On the 18th of October 1947 a coach belonging to Rowe of Cudworth was descending
Dunford Road in Holmfirth when its prop-shaft broke. The driver attempted to
stop the vehicle but the brakes failed to respond and the vehicle careered out
of control until crashing into the side of a warehouse, part of which
collapsed on top of the coach. Nine of the coach's occupants were killed in
the tragedy and the remaining 24 were injured. This is the story as told by
contemporary reports in "Commercial Motor", but the few details
given for the vehicle involved are unhelpful. It is described as "having
been bought second-hand by Rowe in 1934" but no make is mentioned.
The fleet history for Rowe included in the second volume of their
Yorkshire Traction listing gives no clues either as the only two vehicles
acquired in 1934 are both accounted for, and none of the other
"disposal" information mentions a vehicle withdrawn after accident
damage during 1947.
Can anybody help me to identify the coach involved?
Neville Mercer
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02/07/14 - 06:36
Neville, this link which appears to be taken from a report in the Times, gives the vehicle as a 32 seater, but no other details:- www.bolsterstonemvc.co.uk/history_coachcrash.shtml Not much to go on, but, like you, I can't find out more. Perhaps the Huddersfield local press archives might have something.
Roger Cox
02/07/14 - 17:16
I am intrigued, Neville and Roger, by this. I have followed up the Times
report and Commercial Motor and find this dreadful story which seems to
have been covered in quite a low-key way. Perhaps there had been too
much disaster and loss in the previous seven years and we were immune to
it.
It seems that the driver (who was killed) had been batting along
these fairly straight Pennine roads (quickly, reports suggest) and has
suddenly been confronted by a steep descent into the Holme Valley- there
are a number of these into the town. Coming from the relative flatlands
of Cudworth, he now realises he must slow, soon: he changes into third
and this breaks the fatigued prop shaft. The brakes seem to have been
"oil soaked" for a while, and offer no help, including the
handbrake which works for a few seconds. It is alleged that he turned
the engine off and the loss of servo does not help. Poor man- he stays
at his post and is killed. The passengers must have been terrified. Two
or three have jumped, but the rest have to be dug out of the collapsed
warehouse where it all ended. Nine died.
Note the following in reports:
"The driver on the day of the accident, a week-end employee,
had been with the firm for about three weeks, and was used to the
vehicle" Arthur Rowe's evidence.
Later the partners in the firm were accused of failing to maintain
the braking system and "Finding the case proved, the magistrates'
imposed a £3 fine on each of the five defendants—partners in the
business—who were also ordered to pay jointly £115 7s. 11d. costs."
Presumably these involved experts who replicated the journey.
I wonder what would have happened today? Did anything else ensue?
This report also tells me that Arthur Rowe Coaching had nothing to
do with Barnsley's "other" Arthur Rowe: top class shot putter,
turned Rugby League player, turned Highland Gameser, turned builder. I
thought it did.
Joe
03/07/14 - 14:36
According to a follow-up story in Commercial Motor the following March (which
gives details of the amazingly low penalties inflicted on the Rowe
partners) the local police reconstruction of the accident revealed that
a vehicle suffering a (simulated) prop-shaft failure at the exact same
point could have been halted on the handbrake alone "within 25
feet" had the speed limit been observed. How nobody went to prison
for this is beyond me. Yes, the driver and his (apparently) excessive
speed were partly to blame, but the reconstruction suggested that the
situation should have been easily recoverable. The state of the vehicle
on the other hand was clearly appalling.
I cannot help but notice the contrast with the Hartness Daimler
CVD6 crash at Shap where the PSV was clearly the injured party
(side-swiped down a precipice by an HGV which pulled out to pass another
while failing to notice the Hartness coach alongside, already
overtaking). The authorities took the view there that Hartness (the
vehicle was being driven by the proprietor's brother, who died) was
partially responsible, blackening the name of the firm without any
justification. The Hartness vehicle involved, as always, was
immaculately maintained. Only the firm's excellent reputation for
service to the community saved it from bankruptcy as local people
ignored the report and continued to hire Hartness vehicles.
I know that £3 was a week's wages in 1947, but there must be more
to this story than meets the eye. It's also curious that the PSV
Circle's excellent history of the Rowe fleet is oblivious to the
incident. Cue the spooky music...
Neville Mercer
07/07/14 - 15:47
I've just discovered the answer to my own question in Peter Cardno and
Stephen Harling's excellent book "Hansons of Huddersfield and their
neighbours" (Robin Hood Publishing, 2010). I bought this book when
it came out and read it from cover to cover EXCEPT for the section on
the Holmfirth minibus services at the end. I'm afraid that my eyes glaze
over at the mention of community minibuses. However, if I'd looked at it
before I would have seen the identification of the Rowe vehicle as HL
5033 (in a paragraph explaining the potential hazards to minibuses from
the local hills).
Returning to the PSV Circle's fleet history of Rowe (contained in
publication PB21, Yorkshire Traction 1961-84), HL 5033 was an AEC Regal
662 delivered new to Hemingway Brothers of Wakefield in March 1931 and
fitted with a B32F body by an unknown builder. The Hemingway business
was acquired by West Riding in August 1932 and the vehicle became WR
fleet number 89. "Circa 6/38" it passed to Rowe of Cudworth
and the next entry shows its disposal to Peel of Maltby in November 1949
with no mention of the accident two years earlier. Peel never ran the
vehicle in service, presumably because it was sold to them as a wreck
for cannibalisation.
Comparison with the original press articles which described the
vehicle as "acquired by Rowe second-hand in 1934" reveal an
astonishing discrepancy given that this was an official inquiry. Did
Rowe not know the history of the vehicle or even the year in which they
purchased it? If their own fleet records were this unreliable it seems
to match with their cavalier attitude to routine maintenance at that
time. And I'm still appalled by those miniscule fines imposed upon the
five Rowe partners.
Neville Mercer
08/07/14 - 07:26
I'm sure I've seen a photograph of this accident taken from further up
Dunford Rd looking down on the scene towards Holmfirth. The back end of
the coach is shown with the front end embedded in the building amidst
piles of rubble. I don't know where I've seen it or who took it.
Possibly a press photo by the Holme Valley Express or Huddersfield Daily
Examiner, or even the famous Holmfirth based postcard publishers
Bamforths.
It is interesting to note that Dunford Rd was on the route of the
first experimental full size omo bus route in the UK.
Huddersfield JOC purchased two Guy Arab UF/Guy/Park Royal B43F
buses in 1951 with the intention of using them on one man operation.
They were nos. 1 & 2 (FVH1/2).
Special dispensation was granted from the licensing authority,
initially for 3 months, to allow omo and they were put to work on the
35/6 Huddersfield via Scholes, Holmfirth, Meltham to Marsden or
Slaithwaite route from 1st January 1952. The section between Scholes and
Holmfirth descended Dunford Rd and passed the scene of the accident, but
four and a half years after the tragic events of 1947.
The Rowe coach was actually on its way to the annual Holmfirth
"Sing" a choir competition for male voice choirs. The
"Sing" was, I believe still held until quite recently, but I'm
not sure of the current situation.
Incidentally, FVH 1 is still in existence and has been advertised
for sale on e bay in the last couple of weeks. A most historic bus that
deserves a good home!
Eric Bawden
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