TRAGEDY ON THE TRACKS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2023 :: RMTnews 20 The rise of the railways during the Industrial Revolution transformed the way people connected and traded and it is widely considered one of the most important innovations of the time. However, early safety standards were rudimentary, and the human toll extracted by the railways’ relentless progress were both tragic and profound. It was a time when every nail hammered and every rivet tightened came with a risk to life and limb. The exposure to hazards was even greater for younger workers who lacked the experience and awareness of the risks they confronted in those noisy, smoke-filled railway yards. Behind every railway accident lies a human story, a tapestry of a life woven together by family ties; fathers and sons, brothers and uncles working side-by-side, stories that are more than a number in an accident book. Crewe, a prominent railway hub, witnessed its share of incidents involving young workers whose accidents are recorded on the Railway Work, Life & Death project database and aims to be a platform where their voices resonate as a poignant reminder of the price paid for progress. Frank Nixon, the youngest Crewe casualty in the database, was just 15 years old and had been working only a few months in the Works. He entered his role as an apprentice fitter in Crewe Works on May 16, 1923 and the very next day he met with a ‘shocking accident’. He was crossing the line when he was hit by a tender heading for the Erecting Shop. Despite making a desperate effort to get clear he was run over and as a result suffered catastrophic injuries. The son of railway boiler maker Thomas Henry Nixon and his wife Clara nee Moses, Frank was born on November 12, 1907. Like his brother Harry he had previously been employed as a paperboy and, together with their younger brother Stan, all the boys followed their father into the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) works at Crewe. The official report states that Frank crossed the line without sufficient care but conceded that his view had been obstructed by another engine. The shunter and his under-shunter had been walking either side of the leading tender and the engine whistle was constantly sounded. He was caught by the wheel, which passed over his legs, serving one at the ankle and the other below the knee. The Railway ambulance men were quickly on the scene and measures were taken to stem the haemorrhage before Frank was taken to hospital. The local paper reported that ‘the unfortunate boy has borne his affliction with bravery and fortitude’ and that he was ‘a bright little chap’. It must have been difficult for Frank in a totally new environment to get to grips with all the noise, steam, and activity so perhaps it is not surprising that he was unaware of the danger constantly surrounding him. The official report states that he had both legs amputated, a devastating outcome for one so young. The railway company supplied artificial limbs for workers who had suffered a loss at work but there was nothing definite to show that Frank would have been a beneficiary or any note of any compensation for his accident. I wondered what became of Frank, but I couldn’t find any mention of him in the 1939 National Register, though his parents were still living in Sandon Street. A search of the newspapers soon revealed the answer, in July 1927 a notice in the personal section of the Crewe Chronicle read: Mr and Mrs T H Nixon and TRAGEDY ON THE TRACKS Author Margaret Roberts writes about a teenage rail worker maimed one hundred years ago at Crewe Works The Crewe Erecting Shop