South Croydon rail crash

1947 disasters in the United Kingdom1947 in England1947 in LondonAccidents and incidents involving Southern Railway (UK)Disasters in Surrey ... and 9 more

History of the London Borough of CroydonOctober 1947 eventsRailway accidents and incidents in LondonRailway accidents caused by signaller's errorRailway accidents in 1947Railway accidents involving fogTrain collisions in EnglandTransport in the London Borough of CroydonUse British English from December 2011

The South Croydon rail crash on the British railway system occurred on 24 October 1947.The crash took place south of South Croydon railway station. Two electric commuter trains collided in fog and 32 people were killed, including the driver of the second train. It was the worst accident on Britain's Southern Railway. The crash was a rear-end collision caused by a signalman's error. The inexperienced signalman at Purley Oaks forgot about a train from Haywards Heath to London Bridge standing invisible in the fog. The line was protected by the Sykes "Lock and Block" apparatus, which prevented him from allowing another train into the section until the preceding one had left it. However, he believed that the elderly apparatus was faulty and used a release key. This allowed a train from Tattenham Corner to London Bridge into the same section, and they collided near South Croydon Junction. The trains were crowded in the rush hour, carrying 800 and 1000 people respectively, hence the heavy death toll.Similar crashes occurred at Battersea Park in 1937, Barnes in 1955 and Crayford railway station in 1959.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article South Croydon rail crash (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

South Croydon rail crash
Selsdon Road, London

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Continue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 51.356944444444 °	E -0.0925 °

placeShow on map

Address

Selsdon Junction

Selsdon Road
CR2 7AW London (London Borough of Croydon)
England, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Nearby Places

Selsdon railway station

Selsdon railway station was at the junction of the Croydon, Oxted and East Grinstead Railway and the now-closed Woodside and South Croydon Joint Railway. Opened in 1885 as "Selsdon Road" and it was 2 miles (3.2 km) from Selsdon village.

South Croydon (ward)

South Croydon is a ward in the London Borough of Croydon, London in the United Kingdom, covering part of the Croham Hurst and South Croydon. The ward returns three councillors every four years to Croydon Council. The ward held its first election in 2018. The ward has largely replaced the former Croham Ward. At the 2018 election, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal and Jason Perry were elected for South Croydon Ward, as Conservative Party candidates, becoming the first councillors for the ward. According to the Croydon Observatory, run by the Council, the 2016 population was 18,100The ward is in Croydon South constituency held by Chris Philp MP, one of the safest Conservative seats in London.

South Croydon

South Croydon in south London is the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon and running as far south as the former Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is bounded by Waddon to the West and Selsdon and Sanderstead to the East. It is part of the South Croydon (CR2) post town and in the London Borough of Croydon. It is essentially a dormitory suburb for Croydon and London.

Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society

The Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS) is a cultural society based in Croydon, south London, that concerns itself with the local history, archaeology, natural history and geology of the London Borough of Croydon and adjacent areas. It was founded in 1870; and is a registered charity (no 260739).

South Croydon railway station

South Croydon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 5. It is on the Brighton Line at its junction with the Oxted Line, 11 miles 21 chains (18.1 km) measured from London Bridge.The station is managed by Southern, and the station is served by both Southern and Thameslink services.

Elmhurst School for Boys

Elmhurst School for Boys is an independent day preparatory and pre-preparatory school for boys aged three to eleven located in South Croydon, England. It is the successor to two schools both founded in 1869.

Spencer Road Halt railway station

Spencer Road Halt railway station was a halt on the Woodside and South Croydon Railway opened in 1906 and closed on 15 March 1915.

St Peter's Church, Croydon

St Peter's Church is a Grade II listed church in South Croydon, London, England. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott and dedicated in 1851.

Sanderstead railway station

Sanderstead railway station is on the Oxted Line in the London Borough of Croydon, 1 mile (1.6 km) from Sanderstead village. It is in Travelcard Zone 6, 12 miles 23 chains (12.29 miles, 19.77 km) from London Bridge. The station is managed by Southern. On the up (London-bound) platform is a ticket office, staffed for most of the day, and a self-service ticket machine is outside the station on the up side: there is no PERTIS (Permit to travel) machine. Purley Oaks, also in Travelcard Zone 6, is nearby.

Whitgift School

Whitgift School is an independent day school with limited boarding in South Croydon, London. Along with Trinity School of John Whitgift and Old Palace School it is owned by the Whitgift Foundation, a charitable trust. The school was previously a grammar school and direct grant grammar school, but the school's headmaster is now a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

Cambridge Tutors College

Cambridge Tutors College is an independent school and sixth form situated in South Croydon, outer London. It was founded in 1958 as a tutorial centre to help boys prepare for their Common Entrance Examination. Students come from over twenty countries, including China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, the Baltics, Balkans, Nigeria, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

46 South End

46 South End, located in South Croydon, is Croydon's oldest surviving shop. The building is Grade II listed, dating back to the 17th century. The building retains its original timber framing and the front has distinctive and attractive elevations. The rear of the building is partly of modern construction. Since 1985 it has been home to Just Flutes, a music shop.