A "RAILWAY smash" near Norton Station outside Worcester was the subject of a County Court case, fully reported by the Journal at this time exactly a century ago.

Thomas Lakey of Newland Farm, Norton, sued the Midland Railway Company for damages for injuries to his horse and wagon through the negligence of the train operators. He claimed £5 for injuries to his horse and £15 for damages to the wagon.

The case arose out of an incident near Norton Station when a train collided with the plaintiff's horse and wagon on a level crossing on the Great Western line.

John Harris, a wagoner in the plaintiff's employ, told the court that he and a boy were in charge of an empty wagon and two horses and had to pass over the crossing.

A train was in Norton Station at the time and, before deciding to go over the crossing, he looked up and down the line and also listened for any approaching trains. He looked at the signals too which were up, thus blocking the line.

About 200 yards in the other direction was a bridge, and it was impossible to see beyond that span owing to a curve in the line. He decided to cross, and just as he got the horses off the line, an engine, tender and guard's van, coming from the Worcester direction, crashed into the wagon. He was leading one of the horses, and the first intimation he got of the engine was when it was 40 or 50 yards away and a whistle blew.

The tender was approaching first but owing to the high stack of coal it contained, it was impossible for the engine driver to see along the line.

The train was travelling at 40 to 50 mph

and carried some parts of the smashed wagon 96 yards down the track. The two horses were thrown into a ditch, one of them being so badly injured that it was still lame and hardly fit for use.

William Carter, the engine driver, told the court he was travelling at about 30 mph and sounded his whistle in advance of the crossing. His view of the level crossing was somewhat obstructed by tree branches, and when the guard called out that there was something crossing, he tried to stop. He denied he had been travelling too fast.

The railway company stated that train drivers had no instructions to pull up at the signals near a level crossing if they were against them, but merely to exercise care in passing. However, the County Court judge, Sir Richard Harington Bart. gave judgement for the plaintiff and awarded Thomas Lakey £10 damages for his wagon and £5 for injuries to his horse.