SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 252, 21 July 1938, Page 8

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Fog Conditions Near

Ratana

“AN HONEST ERROR OF JUDGMENT”

In its order of reference from the Minister of Railways, the Board of Inquiry was required to answer four specific questions: (1) What was the cause of the derailment? (2) Was any employee in the service of the Railways Department guilty of any dereliction of duty which directly or indirectly contributed to the derailment? (3) Generally, are there any circumstances in connection with the derailment which call for comment, particularly in respect of the rolling stock and the permanent way in the locality of the derailment? (4) What steps, if any, might be suggested to prevent a recurrence of a similar derailment? “The cause of the derailment was the overturning of the engine, due to entering a curve of 6.4-chain radius at a speed of approximately 50 miles an hour,” said the board in answer to the first question. Answering the second question, the board said Driver Percival drove at a speed of approximately 50 miles an hour over a section of the line in respect of which a maximum speed limit of 35 miles an hour was imposed, and over part of which a restriction of 20 miles an hour applied. “He was sufficiently familiar with the line between Marton and Wanganui,” the report added, “but owing to the presence of haze and banks of fog on the Ratana flat, he misjudged his speed and position after passing Ratana.

Question of Prudence.

“In strict compliance with the instructions contained in the working ' tiine-table, the driver should not have driven over the Ratana Flat at a speed in excess of 35 miles per hour. He considered that he was travelling at 40 miles per hour, which would not, in fact, have been a dangerous speed. He ought to have exercised prudence and reduced speed considerably when he ran into a bank of fog at a position which he estimated to be half a mile beyond Ratana, but which actually was about threequarters of a mile beyond that station. “At this time the driver was looking out for the speed-restriction board near the 6.4 chains radius curve, but did not expect to see it until he bad proceeded for another 50 chains. ,He did not, in fact, see the speed board at all, owing to the bank of fog reducing visibility to a distance of about a chain, and possibly, also, to his having turned his head for a moment to give an instruction to his fireman. The driver made a short, light, application of the brakes when he thought be was about 30 chains from the curve, but this application was, in fact, insufficient to effect a substantial reduction in speed. At that time the engine was within 200 ft. of the point of derailment, and the derailment occurred almost immediately after the brakes had been released.

“Engine-driver Percival is a steady, competent, experienced driver, with a first-class record. We do not consider that he was guilty of culpable negligence, but we are of the opinion that, though he admittedly travelled over the Ratana Flat at a speed, that he himself estimated to be five miles per hour in, excess of the maximum authorised speed of 35 miles per hour, his miscalculation of his speed and location when he was within 200 ft. of the point of derailment was 'due to an honest error of judgment, to which the presence of haze and fog contributed. His failure to reduce speed considerably as a measure of prudence when the train ran into a bank of fog is attributable to the same error of judgment, which led him to believe that he was then at least 30 chains from I he curve.” Condition of Rolling Stock. In answer to question three, the board reported that it was satisfied that the locomotive and rolling stock were in first-class order. It considered also that the permanent way was well maintained.

“In view of our finding that the derailment was primarily due to an error of judgment on the part of the driver as to the speed at w’hich the train was travelling,” said the board, referring to the fourth question, “the only suggestion we can properly offer in answer to this question is in regard to the equipment of locomotives with speedometers.”