Belmont [H and SR]
The remains of Belmont station on the former Harrow to Stanmore branch in August 1976. The station closed entirely on 3rd October 1964. Commuters on the Belmont to Harrow and Wealdstone shuttle had their most traumatic day on October 8th 1952 when their train was pulling into the south end of Harrow station as a catastrophic 3 train collision was occurring at the north end. The driver of the up Perth train was held responsible posthumously for passing signals proven to be at danger. Unofficially, those in the know did not believe he had become ineffective on his approach to Harrow and surmised instead that he must have become convinced in advance that his road through the station was clear. Immediately after noting the Harrow up distant at caution and coasting past it, driver Jones apparently felt able to conclude that, on the basis of the information available to him and his local knowledge, this signal had just turned green behind him (it had not). To give himself a margin of safety in case his deduction was wrong, he needed only to concern himself with the possibility of a hard stop at Harrow up fast advanced starter. On what basis could this route-experienced and conscientious driver have made such a confident (yet wrong) prediction of the Harrow signals at that moment? And in patchy fog too?
Location: Belmont [H and SR] (former)
Original line: Harrow and Stanmore Railway
Photographer: Mark Dufton
Contact photographer: Mark Dufton
Date: 08/1976
Image number: 20070
