happy? – Feb 9 (John Axon killed)

Subject: happy? – Feb 9 (John Axon killed)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 08:11 AM


On the 9th of February 1957, the 11:05 am freight train from Buxton to Arplay
got out of control as it was descending a steep incline on the down line,
and overtook and collided violently with the rear of the 8:45 am freight train from Rosely to Edgeley.

Driver John "Jack" Axon and the guard of the Rosely freight train were killed.

The Ewan MacColl/Charles Parker/Peggy Seeger, "The Ballad of John Axon"
aired as the first Radio Ballad on the BBC July 2, 1958.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? – Feb 9 (John Axon killed)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 10:24 AM

Buxton to Marple methinks.

eric

Subject: RE: happy? – Feb 9 (John Axon killed)
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 08:04 PM

Buxton to Warrington (Arpley) - ex-LNWR lines: Marple was on the GC Macclesfield line. I think 48188 was an Arpley loco, although John Axon was based at Edgeley, and presumably took it on from there to work to Buxton & back and hand it back to its Warrington crew.

And I think the other train might have been from Rowsley (not Rosely) to Stockport (Edgeley). The collision actually happened in the station at Chapel-en-le-Frith

Subject: RE: happy? – Feb 9 (John Axon killed)
From: Tootler
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 07:05 PM

I see the radio ballads are all available on CD. I saw them in Folk Devils in Whitby yesterday. I was very tempted, but funds would not run to them all, so I satisfied myself with Singing the Fishing for now.