SHUNTING ACCIDENTS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18414, 22 June 1925, Page 3

SHUNTING ACCIDENTS.

A LYTTELTON RESOLUTION. At a special meeting of the Lyttelton Branch ot ; tJie Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the following resolution was carried unanimously : ''That in view of the many accidents to shunters, etc., on the New Zealand Railways this last twelve months, this Branch demands a'public enquiry into tha matter, so that the men involved in the shunting can give their opinion as to how accidents are likely to occur. Only men who are engaged in this occupation are able to give first-class information. There are many different solutions to give: (1) "That the shunting engines m many cases should be scrapped, owing *..) fclie -amount of steam wasted through leakage which causes many obstructions - not only to the shunter but to the driver. (2) "Speeding up of the service causes speeding up of the shunting staff irrespective to the climatic conditions to be contended with. (3) "Trains which a few years ago, were 250 ton load are now, owing to the larger engines being.imported, 500 and 600 tons per load, and more trains ar-i running which" have to be shunted out in practically the same time, with inferior shunting engines. (4) "Harassi ;■»; of shunters to make them keep up the work on busy days. (5) "Very bad lighting of yards in which the roads are not straight, but all curves and many obstructions which arise from congested building, etc., in all railway shunting yards. (6) "Over working of shunting staff. '•Also that this Branch supports the Dnnedin Branch in its resolution as published in the daily papers."