“STOP! LOOK OUT!”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 63, 14 November 1913, Page 6

“STOP! LOOK OUT!”

! 0 A DISREGARDED SIGNAL. W. J. Ne wton pleaded guilty at the Court, this morning to a charge of having on November oth, traversed a railway level crossing in Eon ton Street without heeding the warning; “Stop! Look out for the Engine.” Defendant said he turned into Fenton Street at a slow pace—not more than eight or nine miles an hour. The warning bolls were ringing. There was a string of trucks in sight near the signal box, and defendant thought the bells were ringing in connection with them. He saw the trucks were not moving and thought he had ample time to get over. He did not know that an engine was coming off the Toko dock. . Neither defendant nor the friend with him heard this engine whistle. He thought the trains coming out of the Toko dock should whistle all the time when approaching or crossing the road.

The S.M. : But if the bells are ringing it shows that an engine is close by.

Defendant: I have known the bells start ringing at 10.30 p.m. on Saturday and continue until Sunday morning. On other occasions the bolls ring for a long time when a train is approaching. I and others think that" there will be a disaster at this crossing unless the trains whistle while crossing the road. I am not a reckless driver.

The S.M. thought it was a duty of drivers of vehicles to stop at railway’ crossings until they found out where the trains were. Defendant said it was five o’clock in the evening, and he did not expect a train to be crossing the road. The S.M. said that with the. motor car traffic it was necessary for drivers to watch the railway crossings. The trains could only go along the lines provided, and if motors did not stop for the trains the trains would have to stop for the motors. Defendant: It is very* hard to see a train coming out of the Toko dock. The S.M. said that if the bells were ringing the .warning should be sufficient.

Sergeant Mc.Neely said the facts were that the bells were ringing- the engine whistled, and a ganger ineffectually tried to stop defendant proceeding. The S.M. said the risks taken by school children at level railway crossings were very serious. They seemed to watch until the last moment and then dash over just before the train. This.would be the cause of a fatality some dav.

Defendant: The Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce hav<j> asked that a man with a flag be .stationed at the crossing, but this request lias been refused.

Sergeant McNeely: The bells were granted. ■ t . * s\ The S.M. : .If you had been going dead slow could you have pulled'up in time ?

Defendant: Yes

The S.M. said the Department was under an obligation to remove any natural feature which would obscure the view of a train approaching a crossing, but in the matter of buildings they could not be held responsible. Where the view of the line was obscured drivers of vehicles should, go dead slow at level crossings.

Defendant: It is only about once in twenty-five that I go over the Fenton Street crossing. -As' a rule I use the Regan Street crossing, where there is a good view of the line.

The S.M. said motorists should.surely find it a paying tiling to go slow at crossings. Slowing down would not take more than a minute; and in the present case the car would no doubt have been smashed if it had been a fraction of a second later. A small fine of 10s, with costs 7s was imposed.