CRASH OF LIMITED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1940, Page 8

CRASH OF LIMITED

BOARD OF INQUIRY HEARING EVIDENCE GIVEN CONCERNING TRAIN'S SPEED. MANY WITNESSES HEARD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 26. “The department wishes it to be known to the public that any person who feels he or she can give useful evidence may be heard at the inquiry,” said Mr V,. R. Meredith, representing the Minister of Railways and the Railways Department at the board of inquiry into the derailment of the Limited express near Mercer on October 28, when an engine-driver and a fireman were killed and several passengers injured. “It is no part of our instructions to shield any officer of the department. Our purpose is to present all the facts frankly and candidly so that the board can arrive at a finding that will, if possible, pevent a recurrence of such disaster.” The first witness, A. L. Smith, Transportation Manager of the Railways Department, stationed in Wellington, gave details of timetables for the North Island main line and branches.

J. H. Williams, train control operator at Auckland on the morning of the accident, said he noticed the Limited express was making a faster trip than usual. He would not say it was making an exceptionally fast run, however. J. D. Leahy, guard on the express, said the train was 12 minutes late in leaving Frankton. Going through both Ngaruawahia and Ohinewai witness noticed that the train seemed to hit the “turn out’’ rather suddenly and he concluded the train was travelling fast at these points. Apart from that the speed on the run to Mercer did not appear to be too great and caused him no concern. There was no comment from the passengers regarding the train's speed. Witness considered Mr McCubbin a very capable driver. C. Sweeney, farmer, Mercer, said he was near the Mercer pumping station and saw the train come round the bend about a quarter of a mile away. He thought it was travelling “pretty fast.” L. J. O’Keefe, porter at Horotiu, said he noticed nothing unusual in the speed of the express as it passed through Horotiu. J. .1. Dixon, clerk, said that during his four years at Ngaruawahia station, he had never seen a train go through the station faster than the Limited express that morning. H. Edwards, clerk at Taupiri station. said he had seen trains travelling as fast but not faster through Taupiri ■than the express that morning. “I have rarely seen a train go so fast,” said W. W. Bennett, ganger, stationed at Taupiri. J. A. Wallis, ganger at Huntly, said he was with a porter, Graham, on the Huntly station when the express approached. “When the train was coming round the curve I mentioned to Graham that something would happen one morning if she came in at that pace,” he said. “She was travelling very fast to what 1 have seen other trains travelling. I did not know who was driving the train. Graham said to me as she passed, ‘That’s McCubbin. He will get killed one of these days.’ The train was steaming all the way as she went through the station. She was under power. “I had to go toward Taupiri,” he said. “I got back about 10 o’clock and Graham said: ‘lt has happened; 688 (the express) is off the line and McCubbin is dead.’ ”

Witness said the first thing that drew his attention to the train was the speed at which it come round the curve. He had seen quite a number come round there but never one so quickly. Witness said he did not understand from Graham’s remarks that McCubbin had a reputation for speeding. He personally’ had not heard anything about McCubbin. The inquiry will be resumed tomorrow.