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KENSINGTON 

11th OCTOBER 1887

involving Driver Gibbs and his fireman Amos Smith depot unknown 

extracted adapted from the report by C.S. Hutchinson 

On the 11th October 1887, a slight collision with a buffer stop occurred at Kensington station, on the West London Railway. In 

this case the London, Brighton and South Coast Company 6.12 p.m up passenger train from Clapham junction, due at 

Kensington at 6.25 p m., came into slight collision with the buffer stop at end of No. bay at Kensington station

Two passengers and a Great Western Company s servant travelling as a passenger were injured

In the train which consisted of a tank engine (running coal-bunk first) and six vehicles, the first and last being third class brake 

carriages, with a guard in the latter the Westinghouse automatic brake being fitted throughout the train the buffer casting and 

head stock of the brake carriage next the engine were slightly damaged.

The buffer stop (which consists merely of a wooden beam) was not damaged.

Description.

Up trains arriving at Kensington station and bound for the bays at the east side the station have to cross down line to reach the 

side of the down platform the crossings take place near the south main cabin, which is 170 yards south of the buffer stop at the 

end of No.3 bay, the incoming home signals being about 100 yards south of the cabin, or about 270 yards from the buffer stop

There is an overbridge about 70 yards south of the cabin, and the up line after rising as far as this overbridge is level from 

thence to the buffer stop.

The West London Company’s service time table contains the following rule Engine drivers in charge of trains running to the 

bays (at Kensington station) are instructed to reduce speed to not exceeding five miles per hour when passing over the points 

and crossings leading to the bays.

The London Brighton, and South Coast Companys rules as regards trains entering terminal or dead end stations are as follows 

Engine drivers charge of trains must approach all terminal or dead end stations with great care, having their trains well under 

control so that they can stop with certainty by means of their ordinary hand-brakesEach train must be brought to a stand four or 

five yards before reaching the stop buffers or any carriages may be standing on the platform lines a vigilant look out must be 

kept by drivers on entering platform sidings to see how far such sidings are clear and regulate their speed accordingly

This order applies to all, whether the ordinary hand brakes or the Westinghouse continuous brakes are in use Engine drivers 

working trains in which the Westinghouse continuous brake is in use must not depend entirely upon the action, working, and 

great power of brake when entering dead end terminal stations or approaching junctions but they must reduce the speed of the 

same as if they only had the ordinary hand brakes in use, and so have their trains under such control as to be able to come to

stand by using their hand brakes only.

Evidence.

1. Philip Wilkinson signalman in the service of the West London Railway Company 15 1/2 years in railway service, signalman 

all the time I have been employed in the Kensington south main cabin where  I came on duty on the 11th at  2 p.m to remain till  

10. I accepted the 6.12 p.m train from Clapham Junction about 6.25 p.m. I was unable to lower my signals until coal train had 

passed towards Earl’s Court, and then set the road and lowered the home signal for No. 3 bay, and then the stop signal.

The train had not quite reached the stop-signal when I lowered it ; and 1 think it passed my cabin at a speed of about five miles 

an hour. I felt no uneasiness about the speed of the train, which was as usual. I saw no more of it after it passed, as I was 

engaged with two other trains. I thought I heard a slight noise when the collision must have occurred, but I should have thought 

nothing of it but for a shunter asking me if I had thought that the driver of the Brighton train had run into the stops. I think the 

collision occurred at about 6.27 p.m. The evening was fine, but there was a little haze, though not sufficient to prevent my 

seeing trains standing at the station. The usual speed of trains entering the bays is about five or six miles an hour on passing the 

cabin. If trains have been checked at the stop signal steam is generally (shut off about the bridge, or a little on the station side of 

it. As a rule I observe the firemen and guards using their brakes for taking their trains into the bays. In the present case steam 

was shut off before the engine reached the cabin. I cannot say what brakes were applied.

2. Edward Webb, foreman porter in the service of the West London Railway Company ; 18 years in the service, and 7 1/2 years 

foreman porter at Kensington station. I was walking along the platform towards the buffer stop when the train from Clapham 

Junction, due at 6.25 p.m., was running in on the 11th. When it struck the stops I was about opposite the engine. I was not 

apprehensive that there would be any collision till the engine actunlly hit the stops, when the speed was between three and four 

miles an hour. Trains run in at that speed till close to the buffers, and then stop without hitting them. There was no rebound in 

the train after the collision. No vehicles left the rails, and no couplings were broken. I saw the fireman with his hand on the 

hand-brake just before the collision, and he released it directly it occurred. I do not know whether the air brake was used or not. 

