ENGINE BRAKES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 May 1938, Page 2

ENGINE BRAKES

EVIDENCE AT THE RATANA INQUIRY. By Telegraph. —Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 1. At the inquiry into the Ratana disaster, the examination of F. A. Ellis was continued. He said that if a note was in the tablet, asking him to step on it,” he would take it as an indication that the train control wanted the train at a particular spot at a particular time, but, under no circumstances, would he exceed the authorised speed. He did not think the driver of an express was likely to get such a note. Witness said that if three short blasts of the whistle were sounded immediately before the train, in this case, was derailed, witness considered that the driver might have discovered that all his air was missing and that he had no braking power; otherwise he could not see what reason the driver would have to blow the whistle. His view was the blasts of the whistle were due to some entanglement of the whistle control after the engine left the rails. In other circumstances three blasts were made for the brake. The driver would want the guard to put the hand brake on in the van. Mr Furkert asked what the position would be if some skylarking passenger leaned down and shot off the Westinghouse brake when coming through the valley. Witness said that was a possibility. , However, if the driver used judgment he would have brought the speed down on the Ratana Flat to enable him to take the curve without applying the brake.