South Yorkshire Times, October 7th 1944
Shunter’s Death
Brick marks on the iron-shod end of a shunting pole, which corresponded with marks on the chimney breast of an electric fan house near where the body of a shunter, Samuel Hinchliffe (30), of 28, Strafforth Terrace, Denaby, was discovered last Wednesday morning beneath a train of wagons he had been moving in Cadeby Colliery pit yard, was suggested by a witness at the inquest at Conisbrough on Saturday to indicate that Hinchliffe’s pole had possibly caught the building and caused him to fall under the wheels. The clearance between the track and the chimney breast was said to be 11 ¼ inches.
The Doncaster District Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlile) recorded a verdict of “Accidental Death.” He said that the small clearance had not appeared an obvious danger; it had been accepted by both management and men and no complaints had been made.
The coroner was given an assurance by Mr. W. Mitchell ((Manager) that the clearance would be increased to a minimum of three feet.
Another shunter, John Frazer, 29, Wath Road Mexborough, said Hinchliffe was working with him, witness being in charge of the engine. At about 7 a.m. they had trouble with a train of 19 wagons which were fouling the points at the junction end of the small road. Witness told Hinchliffe to lower the wagons clear of the small road, and himself went with the engine to Denaby. When he returned half-an-hour later he was told of the accident. Hinchliffe would have to lower the wagons nine or ten yards. He would take hold of the brakes by means of his shunter’s pole and having got the train clear of the small road would put on the brakes again. He would have to pass the electric fan house where there was a clearance of not more than a foot between the track and the building. When witness had worked there, he had had to squeeze past but he had not considered it a serious danger, just an inconvenience.
Answering Mr. G. Miller (H, M. Inspector of Mines) Frazer said that the building formed an obstruction to one’s view and at that point it was not possible to use a shunting loco. There was a possibility that the pole caught the wagons.
Usual Practice
Mr. J. Madin (secretary, Cadeby Main branch Y.M.A. and workmen’s inspector) asked if it was the usual practice to lower as many as 19 wagons without a loco. Witness aid that it was.
Albert Wild Thompson, wagon lowerer, 107 Doncaster Road, Denaby, said he had not seen Hinchliffe that morning, but going by the fan house he saw something lying across the rails, between the front and rear wheels of one of the middle wagons, opposite the chimney breast. He saw it was Hinchliffe and he appeared to be dead. It appeared as though the wagon wheel had gone over him. The brakes of the first two wagons were pinned down which would be sufficient in witness’s’ opinion to steady the train.
Witness had found it awkward working at that point because of the proximity of the fan house, but had not considered it a reason for complaint Wilfred Mitchell, manager of Cadeby Main Colliery, said that after the accident he made arrangements for the wagons to be kept where they were pending investigation, but they had to be moved before the Mines Inspector arrived. The brakes of the first two wagons were down and pinned as was that of the fifth, that of the third was down but not pinned. Brick marks were found on the iron-shod hook of the shunting pole which corresponded with a series of marks on the corner of the chimney breast. The wheels of the fourth wagon differed from the ordinary type. They were disc wheels with three circular holes in each. In one of the holes in the front wheel was a piece of wood, and while marks on the other holes indicated that pole had been placed in them. The gradient was about one in 80 and in the 16 or 20 yards it travelled the train could have gathered much speed. Hinchliffe was found under the fifth wagon but blood stains were found on the rear wheel of the fourth wagon, indicating that the train had moved forward after the accident.
“It would appear that Hinchliffe had been in the act of moving forwards to put on the brake of the fourth wagon when the wooden end of the shunting pole had, for some reason, possibly as a consequence of the chimney breast, fouled the front wheel of the wagon. This would cause the other end of the pole, as the wagons moved forward, to come into contact with the chimney breast, and the possibility is that being suddenly
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