This page is one of a series introducing railway staff who worked on the south coast of England before 1939. They’ve been researched as part of the ‘Portsmouth Area Railway Pasts’ project – which you can read more about here, including accessing details of the other railway workers featured.
Research was undertaken from November 2024-July 2025, by a small group of volunteers from the Havant Local History Group, working with the University of Portsmouth’s History team. The work was funded by the University of Portsmouth’s Centre of Excellence for Heritage Innovation.
The workers featured were selected from staff who appear in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database of accidents to pre-1939 British and Irish railway workers.
On 15 March 1904, Albert Darnell, 37, was working at Petersfield goods yard. He worked for the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) as a shunter – someone who coupled and uncoupled wagons, to form trains.
Albert was born at St Pancras, Middlesex; in 1904 was living in Guildford with his wife, Susan (age 30) and daughter, Lillian.
In those days Petersfield station was vastly different to what we have today. The goods yard and sidings were either side of the main line tracks, where the car parks are today. On the up (west) side, the sidings went as far as the Winchester Road. The area had a goods shed, maintenance facilities, cattle pens and a platform for coal and bricks. There was a separate platform on the other side of the level crossing for the branch line to Midhurst. The sidings were in constant use up until closure in 1961.
Albert started his shift at midnight. At 4.30am, in pitch darkness, Albert was walking through the sidings when he tripped and fell over a point lever. He didn’t injure himself badly, but recorded the accident in the official manner as required by the Company. On 31 March 1904 a report was issued by the state accident investigators It listed Albert’s injuries as a contusion (bruise) and determined the cause of the accident was misadventure.
From this incident an early 20th-century health and safety change was recommended. Calls were made to issue all LSWR staff working in the dark or at night with handlamps for their own safety. Quite a call for 1904!
Alan Roblin
Vintage 1951. Schooled at Portchester. In 1968 trained as an electrical fitter apprentice for four years. Worked in the marine industry for 53 years until retirement. Have a huge interest in local history, ships, railways, motor sport and music. Heavily involved with the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historic Trust as researcher and librarian.