MaccHistorian
New Member
Can anyone please tell me where the Midland Railway's Wisbech Sidings were in Peterborough? In 1880, my ancestor was a platelayer for the Midland Railway and was working at the sidings when he was hit and badly injured by a wagon. He died the next day. I've looked at an old map of Peterborough but there are a lot of sidings. I'd really like to find out where he was working when he was injured. Many thanks.
The newspaper report says he "went to work as usual in good health on Thursday afternoon with his fellow-workmen constituting the “New England Gang,” and were put on the job of repairing some points and crossings close by the Wisbech siding of the Midland railway…. A coal train had just been shunted, and was expected to return on the line where the gang were at work almost immediately… the unfortunate man [was] standing on the shunting line, apparently forgetful of the approaching empty coal waggon, when he was knocked down by it as he stood… When the awful circumstances were realised… the man was to be seen with his head and body in a safe position, but his legs were still on the line – crushed almost off... His fellow workmen… prepared a truck… and [he] was taken to Peterborough station. Once there, a stretcher was procured, and the unfortunate man was conveyed to the Peterborough Infirmary. There he received every attention…. And under the influence of ether his legs were disengaged from the rest of his body; but Dr Walker, who performed the operation… held out no hope of the unfortunate man’s recovery… he lingered on through the weary hours of the night… but the maimed platelayer passed to his rest."
At the inquest, the driver of the shunting engine said "I was on duty on Thursday afternoon at the Wisbech sidings, in charge of an engine, shunting empty waggons from the sidings into the shunting road and back into other sidings. I had taken seven or eight waggons from No 4 siding on the shunting road, and was backing into No 5 siding when I saw a signal for me to stop, from Cole, the foreman shunter. I stopped the engine at once, and looked in the direction of No 5 siding, when I saw the deceased on the ground. I saw him pulled from under the waggons. The deceased had been repairing the line with other workmen. I was just shunting back as the 3.22 Lynn train was passing. I did not whistle. I thought the road was clear, as it was when I shunted out. My mate and myself were on the engine. I looked out to see if anyone was on the line before I shunted back again. I saw no one. It is my duty to whistle when I start an engine, but it is not the practice when on the shunting road. The man was taken up and put into a waggon, which my engine drew up to the Midland gates of the Thorp Road crossing. He was afterwards taken to the Peterborough Infirmary.”
A juror then said, “It was the shunting road that was being repaired.”
The newspaper report says he "went to work as usual in good health on Thursday afternoon with his fellow-workmen constituting the “New England Gang,” and were put on the job of repairing some points and crossings close by the Wisbech siding of the Midland railway…. A coal train had just been shunted, and was expected to return on the line where the gang were at work almost immediately… the unfortunate man [was] standing on the shunting line, apparently forgetful of the approaching empty coal waggon, when he was knocked down by it as he stood… When the awful circumstances were realised… the man was to be seen with his head and body in a safe position, but his legs were still on the line – crushed almost off... His fellow workmen… prepared a truck… and [he] was taken to Peterborough station. Once there, a stretcher was procured, and the unfortunate man was conveyed to the Peterborough Infirmary. There he received every attention…. And under the influence of ether his legs were disengaged from the rest of his body; but Dr Walker, who performed the operation… held out no hope of the unfortunate man’s recovery… he lingered on through the weary hours of the night… but the maimed platelayer passed to his rest."
At the inquest, the driver of the shunting engine said "I was on duty on Thursday afternoon at the Wisbech sidings, in charge of an engine, shunting empty waggons from the sidings into the shunting road and back into other sidings. I had taken seven or eight waggons from No 4 siding on the shunting road, and was backing into No 5 siding when I saw a signal for me to stop, from Cole, the foreman shunter. I stopped the engine at once, and looked in the direction of No 5 siding, when I saw the deceased on the ground. I saw him pulled from under the waggons. The deceased had been repairing the line with other workmen. I was just shunting back as the 3.22 Lynn train was passing. I did not whistle. I thought the road was clear, as it was when I shunted out. My mate and myself were on the engine. I looked out to see if anyone was on the line before I shunted back again. I saw no one. It is my duty to whistle when I start an engine, but it is not the practice when on the shunting road. The man was taken up and put into a waggon, which my engine drew up to the Midland gates of the Thorp Road crossing. He was afterwards taken to the Peterborough Infirmary.”
A juror then said, “It was the shunting road that was being repaired.”
