MORE EVIDENCE OF SPEED AT RAIL INQUIRY

Grey River Argus, 9 April 1948, Page 3

MORE EVIDENCE OF SPEED AT RAIL INQUIRY

Statements of Officials P.A. BLENHEIM, April 8. In evidence before the Board of Inquiry into the Seddon train smash this afternoon, James Kerr, a Railways Department leading carpenter, who was a passenger on the train, said that, just before the accident, he thought the speed to be between 27 and 32 m.p.h. He would disagree with a woman passenger who nad said that the train was “belting”. Robert James Mealing Strictland, a Railway plumber, who was in the guard’s van, said there had been nothing to cause him fear in the run down to the curve where the crash occurred. STATIONMASTER ALARMED The Stationmaster at Blenheim, William Charles Tritt, said the tram came into the station faster than usual. . r . “I had no opportunity of speaking to the driver about his speed”, said the witness. The speed of the tram into the station had alarmed him If he had had time, he would have asked the driver for the reasons for overrunning the station. He had made <>. mental note to report the matter to the locomotive foreman at. Christchurch. , . . As far as he had seen, there nad been no danger to the public, and that was why he did not speak to the r|l Jchn Archibald Campbell. Railways clerk al Blenheim, said that v.hen informed that he would have 21) minutes for a meal, alter the nm Unbound freighter arrived. Driver Gun had said that was “0.K.”, and nad agreed to the arrangements to noet 104 at Tuamarinia. Neither the driver nor the fireman had complainrd to him that they were taliguea.