RUNAWAY TRAIN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 14

RUNAWAY TRAIN.

' GUARD'S PROMPTITUDE AVERTS •DISASTER. T'ho South Australian Railway Department has awarded,. Guard: T. Kcano £50 m recognition of his promptness in applying Co brakes to a tram of trucks on the Ccckbum railway line on May 2. A .train of 52 trucks drawn by a big engine, Jeft\ Mannahill - for I etersburg, and on arrival at Paratoo eight more trucks and a smaller engine: were atrachM. , When. tho train reached the'top of Aantabibbio Hill 'the drivers noticed that a., part of - their train .had become detached, and whistled for tho brakes', i Tho guard immediately responded by applying the brakes to the van, and jumped off the train to lower tho brakes on tho trucks. He did not fully realise the situation at tho time, and was of opinion that "tho train had stuck up, and was backing down tho • incline, to make another attempt to get up.' After lie had _ lowered a number of the brakes ho . realised that something was-'amiss owing to tho pace the trucks were< gaining, so .ho scrambled on the, runaway trucks, and, hanging over the side/ at great personal danger, succeeded in letting down' more ■ brakes with his foot. Still "tho trucks gained in speed— computed by one of tho passengers (there were several on board) at noarly 25 miles-an hour—but Guard Koano kept 1 on lowering tho brakes, and succeeded " in bringing tho trucks toa•• standstill, .within .a. mile, and'a half from Nacliara, after they had gone nearly thrco miles down the incline. Tho cause of tho disconnection was the breaking of fine of tho drawbars of the truck near tho engines. Keane's- action prevented what might liavo been a serious accident.