MineArchiveWoolley Colliery locomotive accident, 1924
On 9 September 1924 a colliery locomotive holding back twelve empty wagons ran out of control down a wet surface incline at Woolley Colliery, near Barnsley, and two men in its cab were fatally injured.
| Date | 9 September 1924 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Woolley Colliery |
| Region | South Yorkshire |
| Type | Haulage / Transport |
| Fatalities | 2 (Arthur Joseph Green (33), shunter, and John Flannagan (42), a contractor's erector who was riding illegally.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
On a 1-in-24 surface incline, partly owing to heavy rain, the locomotive lost control of the twelve wagons it was holding back and crashed into a wagon at the foot; the train was too large for the engine to hold in the conditions.
What happened
An engine driver, a shunter and a contractor's man who was riding illegally were in the cab. The driver jumped clear just before the collision, but the shunter, Arthur Joseph Green (33), and John Flannagan (42), the contractor's erector, were fatally injured and died within a few hours. The shunter would probably have jumped and saved himself, but the third man, apparently afraid to jump, prevented him.
Sources
- (secondary) Disasters – Names: Woolley, 9th September 1924 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Woolley Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026