Me, my Dad and Moorgate.

[robots]

I am a little surprised that this programme broadcast last Sunday June 4th on Channel 4 hasn't provoked more comment.

It was a documentary by comedy writer Laurence Marks (Birds of a Feather, Alan B'stard and others) about the profound effect the Moorgate tube crash had on his life.

His domineering and dictatorial father was killed in the crash and in many ways Marks was only able to begin his comedy writing career without the presence of his father.

By a huge coincidence the young Marks was an up and coming Sunday Times journalist at the time and was put in charge of the paper's investigation into the tragedy.

His enquires, aided by leaks from the Coroner strongly suggested that the driver committed suicide by driving the train in full parallel into a blank wall at the Moorgate terminus. He lacked a suicide note or obvious motive but produced some circumstantial evidence concerning alcohol in the driver's bloodstream (strongly disputed by some expert witnesses) and an incident earlier that week when the same driver was involved in a platform overrun incident.

Whatever you thought about his conclusions this was an interesting programme linking together his personal loss and the incident itself. Personally I don 't think the evidence presented conclusively proved what happened one way or the other. At the end of the day the only person who knows for sure is dead.

[Deleted]

Sadly I didn't even know the programme was on. I only heard about it whilst reading a TV review in one of the newspapers.

I'm sure we've discussed the Moorgate tragedy before, and there'll never be a definitive conclusion as to what actually did happen. There is evidence for both sides (suicide/accident) but nothing conclusive. One of lifes unsolved mysteries.

[Phil]

Alan is right - we've been there before. In great detail. That's why I deliberately didn't watch it: Mr Marks desperately WANTED it to be suicide even though the coroner went out of his way to say there was no evidence.

the whole report can be found at:

www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Moorgate1975.pdf?PHPSESSID=07ccb14cf81b39f4d76ce419f3d6b127

[prjb]

Oddly, I have two copies (not sure why!) of 'Moorgate - Anatomy of a Rail Disaster' by Sally Holloway. It's now out of print but is a very interesting read if you can get your hands on one.
Just for the record, I do not believe that Driver Newson committed suicide. I have worked alongside other drivers who knew him and they all (to a man) do not believe that he deliberately killed himself or his passengers. Not wishing to re-do the thread, just wanted to add my two penneth worth!

[Deleted]

I have the same book as PRJB. Like him, I do not believe that poor Leslie comitted suicide or had been drinking. Trust a journalist to sensationalise something.

[Deleted]

I'm sticking with the theory he had a Brain Spasm in the seconds leading up to Moorgate.

Considering the fact he had money on him for a car for his daughter, and the fact that his Guard 'borrowed' some of his tea, to which Newson connented 'save some for later', or words to that effect, does, in NO WAY sound like a man who would drive a train in Full Parallel into a dead end tunnel.

Many people commented that the disused single hydraulic buffer in the tunnel contributed to the cars rising up.

[Deleted]

tubeoperator92 said:

I'm sticking with the theory he had a Brain Spasm in the seconds leading up to Moorgate.

Considering the fact he had money on him for a car for his daughter, and the fact that his Guard 'borrowed' some of his tea, to which Newson connented 'save some for later', or words to that effect, does, in NO WAY sound like a man who would drive a train in Full Parallel into a dead end tunnel.

Many people commented that the disused single hydraulic buffer in the tunnel contributed to the cars rising up.

Also, the larger diameter tunnel did not help matters.

[Chris W]

Yep I know that this thread is more than 6 months old, however this week I came across a decent railway book in one of those bargain bookshops that exist in most shopping centres; Tracks to Disaster by Adrian Vaughan. In it, twenty railway incidents are examined, starting at Moorgate in February 1975 & ending with Ladbroke Grove in October 1999 (incl. the Kings Cross fire of 1986).

The review of Moorgate makes very interesting reading in that the author does not rely on speculation, but instead picks at the evidence (much as a court would do as witnessed by anyone who has attended jury service) – I’ll briefly run through it:

Line/Station Geography:

• There is a slight gradient from Old Street heading south to Moorgate (1 in 150), which levels out well before the cross-over tracks prior to entering platforms 9 & 10 of Moorgate station
  
• Overall limit of 40mph on the line with a permanent limit of 15mph before entering Moorgate station
  
• The points were controlled by the Moorgate signalman, with the signals dating to 1937, and electro-pneumatic stop devices connected to the stop signals to prevent trains from entering an already occupied platform
  

Train/Unit:

• Two 3-car 38ts units (service 272) was 316ft in length/weighed 151 tons
  
• The cars had little structural strength due to number/size of doors
  

Train Staff:

Motorman Newson:

• 56 years old, employed by LT since 1969.
  
