DERAILMENT OF EXPRESS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23191, 30 November 1940, Page 14

DERAILMENT OF EXPRESS

INQUIRY ENDS COUNSEL’S EMPHASIS ON SPEED FACTOR (PBE9S ASSOCIATION IBLEORAM.) AUCKLAND, November 29. The inquiry into the derailment of the north-bound Limited express near Mercer on the morning of October 23 ended to-day. Sir Francis Frazer presided, with Professor S. E. Lamb and Mr F. W. Furkert as members of the commission. Messrs V. R. Meredith and I. Thomas represented the Minister for Railways and the Railway Department, and Messrs G. P. Finlay and A. E. Johnston watched the interests of the Engine-drivers’ and Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Association. Mr L, Mcllvride, general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, appeared on behalf of his union. Mr P. G. Harkness, of Hamilton, appeared for the widow of the fireman, and Mr N. S. Johnson for the widow of the engine-driver. Counsel were also present for various passengers who were injured. Condition of Track The steps taken by the Railway Department to maintain tracks and ensure the safety of the travelling public were outlined to-day by Herbert William Beasley, district railways engineer. He said he noticed that sleepers between about 160 and 190 feet from the point of derailment had been displaced .towards the outside curve, the maximum movement occurring at a rail joint. The maximum amount the sleepers had moved in the ballast would be about three-quarters' of an inch, and of this movement the marks at the end of the sleepers indicated that about half an inch was quite recent as if the track had been displaced before the derailment. It was not unusual, at the entrance to curves, to find some movement of the track outwards, but in this case the movement was far greater than usual. Notwithstanding this, the track south of the derailment was In a safe condition. Such unusual distortion, in his opinion, could only have been caused by a heavy train taking, the curve at a very high speed.No complaints had been brought to his notice as to the running of trains round this curve. He had travelled over it on scores of occasions and had never felt any rough riding. He had never had notice of cases of express train drivers exceeding the speed round this curve. In the last 23 years no derailment had occurred on this curve, other than a collision in a fog in 1930. Passenger’s Experience Arnold Miller Keith, storeman and packer, who was a passenger on the Limited when the accident occurred, said that though the train travelled faster from Frankton to Mercer than on any other part of the journey from Wellington, Its speed did not cause him any concern. He could not remember whether or not he heard a blast from the train whistle just before the accident. The train gave a sudden jerk, and then another, and more pronounced jerk. There was a sudden rip along the side of the train, windows and seats being smashed. Witness suffered a few cuts about the face from glass, and a bruise on a leg. Cross-examined, he said there were one or two bad jerks before the accident. At the conclusion of the evidence counsel for the various parties addressed the board. Recording Speedometer Desirable “The predominant suggestion seems to be that the train entered a curve at a speed in excess of that at which the curve could be safely negotiated,” said Mr G. P. Finlay, representing the Engine-drivers’, Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Association, in his submission. He added that the driver was not frequently on the route, and suggested that there might have been more timely notice of the bend. Mr' Finlay also stressed the necessity for providing some sort of recording speedometer to tell the driver at what speed he was driving. "The association also feels the need for the allowance of a longer time for the journey between Auckland and Wellington,’’ added Mr Finlay, “It is riot a good thing for a train crew to think there Is any pressure on them for speed,. It is better for the public to leave Auckland half an hour earlier and arrive In Wellington safely than ilot to get there at all, even If it only happens once in 10 years,” , While the association accepted in some measure the fact that speed was the cause of the accident, it emphatically did not accept that cither the angine-dfiver or the fireman was necessarily to blame for the speed. Mr N. S. Johnson, of Hamilton, who represented the relatives of McCubbin, the engine-driver, submitted that the speed was not excessive. He submitted that oven if the speed was regarded as excessive, McCubbln was not negligent, having regard to all the circumstances.

Representing the Railways Department, Mr V. R. Meredith submitted that no suggestion could be made against the condition of either the permanent way or the rolling stock. It was abundantly clear on the evidence that all causes were eliminated other than excessive speed on a curve. The chairman intimated that the board would devote the early part of next week to the preparation of its report, which would be forwarded to the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), who would release it hi due course.