EXPERTS HEARD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1940, Page 3

EXPERTS HEARD

MERCER TRAIN DERAILMENT TRACK CONDITIONS & RUNNING OF K ENGINES. v EVIDENCE BEFORE BOARD OF INQUIRY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. November 28. The first witness today at lhe Board of Inquiry into the derailment of the Limited express near Mercer was George James Bertinshaw, Chief Engineer of the Maintenance Branch of the Railways Department. He said that after the Ballast had been cleared away and the sleepers and fastenings washed with water ho noticed a diagonal mark of a length of about 14in along the head of the outside rail such as would be made by the flange of a wheel mounting the rail. There was no sign of any obstruction having been placed on the track. It would, however, be very difficult to detect an obstruction if there had been one owing to debris and the disturbance in the ballast.

His investigation indicated that the cant and run out of the cant were satisfactory and that the variations were within the tolerance allowed. If there had been anything seriously wrong with the track it was reasonable to conclude that a goods train which passed over the curve two hours before would have had trouble. He was satisfied that the accident was not caused by a faulty condition of the track.

He said the table he had prepared showed that the total time between Frankton and Mercer was 63 minutes, based on a 50 miles an hour maximum, without allowing for temporary speed restrictions. This meant that a driver would run 50 miles an hour on straights and full authorised speeds on curves. The timetable speed allowed a margin of time as the full speed of 50 miles an hour was not adopted on the straights. The table indicated that the total time on the day of the accident would be 59.7 minutes from Frankton to Mercer, which would give a “slack” of 3.3 minutes, as compared With the timetable time.

To Mr Finlay, counsel for the Engine Driver’s Association, witness said that “K” engines had been in use four or five years. “K’s” were not as bad on curves as other engines they had. He and his branch had no objection to the use of speed recorders on engines. He would welcome them. Percy Roy Angus, locomotives superintendent for the department, detailed the damage done to the train. His examination did not disclose any defects that would contribute to the derailment. Up to the time of the accident the “K” engine on the Limited allocated to the Frankton district had run 35,185 miles since its last complete overhaul. The schedule mileage between overhauls was 90,000 miles. The locomotive was not fitted with a speed recorder or speed indicator. Reginald John Gard, designing engineer in the locomotive superintendent’s branch of the Railways Department, said there were no mechanical defects or breakages in the engine, which could be regarded as contributing to the accident. Witness said he had not heard of a “K” engine developing at speed a marked roll at almost regular intervals. If that condition did exist, he said, he could not say what would account for it. If there was a roll by the engine at the apex of a curve, that is rolling toward the higher side of the line, the engine would overturn at a lower speed than if there had been no depression in the track. “I do not think that under excellent conditions there would be danger in an engine doing 60 miles an hour on a straight.” added witness. “The restrictions set on curves are perfectly safe for all engines.” The maximum speed in the North Island was 50 miles an hour. The hearing will be continued tomorrow, when it is expected that the last witnesses will be dealt with.