• Worked as a guard based at Barking until Jan 74, when passed as Guard-Motorman. Had 6 days experience driving 38ts on ELL & 31 days of C69 stock on the Met as it was then, prior to 1975.
  
• In Jan 75 transferred to Drayton Park as a Motorman
  Described by Motorman Deadman (Newson’s driving instructor) as quiet, without much conversation and a cautious driver often breaking sooner than other drivers when entering platforms (this assessment was confirmed by Guard Catney, who had working with Newson since 1973)
  
• Between 23 Jan – 15 Feb 75 Motorman Newson drove into Moorgate (platforms 9/10) 228 times – platform 10 closed after 15 Feb and up until the incident he had driven in 121 times
  
• Reported to be ‘cheerful’ and in ‘good spirits’ on the day of the accident
  

Guard Harris:

• 18 years old and an inexperienced guard
  

The Accident:

• Newson had already made 3 round trips fro Drayton Park to Moorgate, commencing the forth from Drayton Park at 8:39am
  
• After shutting off power to coast and instead of breaking prior to entering Moorgate at 15mph, Newson instead put the controller into ‘full series’, halving power and allowed the train to accelerate
  
• Guard Harris, had started to look for a newspaper in the 6th/last car when he became aware that the train was not slowing down – due to his location he was unable to apply the emergency brake prior to the accident
  
• The Guard, passengers and two platform staff judged the speed of the train through the platform to be between 30-40mph (one passenger judged that it took 7-9 seconds to travel though the 382ft platform) - platform staff realised that the train was travelling too fast and also noted the noise it was making.
  
• Platform witnesses (staff & passengers) claim that Motorman Newson was sat upright, staring ahead, hat on head looking forwards, with right hand on the dead man’s handle and left arm reaching out towards the left pillar – same claimed his posture was ‘frozen’ (Newson’s hands were found still on the controls when his body was found/reached 4 days after the accident – he had NOT tried to protect himself with his arms/hands during impact)
  
• The train hit the stop lamp and sand drag at the end of platform 9 entering the 97ft tunnel at the end of the platform, then striking the (by then) disused hydraulic buffer, the force of which caused the DM body to lift off the bogie and impact in the wall/roof of the tunnel end. The impact cause the under frame to buckle in a /\/ formation with the 2nd car driving underneath the first – I will not describe the graphic nature of the accident further
  
• 300 passengers were on the train, of which 42 were killed, 74 injured (last of which were released from the wreckage at 10.05pm on the day of the accident)
  
• The accident occurred at 8:46am, with the first call for the emergency services made at 8:48am.
  

Evidence:
Post mortem results:

• Tests on Motorman Newson’s body concluded that death was caused by ‘shock from multiple injuries’ – he was healthy, with no abnormalities of the brain or heart.
  
• No evidence of drugs were found or alcohol damage to the liver.
  
• Alcohol - evidence of alcohol consumption was voiced based upon examined blood samples from Newson (perhaps consumed on the morning of the accident) – up to 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the post mortem – this opinion was reached after considering the rate of decay/decomposition in the heated conditions prior to Newson’s body being recovered 4 days after the accident
  
• A container of sour milk was found, which belonged to Newson and in it 0.1% of alcohol was identified.
  
• A further doctor examined these findings (requested by Newson’s widow) and agreed that alcohol had been consumed, but could not confirm whether the consumption had been on the day of the accident or not – also commented that decomposing milk can generate up to 0.2% alcohol – in conclusion the port mortem examiner (Professor Simpson) concluded to up to 80mg per 100 ml may be as a result of decomposition in heated conditions
  

Arguments:

• Alcohol – assuming Motorman Newson had consumed alcohol prior to the accident, was this a factor/cause (even a contributory factor) of the accident? (no work colleagues reported that they had witnessed Newson drinking on duty – his upright posture immediately prior to the impact would appear to confirm this).
  
• Daydreaming –would the noise of the train/shaking at high speed/impact not have woken Newson to at least the point of protecting himself at the point of impact, if not before.
  
• Suicide – Newson had £270 in his coat pocket, with which he was going to buy his daughter a car after work that day – his general positive demeanour also confirms that suicide would be an unlikely cause
  
• A Dr Raffles (had a lifelong professional interest in factors which prevent a persons capacity from performing a role) approached the Inspecting Officer and voiced a theory that the cause was a tiny blood clot forming in the central brain causing the muscles to freeze – unfortunately Newson’s brain was no longer available to be examined when this theory was put forward.
  

Conclusion:
The incident resulted in improvements with trip cocks added along the platform length to prevent trains from accelerating into the station (the article is ambiguous whether this was introduced at all LU termini). This branch of the Northern Line was closed shortly afterwards and became part of the British Rail Eastern Region served by EMU’s.

