Search for George Dixon and his relatives

[Craclyn]

I will send you a PM with some information which may be useful but involves people who may still be living so I cannot post it here.

[mazi]

There was a serious railway accident at Morpeth, but in May 1969, if he were still a signalman then he may have been on duty when the accident happened.

The cause was a train entering a sharp curve at an excessive speed, the train derailed and 6 were killed and 19 seriously injured,

mike

[Gen List Lass]

Looking at where George lived, ( I presume he was living with Helvi but that may not be the case) it is near to the main Aberdeen to London railway line. Between 1948-1997 that line belonged to British Rail. As he wasn't living near the Acklington station itself, I think he may have been in charge of a railway level crossing where a road crossed the railway line.

I can remember lots of signal boxes at level crossings when I was young, most of them have now been automated and/or knocked down. They were small, two storey brick built buildings right beside the line. The signalman worked on the top floor where lots of big windows showed what was going on all around. He could see both up and down the railway line and had a clear view of the road crossing too. He would be totally responsible for the safety of the trains and their passengers. Only a job for someone who was conscientious about his work!

The nearby roads now have bridges over the railway lines but they might not have been there in 1955/6.

Gen in NBL England

[Joan Pringle]

The address is in the birth certificates:
3, east house farm cottages, Acklington, Morpeth.
The number 3 is missing in my fathers certificate, but otherwise the address is the same in both certificates.

Don't know if this will be of any help but my husbands relatives lived at East House at that time. He was a young boy but can remember them. Mr. Dixon was tall over six feet, he was a railway signalman at Warkworth crossing. There was a goods train derailment when he was on duty, his actions prevented a major disaster. This would have been reported in the local paper.

[Joan Pringle]

The address is in the birth certificates:
3, east house farm cottages, Acklington, Morpeth.
The number 3 is missing in my fathers certificate, but otherwise the address is the same in both certificates.

[SusanDi]

Thank you Joan Pringle!! I will send you a personal message.
Susan

[Gen List Lass]

There is a lovely photo of the Warkworth signal-box at

http://www.thewaitingrooms.co.uk/Railway-links-and-history.html

What a pity no-one is visible inside!

Gen in NBL England

[SusanDi]

Picture of George, in 1955.

I see so much similaritys at my brother

[Gen List Lass]

A good looking man! He would be unusual in these parts, you don't see many grown men with blond hair and pale eyes around here. Lots of blond children but their hair turns brown as they grow....

I've been looking at this NER (North Eastern Railway) website:
http://www.darlington.gov.uk/Leisure/headofsteam/kenhoole.htm

there are lots of George Dixon's on the database for pension records of the NER but none seem to fit your grandfather. It does say however that not all the information is on the database. It might be worth writing to them. Emphasise you are a direct descendant as the records are possibly classed as private and closed, as the people concerned could still be alive.

Gen in NBL England