SEDDON RAIL DISASTER INQUIRY OPENS

Grey River Argus, 1 April 1948, Page 3

SEDDON RAIL DISASTER INQUIRY OPENS

Driver New To Running Express Train P.A. WELLINGTON, March 31. Evidence was given to-day, when the Board of Inquiry into the Seddon railway disaster commenced its sittings, that the train came to a halt at the Blenheim station with the van at the south end of the station, instead of at the north end. It was also stated that the train lost nine minutes between Vernon and Seddon, and that this was the first time that the driver had driven an express train.

The accident happened on February 25 at approximately 11.32 a.m. Six persons wr,re killed, and 59 were injured, though some of the latter received only slight cuts or §hock. Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., is chairman- of the Board, and the other members are Messrs John Wood and G. E. Breeze.

Air W. H. Cunningham, Crown solicitor, with him Mr F. W. Aickin (chief legal adviser to the Railways Department) is representing the Department. Mr H. R. C. Wild represents the New Zealand Locomotive Engine Drivers’, Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Association, and also the driver of the train, Joseph William Gurr. and the fireman. Edward Donald Blackburn. With Mr Wild is Mr T. H. Stephenson (general secretary of the Association). Several other counsel represent injured passengers, or relatives of the deceased passengrs. Alfred John Ede, Transportation Superintendent of the New Zealand Railways, said that the train involved (No. 104) was scheduled to run three days weekly, leaving Picton at 9.50 a.m. The accident occurred between the Seddon and Blind River stations, about 181 miles from Christchurch. The engine crew at the time of the accident was acting-engine driver Gurr and fireman Blackburn. These two enginemen had been booked on duty at Kaikoura at 2.15 a.m. on February 25, and they left there as the engine crew of No. 931 and 5.17 a.m., three hours and two minutes behind the schedule. They changed over with the crew of No. 104 at Taumarina.

RUNNING TIME OF THE TRAIN The witness, Ede, continuing, said that the running record of train No. 104 on February 25, .showed the Tuamarina to Blenheim guard’s record as 11 minutes (minimum running time 12 minutes 50 seconds); the Blenheim to Vernon guard's record, seven minutes (working timetable nine minutes, and minimum running time seven minutes 25 seconds); the Vernon to Seddon guard’s record 34 minutes (working timetable 25 minutes, and minimum running time 24 minutes 49 seconds). No'. 104 lost nine minutes between Vernon and Seddon.

The train, at the time of the accident, comprised an A.B. locomotive, seven day-passenger cars, a guard’s van, and a Z roadside van. There were 110 passengers. The assessed load of the train was 212 tons, which was within the authorised load. Three trains had passed over the point on the line where the accident occurred on February 25, and prior to the accident, witness added. DID DRIVER LACK AN IMPORTANT TRAIN ADVICE? Mention might be made, at some stage, regarding the speed at which No. 104 passed over three level crossings immediately north of Blenheim station, said witness. A speed restriction was put on these crossings by Train Advice No. 764 of December 18, 1947. Gurr should have been, but he was not, checked as to his possession of that train advice before he left Kaikoura on No. 931 on February 25. SPEED RESTRICTIONS Witness continued: “There was . a permanent speed-restriction board, indicating that, .speed should be reduced to 20 miles an hour, on the north side of the most northern of the three crossings. I have mentioned this because of the circumstances that, when Gurr stopped No. 104 at Blenheim, the train came to a halt with the van at the south end of the station, instead of the north end”. The engine driver could not have been in any doubt as to his position on approach - ing Blenheim, as' there is a signal semaphore (up home signal) protecting the station, which he could have seen from some distance away. After the stop, the train was set back, and the engine was then cut off, and it went to the water tanks.

TIME OF ACCIDENT The witness continued that he had tried to lix the time of the accident according to clocks or watches that were showing the same time. If a noise which the train control officer, L W. Dixon, said he heard, was due to the engine of No. 104 crashing into a railway telephone post, then, as the clock in the train control office was said to have shown 11.32 at the time, 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 deck at 9.47 a.m., and the guard’s watch was said to have agreed with the Picton clock when he came on duty, then, subject to verification m evidence by several employees, the running of No. 104 from Seddon to the railway telephone post was from 11.29 to 1i.32, or three minutes..

Replying to Mr Wild, the witness, Ede, stated that, as far as could be ascertained, Glut had not received a train advice before leaving Kaikoura. It was the responsibility of the guard to check advices with the driver before starting off.. The next advice issued about level crossings was on February 27. 1948. Mr Wild: It looks as if someone attempted to make up for the previous deficiency ? Witness: I don’t know that I would call it that. In that area, they are all Picton drivers, and there is not the same need to issue advices as there would be, say, in an area like Auckland-Frankton. The witness continued that the record of the train on the VernonSeddon section did not suggest that the timetable was too tight for this part. In SG trips, 51 had been to schedule, or under. Mr Wiki: Would not a loss of nine minutes in nearly 11 miles have a disturbing effect on the mind of a driver?—Witness: I don’t think so. On the Main Trunk, they often lose more. _ Mr Wild: You know that Gurr was driving his first express?—l have been told so. Mr Wild: Did you think the loss of time might upset his confidence?—l don’t see why it should. The witness, in reply to another Question, said that the estimate of three minutes from Seddon to the point of the accident was based on a number of assumptions. It was 10 miles 67 chains between Vernon and Seddon, so that No. 104 had lost nearly a minute a mile. There were 88 trips of No. 104 between September and February, and on only nine or fen occasions had there been a maximum load for an A.B. engine. To Mr N. T. Gillespie (representing two passengers) the witness said that he thought that it was between two and three miles from Seddon to the scene of the accident. Frank Forster, foreman ganger on a section of line stretching for 10

miles north and south of Seddon, said that the whole length of the section was covered daily by trolley inspection. There was a walking inspection fortnightly, when a test gauge was carried, and all of the curves, points, cressings, and bridges were examined. The length where the accident occurred was inspected 11 days' before, and the 10-chain curve was, in his opinion, in good order. The last serious work on the curve was the renewal of sleepers and the lifting and re-gaug-ing of the curve about June-July, 1947. On February 25, witness passed over the curve where the accident occurred shortly after 8 a.m., and he saw nothing wrong with it. To Mr Wild, the witness said that it was a good curve .on a good formation.

The inquiry will proceed to-mor-row.