Driver’s Selection Explained by Foreman

Grey River Argus, 2 April 1948, Page 5

Driver’s Selection Explained by Foreman

P.A. WELLINGTON, April 1. Lengthy evidence by (officials of the Railways Department marked the continuation of the inquiry this afternoon.

RETIRED DRIVER'S EVIDENCE. Alexander Hudson Guthrie, of fl imaru, who retired on March 8, afterbeing senior driver at Kaikoura, said that he had the responsibility of allotting firemen and drivers. On February 6, Driver Gurr, who had been sent from the Linwood Depot as a relief, arrived. Gurr said that he knew the route south of Kaikoura and from Blenheim to Wharanui, and that he had been stationed at Ward for a considerable time, and knew quite a lot about the locality. After Gun- had done various runs from Kaikoura, witness asked him if he knew the route before going on to the shift which included the No. 104 train. Gurr replied “Yes” unhesitatingly, and he said that he was “right back on his old stamping ground,” now that he had been over the ground once. The witness continued that he was quite satisfied, as Gurr led him to believe that he could do the job without any effort. Gurr had all that went towards making him appear a good man. The engine of No. 104 was in perfect order. Gtnr had his second grade driver’s ticket. STAFF SHORTAGE. Witness added that it was not -customary for a second grade driver to be on an express, but the staff shortage had to be taken into account. The Department preferred to put first grade men on expresses, but No 104 was not looked on as an express, but as a fast passenger train. Gurr was twenty-nine and a-half years of age. That was not young for an express driver. Gurr had never been to Blenheim as a passenger train driver. To Mr. A. R. Tarr (General Secretary of the Railway Officers’ Institute) the witness said it was not unusual for acting-drivers to run No. 104. Use of the second grade certificate drivers '‘was dictated by the staff position. LACK OF SPEEDOMETERS. Examined by Mr. Wild (for the Railways Department), witness said that the A.B. engines had no sneedometers, or speed indicators. Representations had been made by drivers, from time to time, for speedometers. The Department had acknowledged that they would be desirable, if obtainable. Mr. Wild: “If you were still a driver, would you like a speed indicator? Witness: “It would be a big assistance.”

And if of big assistance to you, it would be much more so to a younger and less experienced man?

Witness: “That is so.” “Even more so to a man strange on the run ?” Witness: “Yes.”

“Five curves and five different gradings over a distance of two and a-half miles would present difficulties to a gtrange driver ?”—“I did not think lie was a strange driver. He had worked on the route for 188 days when at Ward.” “Assuming he was then ?”—“No. The line was well marked with curve warning and curve radius boards.”

“Have you ever over-run' a station yourself ?”—“Yes. It can be done if one is running the first time into a particular station.” “It might happen to any driver ?” —“Yes.” DRIVER’S EXPERIENCE. Witness continued that, when Gurr was sent up from Linwood, no written record of his experience was provided. He thought that it was more recently than nine years since Gurr had been at Ward, and he thought that Gurr had been there as a driver. Gurr had not said what he was employed as there, and it was only now that he knew Gurr had been a Cleaner-Acting-Fireman. Mr. Wild: “If you had known that when he came, would it have made any difference ?” —“Probably.”

The witness continued that Gurr had informed him that he Knew the route, and, on the impression then given, he would not have thought it necessary to give him a run over the route as a third fan on the engine. Gurr had impressed him. as keen and conscientious.

Mr Wild: “Did you know that he had never driven a fast express train before?”—“No. I knew that he had a lot of experience of goods trains.” “Did you know that he had not previously been north of Blenheim except as a passenger?”—“No.” OTHER DRIVERS DECLINED VACANCY Cecil Charles J. Buckley, locomotive foreman, Christchurch, said that, when a temporary vacancy occurred at Kaikoura, six men were approached to fill it, and five declined. Gurr was the best man available in the circumstances, and he had had experience in driving over the Springfield-Arthur’s Pass route, which was one of the toughest in New Zealand. Witness had no complaints of Gurr’s work.. He knew of an instruction to drivers to inform their superiors when required to operate over a route strange to them.

under an examination by Mr Wild, witness said that he had driven for 26 years. He judged the speed b\ the movements going over the rail joints on a 701 b track. It was more difficult to judge speed on a down grade. A speed indicator would help a new driver, but witness preferred the rails system. It was usual for a new man to be given a run over the route with a senior driver, and, had witness been at Kaikoura, he would have done so with Gurr had it been possible. However, the circumstances at Kaikoura prevented this. To Mr Tarr, witness said that he had never had any complaints about Gurr’s “enginemanship.” Mr Tarr: “would you put an acting engine driver on the ChristchurchInvercargill express?”—“Not unless I was absolutely jammed.” “Have you done it?” 1 —“ No.” “But you sent Gurr to the PictonChristchurch express. Why the distinction?” —“Senior men would not go. because of domestic problems. Gurr held the same qualifications as some of the drivers at the Kaikoura sub-depot.” Gurr had signed a form that he knew the route up to Kaikoura, but not north of there, continued witness. With Gurr’s previous experience, witness considered him capable of driving any train on the Kaikoura run. It was true, he believed that, in an endeavour to comply with ths- departmental policy, acting-drivers were taken off the Christchurch-Kaikoura expresses last year, but this was relaxed because of staff shortages. . _ James Binstead, district mechancial engineer, Christchurch, said that up to the time that No. 104 left Seddon, Gurr had been nine hours 14 minutes on duty, of which time he had been driving six hours 12 minutes. The average speed from Taumarina to Seddon was 25 miles an hour. Gurr

had actually possessed a record of considerable driving experience. Witness detailed the system of training, examination, and promotion of cleaners. firemen and engine drivers, a?id said that, if appointments as engine drivers were made too freely, there would not be sufficient driving work for all, and difficulties and disputes would arise when it became necessary to roster engine drivers as firemen. A fireman and acting engine driver, such as Gurr, did not require any further qualification in order to be designated an engine driver, in tact, when Gurr was sent to Kaikoura he was better qualified in driving experience than were some on their appointment as engine drivers in April 1947. The term “acting” was not meant to imply an “inferior” driver. In choosing between an acting engine driver and an appointed engine driver as both must possess second-class certificates. the determining factor would be experience and capacity where a knowledge of operating rules and mechanics was concerned. The man with a second-grade certificate —• whether an acting engine driver or engine . driver —had the necessary knowledge to enable him to run any train with safety. The general practice of utilising first-grade engine drivers for express running could not alwavs be followed, particularly with sub-depots, of which Picton and Kaikoura were examples, the witness said.