THE ROTORUA ACCIDENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8923, 17 September 1907, Page 2

THE ROTORUA ACCIDENT.

Press Association

Aucklnd, September 17.

Mr Kettle, S.M., in a report to the Minister [for Railways Jon the inquiry into tho recent accident on the Rotorua railway, in which Guard Lowe lost his life through a runaway train going over an embankment, states that the train Avas fully equipped with the _ Westinghouso quick-action automatic brake the best brake iu the railway world, Each ’vehicle, including the engines, was fitted with the usual hand brakes. Tho engine’s brakes, etc., were apparently in good working order when the train left Putaruru. The Magistrate was that whou|the engine left the train on the incline it was not sufficiently braked, aud care was not taken before the engines were detached to apply a sufficient number of hand brakes to prevent the possibility of tho train breaking away. The Westinghonse brake was properly applied. It is not improbable that its failure to operate on tho whole train was due to the fact that the cock at or near the head of tho train had been closed for some considerable time... If the guard had been consulted by the engine-drivers, aud if a careful brake test had been made by them before the engines were detached, all such omissions aud defects, if they existed, would no doubt have boon immediately detected aud remedied, and the train thoroughly"secured with the hand brakes before the engines were detached.