TRIAL OF ENGINE CREW

Chronicle (Levin), 21 February 1947, Page 7

TRIAL OF ENGINE CREW

FIREMAN UNABLE TO REMEMBEiv ANYTHING. AUCKLAND, Feb. 20. Tlie defence was begun in the Bupreme Court today in the trial of the engjne-driver and lireman of the train which ran into another train at Papatoetoe station on August 24. Both men were charged with .causing actual bod. ily liarni and with qulpable neglect of duty.. The engine-driver, George Dickson, would say he had takeu the word of his firenian, Desmond Illsley, for a change in the station home signal. and that ! Illsley had no recollection of the eireumstiances, said Mr. Henry, opening the defence. Dickson gave evidence that when he camc in sight of signal *1003 approaehing Papatoetoe on the run home from Auckland he saw it sho-wed a yellow light over a red, indicating he had a clear run to the nest section where therc was signal 28. He repeated the signal to Illsley who aeknowledged it. Later he saw nuniber 28 showing two red lights and repeated that to Illsley who was sitting with his head leaning out of the cab, and Illsley extended his hand to indicate he had heard. Dickson said he t'hen examined the signal again and saw two reds and slowed the irain vvhicli took his eves off the signal. He looked up and, again seeing two reds, he started to set the Westinghouse brakes and was preparing to blow the whistle when Illsley said to hira, "Yellow on top. " Dickson added that he repeated this verbally to Illsley and leaned out of the cab to look at the signal but it had passed out of his sight. 'L'aking Illsley 's word for it, as he was entitled to do, he released the brakes, opened the regulator to maintain speed and proceeded to the station. He was unable to see that a train was standing t here and Illsley did not tell him or give any indication oue was there. When the eollision oecurred he thought the engine had become derailed and struck the platforin. Accused said both he and Illsley were hurt and dazed. Illsley was sitting with his head in his hands after the eollision. He asked Illsley what indication had been 011 signal 28 and Illsley said he didn 't know. Ile couldn't remember. Cross-examined, Dickson said that at the railway inquiry he stated he could not remember what signal 28 showed. He had done that to protect Illsley without involving anybody else, including himself. It was not true. Illsley s'tated .in evidence that last Vpril he had been injured in a motor•ycle accident and had been uncou--cious for ffve hours. O11 the day of the rain accident he had built up the fire ind, as the train was passing Middlemore, he began to sit. down. He could lot recollect sitting down, seeing signals numbcrs 1003 and 28 or the stationarv train at Papatoetoe railway station. He did not recall the impaet between the two trains. Irregularities which had occurred in ugnalling equipment were described bv 1 nuniber of engine-drivers and iiremen ■•alled by the defence. The case \vu«* adiourned. . : !. . ' ' '■ • ; : : ' 1 1 i i