John Axon GC (4 December 1900 – 9 February 1957) was an English train driver from Stockport (Edgeley Depot) who died while trying to stop a runaway freight train on a 1 in 58 gradient at Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire after a brake failure. The train consisted of an ex-LMS Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0 No. 48188 hauling 33 wagons and a brake van. Life John Axon was born on 4 December 1900 in Stockport, Cheshire. On leaving school he became an apprentice painter and decorator. In 1919 he joined the London and North Western Railway as a cleaner, later becoming a fireman. From 1921 he was an engine driver, serving with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway from 1923, and British Railways after 1948. Accident On the outward trip from Stockport to Buxton on 9 February 1957, Driver Axon had noticed a leak from the supply to the locomotive steam brake and had requested and received fitter's attention at the Buxton depot. On the return trip from Buxton to Stockport, the repair did not hold and the brake pipe fractured, disabling the locomotive steam brake and filling the cab with scalding steam, making it very difficult and painful for Axon and the fireman, Ron Scanlon, to reach the controls. Despite this, Axon and Scanlon managed to partly close the regulator and screw down the engine's tender brakes to negligible effect. The inability to use the locomotive's whistle meant that the crew of the banking engine at the rear of Axon's train remained unaware of the problems at the front and kept pushing the train towards Dove Holes summit. Axon told Scanlon to jump off and attempt to apply the wagon brakes of the loose-coupled train. Due to the speed the train was travelling, Scanlon only managed to apply a few before the train reached the summit and began accelerating down the 1-in-58 gradient towards Chapel-en-le-Frith. As the crew of the banking engine reached the summit to let the train continue under its own power, they were alarmed to see the train accelerating away from them, and the guard frantically applying the brakes to his van. At the time of the locomotive failure, Axon could have jumped clear of the then slow-moving train. However, aware of the danger that his train posed to life further down the line, he stayed at his post despite the scalding steam on the footplate. Axon waved