Some Railway Worker's Accidents in the 1880s

Occasionally, I just like to browse the railway staff records on the Ancestry.com website. One of the saddest files I know is the London, Chatham and Dover Railway's book of injuries that its employees sustained. Indeed, there are some truly shocking stories recorded that highlight how dangerous working on the Victorian railway was:

Date: 14 November 1882
Name: Hibbert, G.
Grade: Engineman
Nature of Accident: Forefingers taken off (end of) had his hand on Brake block when fireman unexpectedly applied the brake - fingers caught between block and wheel.[1]

Date: 4 January 1884
Name: Driver of a cart
Nature of Accident: Knocked down while shunting train in Hatton's Yard, Faversham Creek, arm had to be amputated - Pilot Engineman R. Broadberry [2]

Date: 12 June 1885
Name: None given
Grade: Platelayer
Nature of Accident: Forefingers taken off (end of) had his hand on Brake block when fireman unexpectedly applied the brake - fingers caught between block and wheel.[3]

Date: 18 July 1887
Name: Foster, W.G.
Grade: Fireman
Nature of Accident: Head cut and body bruised thro. slipping off into pit in Battersea Shed. Engine 118, Driver, Goodhew [4]

Date: 31 December 1888
Name: J. Coventry
Grade: Engineman
Nature of Accident: When oiling engine at Victoria was struck on the back of his head with a bottle thrown from the 5.30 pm boat train. [5]

--------

[1] The National Archives [TNA], RAIL 415/108, Register of injuries to workmen: 1880 - 1891, p.45
[2] TNA, RAIL 415/108, Register of injuries to workmen: 1880 - 1891, p.46
[3] TNA, RAIL 415/108, Register of injuries to workmen: 1880 - 1891, p.87
[4] TNA, RAIL 415/108, Register of injuries to workmen: 1880 - 1891, p.112
[5] TNA, RAIL 415/108, Register of injuries to workmen: 1880 - 1891, p.124

"The Guards have a Top Coat served out once a year" - Railway clothing 1848

Railway employee's working clothes in the Victorian period were usually provided by the company. However, because this was an expense for the companies, they were usually very precise in how much they provided to their employees, as demonstrated by these regulations from the Great Western Railway's rule book of 1848:

[1] The National Archives, RAIL 1134/148, General Instructions to Superintendents, Clerks, Guards, Policemen, Porters &c. &c. -1848

How to Leave Railway Employment - 1864

There is a lot of talk about how railway workers in the Victorian period stayed with companies for their entire working lives. Nevertheless, many individuals did leave the service, hence the above rule from an 1864 London and South Western Railway rule book. I have written on the Turnip Rail Blog about how individuals left the L&SWR's employment in the period and found that out of 300 L&SWR staff records, covering surnames beginning A to C (roughly), 69 died (23.00%), 97 resigned (32.33%), 51 were superannuated (25.33%), 2 had unknown exits (0.66%) and 10 lost their jobs for unknown reasons or incompetence (3.33%). Forty-six (15.33%) of the salaried staff members went astray or were dismissed for infringing the rule book or criminal activity. However, as I mention in the post, this is only a case study on one railway, an more work needs to be done.