THE DANGER POINT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 145, 22 June 1938, Page 5

THE DANGER POINT

SPEEDS ON THE BAIL

EVIDENCE AT RATANA

INQUIRY

The Eatana inquiry was continued yesterday afternoon. The cross-exam-ination of Mr. A. S. Wansbrough was completed, and that of Mr. John Gard, designing engineer of the locomotive branch of the Railways, commenced.

The Board of Inquiry consists of Sir Francis Frazer (chairman) and Messrs. H. L. Cole and F. W. Furkert.

Mr. H. F. O'Leary, K.C., with Mr. F. W. Aickin, railway law officer, are representing the Railway Department, and Mr. G. G. Watson the Engine Drivers' Association and the driver of the train, Mr. E. Percival. Mr. F. J. Foot is appearing for the relatives of the late Mrs. E. S. Lewis and Mrs. Esme Webb, two of the passengers, and Mr. N. T. Gillespie for the relatives of the late Mrs. Hazel D. Tullock, another passenger on the train.

Cross-examined by Mr. Watson, Mr. Wansbrough said that if a driver found that he was approaching a curve at 50 miles an hour, the best thing he could do would be to put the brake on. This would mean that as the carriages reached the curve in turn, the first would move faster than the succeeding one, and sq on. The passengers in the first car would be thrown about on the curve, but those in the last would feel little. Owing to the number of speed restriction signs a driver would have no excuse for exceeding 35 miles an hour for ten miles after leaving Turakina. Drivers could see the boards fifteen chains away and read them from nine chains away. A driver could easily ascertain his position from the milages and the restriction signs, and passing Eatana station would show him that he was near the Ratana Hill.

To Mr. Furkert: We do not use check rails now. They introduce other troubles, such as stones between the rails. In reply to Mr. Watson, Mr. Gard said that the overturning speed of the engine under the circumstances was calculated by him at 50 miles per hour., Every type of engine would have a different overturning speed on such a curve. To apply Scott's formula to this accident would necessitate certain assumptions. These had been made, but with the greatest care, and the results, he thought, could be relied upon, as the co-efficient of friction had been accepted guardedly. If a driver had used a light pressure of the brakes, and subsequently the Westinghouse pipe had broken, there would not be full emergency pressure on the brakes unless the brakes had time to recharge before the pipe broke. In reply to questions, Mr. Gard proceeded to give details of the angles of incidence of wheels and rails and their co-efficients of friction. The flange angle had to be taken into consideration in determining the tendency of the wheel to climb the rail.