John Axon Honoured
06 Feb 2007
John Axon Honoured
The heroism of a train driver – which earned him a posthumous George Cross was - commemorated at the Great Central Railway’s winter gala recently. Fifty years ago Driver John Axon stayed at the controls of a runaway freight train and tried unsuccessfully to bring it to a halt. He fought on through clouds of scalding steam blowing from a broken brake valve. Mr Axon was able to shout a warning to a signalman who in turn was able to warn a train further down the line packed with school children. The children were evacuated in time. John Axon’s train crashed into the back of another freight train and he was killed on the 9th February 1957.
Members of Mr Axon’s family attended a special commemoration service on January 28th. Two of his grandchildren, Andrew and Melanie Axon, travelled on the footplate of a steam locomotive. John Axon was awarded the George Cross for his actions in trying to avert a railway tragedy. He declined to abandon the footplate as his freight train sped down the 1 in 58 gradient towards Chapel-en-le-Frith station where a packed passenger train waited at the platform. Axon ordered his fireman, Ron Scanlon, to jump clear and try to pin the wagon brakes down. From the lineside fireman Scanlon found this impossible because of the speed of the train. Knowing that many people could be killed, Driver Axon shouted a warning to the Dove Holes signalman, Mr Fox, who warned Signalman Howe at Chapel-en-le-Frith. Entering the station at approximately 55mph, Driver Axon’s train collided with the rear of another, slower moving, freight train before derailing and hitting the, now empty, passenger train which was formed of a diesel multiple unit. The crash also demolished the station signal box. Speaking to RailStaff’s Jonathan Webb, Melanie Axon said, ‘Visiting the Great Central Railway today has made me more aware and even prouder of what my grandfather did. Being on the swaying footplate and just feeling the intense, normal, amount of heat from the fire has made me realise just how difficult it must have been for John to remain at his post. Today has really brought it to life.’ Both grandchildren live in Stockport, where Driver Axon was based at Edgeley depot. Jon Pridmore from the National Railway Museum also attended and brought with him John Axon’s George Cross.