The incident remains (one would assume will always be) unexplained and is open for speculation.

[Tubeboy]

Theories float round, but it is unlikely we will ever find out the truth.

[Colin]

It is a good book - I've had a copy for some years now. For me it doesn't reveal anything I didn't already know (about any of the incidents), but it does present the facts in a clear and simple manner - I'd highly recommend it.

[tubeprune]

I knew Leslie Newsom slightly and I was involved in the enquiry's technical review of train braking. He was, as all have said, quiet, cautious and well intentioned. Most likely, he ran out of railway. It nearly happened to me twice. I got halfway into the platform before realising I had forgotten to start braking. On the first occasion, I was at Preston Road on the down slow and realised I was never going to stop. It was dark and wet and I knew I'd never be able to stop in the platform. I just carried on. My guard yelled down the phone at me, "Are you going to stop at Northwick Park?" "Oh well yeah OK, might as well." I replied as nonchalantly as possible, knowing he was getting a whole load of flak from the punters, since the exit at Preston Road is at the rear of the train and it was 17:30.

On the way back from Watford, I was met at WPk by the DI who said, "Did you have any trouble at Preston Road, driver?"
"No Guv." said I.
"Oh" he said, "I had a report you didn't stop there on the down."
"That's right" I said.
"I thought you said you didn't have any trouble."
"I didn't. It was the punters who had the trouble. I forgot to stop and they all had to go on to Northwick Park and get one back" I responded.
"Oh, OK" he says "You though you were on the fast road, it being dark and wet an' all"
"Yes" says I, thinking "Thanks Guv."
"Be more careful next time" he says.
"Thanks Guv" says I.

The second time was at Charing Cross (Embankment now) on a Circle. Good job it has a 9 car platform. I coshed it and just stopped before the starter.

As soon as I heard about Moorgate I thought, "Poor B*****d ran out of railway. He forgot to stop and thought he could carry on to the next station".

There but for the grace of God go I.....

[Deleted]

Whilst I can agree to the forgetting where you are bit, surely he would have tried to do something [out of instinct] as his train ploughed through the stop lights and into the sand-drag? According to Sally Holloway's book and Godon Hafter's evidence, the deadman's handle was still in parralell.

[Deleted]

david5032 said:

Whilst I can agree to the forgetting where you are bit, surely he would have tried to do something [out of instinct] as his train ploughed through the stop lights and into the sand-drag? According to Sally Holloway's book and Godon Hafter's evidence, the deadman's handle was still in parralell.

perhaps by the time he actually processed what was happening, it was too late for any action, and he knew that?

I never came across this thread before, what an intruiging and interesting thread..

I think I would go with tubeprunes' theory however.

[chris]

Maybe he was asleep. I believe you can sleep with eyes open.

[trainopd78]

I don't think he could have forgot about where he was. He crossed from one track to another to get to p9 at around 30mph which would certainly have been a big clue as to where he was. That kind of slam across should have been able to wake the sleepiest of people.

I've got both books and both are fascinating reading.

[Deleted]

trainopd78 said:

I don't think he could have forgot about where he was. He crossed from one track to another to get to p9 at around 30mph which would certainly have been a big clue as to where he was. That kind of slam across should have been able to wake the sleepiest of people.

I've got both books and both are fascinating reading.

Good point, but, the run from Old Street over the scissors crossing at Moorgate into platform 9 is straight. However, the usual bangs and bumps you hear and feel would, I agree, be likely to wake him if that were possible.

[londonboy]

david5032 said:

trainopd78 said:

Good point, but, the run from Old Street over the scissors crossing at Moorgate into platform 9 is straight. However, the usual bangs and bumps you hear and feel would, I agree, be likely to wake him if that were possible.

It is not a straight run into P9 from Old Street you cross the crossover from the Southbound Tunnel into the Northbound
Platform 10 is the straight run

[Deleted]

[quote author=descendingsadly board=general thread=1149554705 post=1168120564perhaps by the time he actually processed what was happening, it was too late for any action, and he knew that?

I never came across this thread before, what an intruiging and interesting thread..

I think I would go with tubeprunes' theory however.[/quote]

I haven't seen this thread before and also found in quiet facsinating !

Though speaking as a driver I can't think of any realistic explanation that fits all the facts as known !

[Tom]

chris said:

Maybe he was asleep. I believe you can sleep with eyes open.

And you can retain muscle tone. I believe something similar happended during the run-back incident at Chalk Farm a few years ago.

Interestingly, I found a drawing which had proposals for an early form of Terminal Protection which would have prevented the collision. It was based on using two trainstops and an approach speed of 15mph.

The date of the drawing?? 1946!

[Deleted]

tom said:

The date of the drawing?? 1946!

Shakes head