RAILWAY INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 99, 29 April 1938, Page 9

RAILWAY INQUIRY.

RATANA DERAILMENT

QUESTION OF SPEEDS.

EVIDENCE OF DRIVERS

(Ry T.-1..«n,,,1,.. ]'r,s< A«.K-i.-iii,.n.) WF.LLt.MiTOW Tliur-l.iv. Further evidence concernin;: i-nuine <11-I vi n _!T practice was j;ivcn l.y railway employees tins afternoon before the board which is iniMiirinjr int.. t li• - liat.-uia derailment. The board coii-ist.« ( ,f Sir Franei-i Frnzcr (.hairman ] iintl Me—l< 1" \v Furkett a n<l H. 1.. CuU\ Mr. If. F. (VLi-ai-y. K.C. with him Mr. F. \V. Aiikiii. railway law .ifSin-r is i<']iresentiii« lht- Depart n r, aii.l Mr. C. <:. Watson a|.]iears t",r the KiiffiiH-cliivi'is" Assiii-iiiiiiiii. Mr. W.-t-on is nU<, lepiesentiii-j the ilriv.-r i.f the train, Air. E. IVnival. Speedometers Unnecessary. A senior driver. Kielinnl Henry Trinp. of Welljnjvi,„,. Si ,i,i i 1 (, i,.,,i ] 1;1( | ; j- ypu'r"' R-rvicp. If assigned t<> a rim any portion of which he was not sure nliout lie would draw the foreniiin's ntteution 1o it ami ask for a j-ilol. Klectric lu-ad-lijrhts now in nso were verv jrooii. lie consiilcrt'il spppfloinotors unnecessary tin locomotives. He had never experienced any difficulty with the position of speed hoards. He would not consider n speed of live miles :m hour above the maximum allowed excessive, provided the road was pood and he was familiar with it. Sir Francis Frazcr: Did you ever have to slow down or stoii heonnse of foi; on the Marton-WaiiLMimi section? Witness: There were times when I had to slow down, hut T never h-id to stop. The worst part was between Ok >i:» and Aramoho. How did you find the Hatana flat ". — I have seen foi;s there, but not a< thu-k as at other places. My. Watson: Does a driver not have to exceed the speed sometimes? Witness: No, not necessarilv. What if the Limited leave"- l»:ili,ieiston North 2."i minutes la to and irri\es at Wellington on time? —Schedules are not. made out on maximum speed- in the first place. Have you ever had notes in Hie 'ablet sliiift nskiuir you to speed up a lit ': I have had it sometimes asking :ne 1 step on it when the train control •runt* to make a. rrossine. but 1 don't f:ike any notice of that sort of thinir. Thnt does not pive me authoritv to .'\ceed the s])(>ed limits and I am not exacted to.

.lames Charles -Tones, the third senior driver to give evidence to-day, -i>d Inhad had 34 years" service. He «iml he never had any difficulty in i':dgilig spewl. lie would rather be without :i speedometer. He had never had 0.-n-ion to complain \bout tlio iuiiiUMjUi'.cy I■■ position of curve radius board-. Crpss-eMiiniiKHl by Mr. Watson witness described the hi'linvimir ~f '•ARS2O- on 2:i when "le reported tin" draw gear r'Mpi'iiirj repairs. Over a speed of .'!'> mile- .111 hour there was an up and .J,iw 11 vibration and tho engine did m>l rile so sinootlilv. lie was satisfied ll ■:>'. lie trouble was not duo to the weight -if the olivine shifting. Driver at Top of Roster. Silberg Everest (iamby. road foi 0;,i.-Ml. of Auckland, said he was acting :' -i-t----ant locomotive foreman at W'eilivjl 11 until March :U. When at W.-lli-ivt-'ii l>art of his duty was d> hook on .M'ciiio crews. On March 2'A he receive. , , train advice concerning "\V4." the train, lie looked over the men a\-. ; !ilile and suitable for the job and pic;.;-. , , -.n IVrcival. Witness had coniinir-icated with him that morning and I'.-r.-i , '1 l> >1 made 110 mention of tho track. lie w:.- , olio of seven men on the N'n. 1 1 •-* .-r. These men are regarded as i]:- t -i> grade men of the depot. Witness >di'.-d that ho had known I'orciviil for I' , veilv< and he was selected for the tril> 1.-M-ars.. he was the top roller man !!•■■! ■<< running this |>articular type of fra'n and engine, and in every way \-.i- a good and reliable man. lie i'.lmi -n-w that Percival had been on night ■•■;>:.•-- trains on the Martoii-Wanganui - ct'on in l'.Wl). He was under th>' iniiu. -;-i "i that Percival had been on we ■',: e. -1 excursions to Wanganni. hut h-i-1 1:0 proof that he had. Had lie a-ke<l for a pilot there would have been no V -i'.iiion in providing one from l*almer«lon North to Mill-ton or Wanganui. IV..«i» il would be quite aware of tlii< fact.