran Street | Ystrad Mynach | Driver | Rhymney Railway | Knocked down & fatally injured. Cardiff solicitors received an award for Accidental death. £200 for widow, £100 for child. | S2019 |
| Apr 6 1907 | Francis William Proctor | 60 | Arabella Street | East Bute Dock, Cardiff | Labourer | Cardiff Railway | Employee of Cardiff and Channel Mills Company Ltd caught between buffers of 2 wagons when cleaning up grain which had fallen during unloading and dragged about 12 yards as the wagons moved by hydraulic capstan worked by F Galpin, capstanman, sustaining fatal injuries. Determined as not working in accordance with instructions. Notice was subsequently given to Capstanmen. Unauthorised persons appear to regularly give right away signal which Galpin should have ignored as not in accordance with rules. The Capstan rope is sometimes attached to rear wagon well before wagons made ready to move, which is objectionable and should be forbidden. Strict compliance with instructions at all times was advised. | H1669 |
| Dec 12 1907 | William Popham | 34 | Woodville Road | Pontypridd | Fireman, acting as engine driver | Taff Vale Railway | Whilst about the track, Popham was walking along the line to relieve a driver at a depot. The accident was not witnessed. He was probably knocked down by a brake van which was moved along the line. It was deemed that Popham should have used a public road. He therefore breached the companies special instructions by walking along the line. | V1173 |
| Mar 6 1909 | Albert John Iles | 20 | 22 Crwys Road | Pontypridd | Brakesman | Taff Vale Railway | Whilst about the track, Iles was knocked down by a wagon while crossing a line. Snow and sleet blowing in his face may have prevented him from seeing the wagon but he may also have failed to look out for his own safety. | X112 |
| Mar 10 1909 | Frederick Styles | 25 | 6 Fitzroy Street | Cardiff Docks | Brakesman | Rhymney & Cardiff Railway | Whilst about the track, Styles was knocked down by a light engine when the signal for it was cleared. He had been at the location to operate hand points having ridden on a coal train. The accident was not witnessed. Conclusion was Misadventure. Styles had not been advised of the formation of the train before starting and may not have alighted where he did if he had known. The Company was to ensure brakesmen are advised in advance of the make-up of trains and to provide a suitable vehicle for them to ride in. | L2739 |
| April 21 1909 | Thomas Parry | 28 | 65 Coburn Street | Locomotive Sheds, Cardiff Docks | Shed-shunter | Rhymney Railway | Thomas Parry, who was on the footplate. Locomotive injectors failing, the boiler exploded violently while men were engaged in dropping the fire. Report. | A1276 |
| April 21 1909 | Henry Headford Hawks | 28 | 56 Caerphilly Street | Locomotive Sheds, Cardiff Docks | Fireman | Rhymney Railway | Hawks was in the engine pit assisting Parry to drop the fire. Locomotive injectors failing, the boiler exploded violently while men were engaged in dropping the fire. Report. | J189 |
| April 21 1909 | W. Murphy | 19 | Adam Street | Locomotive Sheds, Cardiff Docks | Cleaner | Rhymney Railway | Murphy was about ten yards away at the time. Locomotive injectors failing, the boiler exploded violently while men were engaged in dropping the fire. Report. | R2740 |
| Oct 4 1909 | Daniel Coughlin | 41 | 22 Court Road | East Dock, Cardiff | Casual labourer | Cardiff Railway | Whilst on railway property, the driver pulling train under No1 tip heard a shout & stopped quickly. Coughlin was found lying over rail between 1st & 2nd wagons with both legs run over & other injuries. There were no witnesses but he must have fallen between loco & wagon. There was no reason for him to be in the area as his job was elsewhere. There is a good road on the opposite side of siding he should have used. No blame on Company's servants. | R1647 |
| Mar 11 1911 | George Player | 38 | 22 Byron Street | Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff | Coal tipper and weigher | Cardiff Railway | Died shortly after accident. Whilst about the track, Player was swept off feet by capstan rope which had caught on check rail. He fell under moving wagons, which passed over both legs. It was deemed dangerous working method as the check-rail was projected awkwardly. Men shouldn't step between capstan rope and wagon and should be issued with shunting poles and these instructions strictly enforced: A lamp would improve poor lighting, of which company hadn't been informed. Check rails were provided with ramps. | A216a |
| Oct 1 1913 | Leonard John Franks | 19 | 27 Kings Road | Messrs Spillers and Bakers, Cardiff | Warehouse employee | Cardiff Railway | Son of George & Mary Franks. Franks was caught between vehicles as he was attending to brakes of a wagon on an incline which closed up on another being positioned for loading, trapping him between the buffers. Unsatisfactory system of working, warehouse employees attending to brakes as Railway's horse-shunter had no assistant. | R1975 |