I do not remember the driver saying anything with regard to the cause of the collision, but the fireman remarked that he had his 

brake on. The rear guard also said that he had his hand brake applied. The evening was frosty and a little hazy, but the rails were 

not greasy. There was plenty of light in the neighbourhood of the buffers. I have known the driver Gibbs as running into 

Addison Road since 1878, and he has not, to my knowledge, run into the buffers before. He was perfectly sober on this 

occasion, as was also his fireman. They both remained on the engine when the collision occurred. Both the passengers who were 

injured were in the front brake-carriage. The air brake is generally used by the Brighton Company's drivers for stopping at the 

buffer-stops. The hand-brake is also generally used both by firemen and guards.

John Hall, guard; eight years in the Loudon, Brighton, and South Coast Company s service, five years guard. On the 11th 

October I worked from 8 am.a. till 11 a.m., and then from 3.30 p.m. till 11.30 p.m. During this latter period I was exclusively 

engaged in working with trains between Claphnm junction and Addison Road, and I have been so engaged since April last. On 

the 11th October driver Gibbs took charge of the train at 5.20 p.m. from Clapham Junction, and ran from it to Addison Road and 

back, in which two trips no stations were overrun. I started again from Clapham junction with the 6.12 p.m. train , consisting of 

tank engine Deptford, running coal bunk first, and six vehicles, viz., two third-class brakes, one at each end of the train, two first 

class, one third and one second class. We started at 6.13 p.m., stopped at Battersea, Chelsea, and West Brompton, at neither of 

which there was overrunning. On leaving West Brompton there were not more than from 20 to 25 passengers in the train ; we 

left it about two minutes late at 6.25 p.m. We were checked by signals at Lillie Bridge, and on approaching Addison Rood the 

signals were on, but were pulled off as we were passing Earl’s Court junction. I cannot say exactly where the driver shut off 

steam ; the speed on approaching the stop-signal was 10 to 12 miles an hour, and was reduced when passing under the bridge

and at the south end of the platform was about five miles an hour. I felt no alarm about the speed being too great till the train 

stopped suddenly on striking the buffer stop. As the engine wns reaching the south end of the platform, I, according to my usual 

practice, commenced applying my hand-brake, and I had finished applying it by the time my brake had reached the south end of 

the platform. I never released it. I do not know the weight of the brake-carriage. After the collision I noticed the air-brake gauge 

showed 50 lbs. I had not observed it previously since leaving Clapham Junction, where it also marked 50 lbs. I have no reason 

to think the air-brake was applied while the train was running along the platform ; the lost time l hud noticed its application was 

for drawing up at Lillie Bridge signals. I was looking out of the window when the collision occurred, and was not injured by it 

at all seriously. I was looking out of the window to see if any passengers stepped out before tho train slopped: a few did so, but 

did not fall down. There was no rebound in the train. The air-brake is sometimes used, and sometimes not for the final stop

During the time I have worked with driver Gibbs I have never bad occasion to complain of his not stopping properly, but the 

previous evening he had not paid proper attention to uiy starting-signals, and I had did not pay more attention. He did so after 

my speaking to him, and I had no reason to complain of his conduct on the three trips on the 11th. Immediately after the 

collision 1 asked Gibbs why lie had not stopped ia the usual way. lie at first said the Westinghouse brake would not workand 

alter my making some replylie said, To tell the truth, I did not see the stopsand missed my mark. There was a haze about the 

platform. The red lamp was burningThe driver appeared quite sober, but frightenedThe collision occurred at about 6.28 p.m. 

4. Amos Smith, fireman in the London, Brighton, and South Coast Companys service; 10 1/2years in the service, fireman 8 1/2 

years. I commenced work on the 11th October at 4 p.m. with driver Gibbs, with whom 1 have worked about 10 months. During 

all this rime I have been in the habit of working between Clapham Junction and Kensington, making on an average 71/2 trips 

there and back every day. Our engine was the Deptford, which we have had continuously since the beginning of March. It is a 

six-wheel coupled engine, with a brake-block on each wheel, all worked either by tho air-brake or hand-brake. On tho 11lb we 

made our first trip from Clapham Junction to Kensington and back at 5.20, the train consisting of six vehicles. Everything went 

right on this trip. At 6.12 p.m. we again started with the same train, the engine running coal- bunk first, for Kensington. I believe 

we started a little late. We stopped at Battersea, were checked outside Chelsea, stopped at Chelsea, West Brompton, were 

checked at Lillie Bridge, and the signals were against us at Kensington, but were taken off us we were approaching them ; the 

Westinghouse brake was used on all these occasions and worked very well, there having been no overrunning. Steam was shut 

off for running into Kensington at the stop signal, when the speed was about 10 miles an hour, about as usual when not stopped 

at the signal: when coming under the I applies the hand brake slightly, and gradually put it on harder as we ran in, and I had got 

it hard on when the engine was about half way down the platform, the speed at the end of the platform having been about did 

not pay more attention. He did so after my speaking to him, and I had no reason to complain of his conduct on the three trips on 

the 11th. Immediately after the collision 1 asked Gibbs why lie had not stopped in the usual way. he at first said the 

