 Although it was standard practice to slow a train by at least after receiving such a warning, Bowden did not respond in any way.It was later established that he had died about before the crash, and had probably not been in effective control of the train for some time before that.After noticing the warning indication on the signal, and anticipating a lengthy stop at Violet Town, fireman Coulthard said he had left his seat and gone into the nose of the locomotive to fill the electric kettle with water.