RAIL SMASH INQUIRY OPENS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 April 1948, Page 7

RAIL SMASH INQUIRY OPENS

Press Association ) _ |

First Time Driver Had Taken i Express Train i !

(Per

WELLINGTON, .March 31. Evidence was given when the Board of lnqiury into the Seduon raiiway disaster coinmenced its sittings today, tnat tne train came to a hait at Blenheim station witli the van at the south end of ihe statxon instead of at the north qnd. It was also stated that the tram losc nine minutes hetween Vernon and Seddon and that it was the first trrrie. the driver had driven, an express train. The accident happened on Fehruary 25 at approximateiy 11.32 a.m. Six persons were killed and 59 injurea cuough some of the latter received only siight cuts or shock. Mr. W. F. Stilweli, S.M., is chairman of the board and the other members are Messrs Jolm \V ard and G. E. Breeztl. Mr. W. H. Cunningham, Orown soiicitor, with him Mr. F. W. Aickin, eliief legai adviser to the Railways Department, is representing the department. Mr. 11. R. (J. Wild repnjiseuLs the New Zealand Locomolive Engine D rivers Fireineus' and CJeaners' Association, and the driver of the train, Mr. Joseph William Uurj' and' fireman, Mr. lldward Donald Blackburn. Witli Mr. Wild is Mr. T. II. ytephenson, general seeretary of the association. Several other counsel ^ represent injured passengers or relatives of deceased passengers. Alfred John Ede, transportation supcrint endent, New Zealand Railways, said the train involved (No. 104) was .seiieduJed to run three davs weekly, ieaving Ficton at 9.50 a.m. The accident occurred between the Seddon and Blind River stations about 181 miles r'rom Christchurch. The engine crew at Ihe time of the accident was ActingEnginedriver Gurr and Fireman BlackImrn. These two enginemcn had been booked on duty at Kaikoura at 2.15 a.m. on February 2'5 and lett there as the uigine crew of No. 931 at 5.17 a.m., •> liours 2 minutes behind schedule. They changed over witli the crew of No. 104 at Tuamarina. The ruiining record of train No. 101 on February 25 shovved: Tuamarina to Blenheim, guard 's record 11 _ minutes (iriinimuni runnuig time 12 minutes 58 seconds), Blenheim to Vernon, guard 's record 7 minutes (working timetable 9 minutes aml miniiuum running time 7 minutes -5 seconds), ~\ ornon to Seddon, guard 's reconl 34 minutes /working, rimetable 25 minutes and minimum running time. 25 minutes 49 seconds). No. 104 iost 9 minutes between Vernon and Seddon. The train at the time of the accident comprised an AB' locouiotive, seven daypassenger cars, guard 's van and Z road side van. There were 110 passengers aml the assessed load of the train wai 212 tons wliich was vvithin the author ised load. Three trains had passe'd over the point on the line where the accident; occurred on February 25 and prior tq the accident. , ; Witness added that nierition nnght be made at some st.age regarding the speei. ut wliich No. 104 passed over three level crossings i n i m eilia tel y .. H o r t h of Blenheim station. was put on these crdssinga^b'y vice No. 704 of DecemlVer •TS/ im (lurr plioul'd lmve been but was hot checked ns t.o his possession of that train advice before he lcft Kaikoura 011 No. 931 on February 25. There was a nenuanent speed rest rietiou board indi "nting Miat speed sho'uld be reduced to 20 miles an liour on the" north side of the nioit nortliern of three qrossings. ' ' I have mentioned this because of the circumstances that when Gup: stopned No. 104 at Blenheim, the train came to a lialt with the van at the south end of the station instead of the north end," continiie.d witrsss. "The enginedriver could not have hcen in any douht as to his position 011 aporoaching Blenheim as there is a signal seraaphore (up home signal) protecting the station vhich he could have seen from some distance away. After the stop the train was set haek and the engine then cut off and went to the water tanks." Witness, continued tliat he had tried to 1!\ Ihe time of ihe accident according- to docks oi watchcs that vere showing the snme time. Tf the noise whidi tVain control oflicer L. W. Bixon «nid he heurd was due to tlie engine of No. 104 crashing into a raiiway telepliono post then as the cloek in the 1 rain control office was said to have shown 11.32 a.m., the accident occurred at that time by the clock. Further as the Blenheim train control office clock ' was said to have agreed with the Picton station clock at 9.-17 a.m. and tlie guard 's wateli was said to -have agreed witli the Picton clock when he came on

duty, then subject to veriiication in i eviuence by several empluyees, tlie run-, -| ning of No. 104 from, Aoduon to the J raiiway teiephone post was 11.29 a.m. i to 11.32 a.m. or three minutes. | To Mr. Wild witness replied that as I 'far as could be "ascertained) Uurr hau | not received the train advi'ce before 1 Ieaving Kaikoura. It was the respons- -| ibility of the guard . to check advices | with the driver before starting off. The | next advice issued about the level I crossings was on February 27, 1948. I Mr. Wild: lt looks as if someone j attempted to make up for a previous j deiiciency. • J Witness: I don't know that I would i call it that. In that area tliey are all | Picton drivers and there is not the | same need to issue advices as there I would be, sav, in an area like Auck- | land-Frankton. . ! Witness continued tliat the record of I the .train 011 the Vemon-Seddon sectipn | did not suggest that the timetable was 1 too tight for tliis part. In 8(i trips 51 | had been to schedule or nnder. 1 Mr. Wild: Would not the loss of nine minutes in nearly 11 miles have a a disturbing ell'ect on tlie* mind of a driver ? Witness: I don't think so. On the main trunk they often lose more. Mr. Wild: You luiovv that Gurr was driving his first express? Witness: I have been told so. Mr. Wild: Did you think the loss of I time nnght have upset his confidonce? | Witness: I don't see wliy it s houhi: | Witness, iu rqply to another question, I said the estimate of three minutes from t Seddon to the point of- the accident was | based 011 a number of assumptious. Il I was 10 miles 1/7 chains between Vernon | and Seddon so that No. 104 had lost | nearly a niinute a mile. There were 88 I trips of No. 104 between September and | February and on only nine or ten occa- | sions had there been a niaxiinum load 1 for an AB engine. . I To Mr. N. T. Gillespie, representing | two passengers, witness said he thought | it was between two and three miles B r'rom Seddon to the scene of the aeci- S dent. f Frank Forster, foreman ganger 011 ihe I sectiou of line stretching for 10 miles i north and south of Seddon, said the I whole length of the section was covercd I dailv bv trolley inspec,tion. There was j a walking inspec-tion^ fortnightlv when ; a test gauge was carried and all curves, points, crossings and bridges ex^amined The length wliere tlie accident occurred was inspected 11 davs before and the 10-chain curvc, was, in his opinion," in good order. The last. serious .,work on' the curve was the rencwal of sleepers | and the lil'ting and .regauging of the | curve about .Tune-Tn|y in47. On Fnbru | arVj 25. .witness -passojl , oyer tlie curve 1 wliere the accident .-.occurred shortly | after 8 a.m. and savv notlung wrong | with.it.i-. , * . "I To Mr.' Wild witnqAs said it was ' a i good curve 01? a go.od formation. ' ! I n^lje ' jn^iiry '^il^pjioqeea ' io'morro^ ju j