Westinghouse brake would not work, and alter my making some reply, lie said, To tell the truth, I did not see the stops, and 

missed my mark. There was a haze about the platform. The red lamp was burning. The driver appeared quite sober, but 

frightened. The collision occurred at about 6.28 p.m

4. Amos Smith, fireman in the London, Brighton, and South Coast Companys service; 10 1/2 years in the service, fireman 8 1/4 

years. I commenced work on the 11th October at 4 p.m .with driver Gibbs, with whom I have worked about 10 months. During 

all this rime I have been in the habit of working between Clapham Junction and Kensington, making on an average 7 1/2 trips 

there and back every day. Our engine was the Deptford, which we have had continuously since the beginning of March. It is a 

six wheel coupled engine, with a brake-block on each wheel, all worked either by the air-brake or handbrake. On tho 11th we 

made our first trip from Clapham Junction to Kensington and back at 5.20, the train consisting of six vehicles. Everything went 

right on this trip. At 6.12 p.m. we again started with the same train, the engine running coal-bunk first, for Kensington. I believe 

we started a little late. We stopped at Battersea, were checked outside Chelsea, stopped at Chelsea, West Brompton, were 

checked at Lillie Bridge, and the signals were against us at Kensington, but were taken off us we were approaching them ; the 

Westinghouse brake was used on all these occasions and worked very well, there having been no overrunning. Steam was shut 

off for running into Kensington at the stop-signal, when the speed was about 10 miles an hour, about as usual when not stopped 

at the signal ; when coming under the bridge I applied the hand brake slightly, and gradually put it on harder as we ran in, and

had got it hard on when the engine was about half way down the platform, the speed at the end of the platform having been 

about five miles an hour. On the engine reaching a set of points, about 30 yards from the buffer-stop, the hand brake did not 

seem to be reducing the speed sufficiently, so I called to the driver to stop, meaning that he should apply the air-brake, at the 

same time myself opening the trailing sand-box, which lets the sand run in front of the proper trailing-wheels, there being 

another sand-box for the engine when running chimney first. Notwithstanding my calling out the driver did not apply the brake, 

though he was standing with the brake-handle in his hand, looking towards the stops. I called out to him again on finding he did 

not apply it, but he still failed to do so, and we then struck the stops at a very slow speed. There was no recoil. On our striking 

the stops the driver put on the air¬ brake. In reply to me ho said he had not put on the brake as he had missed his mark, and then 

on trying to apply it he had found the brake-handle stiff. The driver did not appear quite well, he certainly had not been 

drinking. I had heard something pass between him and the guard the previous evening about his not paying attention to the 

guard's signals. The use of the air-brake for running into the bays is uncertain, but it is almost always used on some part of the 

run in.

The driver of the train, Gibbs, was ill when I held the inquiry, and he died the day after it. He had been in the Brighton 

Company's service as a driver nine years. His character was good. On the day of the collision he had commenced work at

p.m., after having been off duty about 15 hours. He was well acquainted with the line between Clapham Junction and 

Kensington station


Conclusion.

This slight collision was caused by disobedience to rules on the part of driver Gibbs (since deceased) when running into No. 3 

bay at Kensington Station. At the time of the collision Gibbs had been on duty about hours, after a period of 15 hours off duty

The West London Company s rule is that the speed when passing over the points and crossings leading to the bays at 

Kensington station is not to exceed five miles an hour, and had this rule been attended to no collision could possibly have 

occurred, for as it was stated that steam had been shut off some 350 yards from the buffer stop, and had been never re-applied,

speed of five miles an hour at the crossings would, without the application of any brakes, have hardly sufficed to carry the train 

up to the buffer stop, whereas the hand-brakes were no doubt applied both by the fireman and guard some considerable distance 

from the buffer stop.

The Brighton Companys rules for trains entering terminal or dead-end stations prescribe that the speed must be such that they 

may be able to he stopped by using the hand brake only, four or five yards from the buffer stop. This rule was also disobeyed

as, though the hand-brakes appear to have been duly applied, the speed was such that the train, instead of stopping four or five 

yards from the buffer-stop, struck it at slow rate of speed.

The collision would probably have been prevented had the driver Gibbs attended, when nearing the buffer-stop, to the fireman 

calling on lum to stop, meaning that he should apply the Westinghouse brake. Though Gibbs was standing looking towards the 

buffer-stop with the brake-handle in his hand, he failed to turn it though a second time called on by the fireman to do so till the 

engine had struck the buffer- stop.

The inattention of the driver to the speed of the train, and to the warnings of his fireman when thus approaching the buffer-stop

was very probably owing to his state of health ; this must have been seriously impaired at the time, as he succumbed to the 

diseases from which he was suffering only 12 days afterwards. 

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