TRAIN DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 129, 27 November 1940, Page 11

TRAIN DISASTER

LIMITED EXPRESS

BOARD OF INQUIRY

EVIDENCE ON SPEED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, November 26. The evidence to be submitted to the board of inquiry into the derailment of the Limited express near Mercer on the morning of October 28, when an engine-driver and fireman were killed, was outlined today when the board began sitting. Sir Francis Frazer presided. The other members are Professor S. E. Lamb and Mr. F. W. Furkert.

Messrs. V. R. Meredith and I. Thomas are representing the Minister of Railways and the Railway Department; Messrs. G. P. Finlay and A. E. Johnson are watching the interests of the Engine Drivers, Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association; Mr. L. Mcllvride, general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants' Association, is appearing on behalf of his union; Mr. P. G. Harkness, Hamilton, for the widow of the fireman; and Mr. N. S. Johnson for the widow of the engine-driver. Counsel are also present for various passengers who were injured. The chairman said that the repprt was to be in the hands of the Minister before December 21. Through the courtesy of the Superintendent cf Police in Auckland, the board had been allowed to peruse the statements of passengers and had made a selection of those which appeared to be useful as evidence. It was proposed, however, j to adjourn the sitting this afternoon | to enable counsel to have the same advantage. . "My instructions from the Minister and Department are to give all assistance to this board of inquiry, said Mr. Meredith. "Any officers of the Department may be called if desired. ONLY ONE EYE-WITNESS. Mr. Meredith gave details of the technical evidence that would be given and added that unfortunately there was only one eye-witness, a person who was walking along the line at the time.' Various calculations as to rolling-stock, condition of the permanent way, stability of the type of locomotive concerned, its balance at various speeds, and the amount of cant that would be necessary on the tracks before it would overturn would be dealt with. "The Department wishes it to be known to the public that any person who feels he or she can give useful evidence may be heard at the inquiry," Mr. Meredith added. He conveyed the thanks of the Minister and Department to passengers on the express, who showed courage, and to those.in the vicinity of the accident who gave immediate aid. "It is no part of our instructions to shield any officer of the Department. Our purpose is to present all the facts frankly and candidly so that the board can arrive at a finding that will, if possible, prevent a recurrence of such disaster:" . The first witness, A. L- Smith, Transportation Manager of the Railway Department, Wellington, gave details of time-tables for the North Island main line and branches.

To Mr. Finlay, . witness said there had been no alteration in the schedule running time between Frankton Junction and Mercer since 1937;' Over that length of line it would be looked upon as a "tight" schedule. If drivers suggested that the travelling time from Wellington to Auckland should be extended half an hour to ensure greater safety, witness would say there was no need for that. He thought they were working within safety limits.

To Mr. Oran. appearing for an injured passenger, witness said that by the phrase "tight" schedule he meant that not very much slack would be allowed. A driver would not be able J to pick up very much time if he was running behind schedule without exceeding the specified speed limit. FASTER TRIP THAN USUAL. | J. H. Williams, train control opera- j tor at Auckland on the morning of the accident, said he noticed the Limited express was making a faster! trip than usual. He would not say it was making an exceptionally fast run, however. J. D. Leahy, guard on the express, said the train was 12 minutes late in leaving Frankton. Going through both Ngaruawahia and Ohinewai witness noticed that the train seemed to hit the "turn out" rather suddenly and he concluded the train was travelling fast at these points. Apart from [that the speed on the run to Mercer did not appear to be too great and caused him no concern. There was no comment from the passengers regarding the train's speed. Witness considered Mr. McCubbin a very capable driver. C. Sweeney, farmer, Mercer, said he was near the Mercer pumping station and saw the train come round the bend about a quarter of a mile away. He thought it was travelling "pretty fast." L. J. O'Keefe, porter at Horotiu, said he noticed nothing unusual in the speed of the express as it passed through Horotiu. J. J. Dixon, clerk, said that during his four years at Ngaruawahia station he had never seen a train go through the station faster than the Limited express that morning. H. Edwards, clerk at Taupiri station, said he had seen trains travelling as fast but not faster through Taupiri than the express that morning. "I have rarely seen a train go so fast," said W. W. Bennett, ganger, sta- [ tioned at Taupiri. I" J. A. Wallis, ganger at Huntly, said jhe was with a porter, Graham, on the Huntly station when the express approached. "TRAVELLING VERY FAST." "When the train was coming round the curve I mentioned to Graham that something would happen one morning if she came in at that pace," he said. "She was travelling very fast to what I have seen other trains travelling. I did not know who was driving the train. Graham said to me as she passed, 'That's McCubbin. He will get killed one of these days.' The train was steaming all the way as she went through the station. She was under power. "I had to go towards Taupiri," he said. "I got back about 10 o'clock, and Graham said: 'It has happened; 688 (the express) is off the line and McCubbin is dead.'"

Witness said the first thing that drew his attention to the train was the speed at which it came round the curve. He had seen quite a number come round there but never, one so quickly. Witness said he did not understand from Graham's remarks that McCubbin had a reputation for speeding. He personally had not heard anything about McCubbin. The inquiry will be resumed tomorrow. . '•',• . .»*__.