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two vehicles acquired in 1934 are both accounted for, and none of the other "disposal" information mentions a vehicle withdrawn after accident damage during 1947.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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