'''John Axon GC''' (d. 9_February 1957) was an English railway driver, from Stockport, who died while driving a runaway Steam_locomotive whose steam brakes had failed.
The steam brake failed as the train breasted Dove Holes summit, north of Buxton.
At the time of the locomotive failure, driver Axon could had jumped clear of then slow moving train. However, aware of the the danger his train posed to life further down the line, Axon stayed with his train despite the scalding steam on the footplate. He struggled to control his train ..
Despite the frantic warnings from Axon's fireman to the signalman, the train hit a freight train at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire.
Axon was posthumously awarded the George_Cross. He was the subject of a famous Radio_ballad written by Ewan_MacColl, Peggy_Seeger, and Charles_Parker. He also had a railway locomotive named after him.
==External link==
*article on the ballad
{{UK-bio-stub}}
Category:_1957_deaths
Category:_George_Cross_recipients
Category:_Important_people_in_rail_transport