EFFICIENCY OF SIGNALS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1947, Page 9

EFFICIENCY OF SIGNALS

EVIDENCE AT TRIAL OF ENGINE CREW CROWN CASE CONTINUES (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 19. The efficiency of the Railway Department’s signalling apparatus at the Papatoetoe station on August 24, when an accident involving two trains, was the subject of evidence before Mr. Justice Finlay and a jury to-clay, when the trial was resumed of the driver and fireman of a train which ran into another train standing at the station. Two experts testified that on the day concerned, at Papatoetoe, the safely signalling apparatus was tested after the accident and found to operate without fault. The accused are George Robert Pretoria Dickson, engine-driver, and Desmond Samuel Illsley. fireman. They are jointly charged with causing actual bodily harm to a passenger, W. H Gallagher, in such circumstances that if he had died they would have been guilty of manslaughter. Thtey are also separately charged with culpable neglect of duty, endangering the safely of passengers. John Diggle, station clerk at Papatoetoe said that on August 24. he saw train 125 come into the station, have its engine reversed, and put on the main clown track waiting for a special train to pass. When the train was put on the down track, he put the lever on the interlocking machine back to “danger. Cross-examined by Mr. K. C. Aekins for the defence, witness admitted ' that at the railway inquiry and the Magistrate’s Court hearing he made a mistake by stating that the special train from Wellington went through the station before the accident occurred. He now knew that he was wrong. Counsel: Is it a fact that you were afraid it might be said the accident was caused by a mistake on your Qcl Witness: 1 can’t tell. had mixed feelings at the time. I was quite certain I had clone the right thing. Accused s Service

William Robert Butcher, a locomotive engineer in charge of the northern railway district, said the accused, Dickson, had had 28 years’ service with the department. Illsey had had about five years’ service, including 18 months in the Air Force. After the accident, the witness found that the brakes of the accused’s engine were hard on. The witness forrned the opinion that attempt had been made to stop the train by an emergency application of the brakes. * Dickson’s record as a driver was good and the witness had had no previous trouble with the accused for passing signals. The department had had complete confidence in the driver. The case for the Crown will be finished to-morrow.