| Mar 1 1924 | George Westcott | 55 | 13 Loftus Street | Cardiff | Sub-ganger | Great Western Railway | While working with a gang on the track, Glaze gave warning of an approaching down goods train and Westcott stood clear beyond the up main line. After the goods train had passed, Westcott was found having been hit by an up express train. Accident due to Westcott leaving a place of safety before he was satisfied that it was safe to do so. The noise of the passing goods train prevented him from hearing the approaching express. | K2563 |
| Jan 4 1926 | George Frederick Philpott | 31 | 239 Moorland Road | Bute Docks, Cardiff | Shunter | Great Western Railway | Whilst walking alongside a wagon the brake lever caught his jacket and pulled him down; he was then struck by a wagon axle box. Verdict - Misadventure. | Y1123 |
| Apr 26 1926 | Edward Kenyon | 36 | 10 Walker Road | Queen's Dock, Cardiff | Coal tipper | Great Western Railway | Kenyon noticed a securing chain lying between the rails. He stepped forward to rearrange it and his foot became caught between a running rail and a girder in the four-foot way. It proved impossible to stop the wagon in time to prevent it hitting Kenyon. The accident was attributed to Kenyon taking a needless risk in stepping in front of a moving wagon. The Company was recommended to consider whether to reduce the space between rail and girder so that a man's foot cannot be caught in future. | EH2101 |
| Jul 20 1927 | Sidney John Mence | 32 | 35 Clare Road | Roath Dock, Cardiff | Shunter | Great Western Railway | Whilst about the track, Mence was riding on the front buffer of a row of 8 trucks, which became derailed and he was crushed beneath it. Verdict - Misadventure. It was recommended that shunting vehicles be provided, instead of riding the buffers. | EG368 |
| May 3 1929 | Arthur Henry Price | 28 | 3 Howard Terrace | Bute Docks, Cardiff | Shunter | Great Western Railway | Whilst about the track, during shunting Dorjan saw Price step foul of the line and come into contact with the left buffer of the vehicle. The movement was at once stopped and Price was found lying in the 6ft space along side the rail. He had been decapitated. It is evident that Price did not look to see if it was safe before he stepped foul of the Water Road, and to such want of caution on his part the accident was attributed. | EG963 |
| Sep 12 1930 | Walter Francis Merryfield | 18 | 49 Cavin Street | Near Crwys sidings, Cardiff | Crwys Coal and Timber Company - Employer | Great Western Railway | Merryfield died of his injuries five hours after the accident. Whilst about the track, he was walking along the outside sleeper ends of the up main line when he was knocked down by a train engine. Crwys and other companies have for a long period sent messages to the Railway Company by messenger walking along the railway. It was his first time on this duty. | EK1998 |
| Apr 7 1931 | Edmund Martin | 39 | 27 Ferry Road | Bute yard, Cardiff | Labourer | Great Western Railway | Martin succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. Goods handling accident. The men were unloading timber from a Macaw wagon. They had removed the chains, then were called away to other work. On returning, they had just lowered a 10ft rail skid into place when the load started to move, crushing Martin. The accident was due to misadventure. The skid must have inadvertently made contact with the timber when being positioned, so that when it was released it levered the bottom log off the bolster, causing the tier to fall. The Company was to consider fitting the skids with a shaped end to fit into the stanchion sockets. This would hold the skid secure and avoid any possibility of its becoming a lever when being placed in position, or while in use. | EK2094 |
| Nov 30 1934 | Albert Padgett | 61 | 14 Railway Street | Roath Basin Junction, Cardiff | Goods guard / Shunter | Great Western Railway | Knocked down and run over, fatally injured died, on arrival at hospital. During Shunting, Padgett was still giving a red hand signal to the enginemen on the spur. The fireman on an engine on the up line saw a coupling pole fly out from under the engine, called on Peters, the engine driver, to stop. Padgett was found under the wheels of the leading axle of the brake van, having sustained multiple injuries. The accident may be attributed to Padgett`s own want of care. | L4150 |
| Oct 24 1935 | Joseph Charles Taylor | 43 | 21 Piercefield Place | Newtown Goods Shed, Cardiff | Capstanman | Great Western Railway | Pinned by buffer against bridge. Whilst about the track, assisting in removing trucking bridge from across no.9 and no.10 lines. He was standing in no.9 with back to yard when two vehicles, loose shunted, made contact with 7 others. These moved and pinned Taylor between buffers and bridge. Almond allowed two vehicles to run attended on to no.9 road. The Wheelstop was also removed. Verdict - Proper and adequate warning should be given and no vehicle should be loose shunted into the yard without shunter or capstanman present. | EP1172 |
