RAILWAY COLLISION

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 February 1935, Page 9

RAILWAY COLLISION

TWO ELECTRIC TRAINS ONE OUT OF CONTROL DRIVER’S LEAP FOR LIFE. Damage estimated at about £26,000 was caused when an electric passenger tram bound from Ringwood to Croydon, near Melbourne, got out of control through some unexplained cause, and crashed into a stationary train 100 yards north of Croydon station on February 0. Each train had' sever carriages, but neither was carrying passengers. The crew of the runaway train and the motorman of the stationary train, who was sleeping in one of the carriages, were injured. The motorman of the speeding train escaped death by jumping from his compartment a few yards before the terrific impact took place, after making desperate efforts to regain control of his train. He suffered extensive lacerations.

The carriage was hurled into the air and then caught fice and was destroyed. Altogether, five carriages were wrecked and three others were damaged.

The train, driven by Gordon Young, aged 45, and with George Willsmore as guard, left Ringwood for Croydon shortly before S a.m. Soon afterwards, Willsmore noticed that it- was gathering unusual speed. He tried to apply the brakes from his compartment, but without noticeable effect. The train continued at top speed to the crest of a hill, and as it descended a long slope its speed increased' to about 50 or 60 miles an hour. At that speed it dashed through Croydon station. TERRIFIC IMPACT. William Hales, porter, at Croydon, saw the train speed past his danger signal. He immediately communicated with Melbourne, and called for the electric power to be cut off. Apparently Mr Young had been making desperate attempts to stop the train, but the brakes did not begin to operate until after it had passed through -the station. Then they came on suddenly with a screech, and instantly became red hot, and' clouds of smoke poured from beneath the train. The wheels locked, and sent showers of sparks flying on either side. The train lurched across the points on to the siding with practically no diminution in speed. Mr oung must have realised that the train was hopelessly out of control, and he jumped' clear, only a carriage length before the impact. He fell on another siding, and was severely cut about the. face and hands. With a roar and a blinding flash that shook nearby houses, the two trains met. Two carriages leapt into the air, and, enveloped in a. sheet of flame, they balanced upright for a moment and then fell a mass of splintered woodwork and twisted iron. Forced by the weight of the carriages behind. the second carriage of Mr Young’s train telescoped into the second one of the stationary train. They were both reduced to matchwood, and the bogies became an unrecognisable tangle. Then the third carriage of the runaway train bore through. It was jerked * from its under-oarl iaige and! dashed to the ground . beside the l lie IGNITION OF CARRIAGES.

By this -time the leading carriages had caught fire and were burning furiously. As the third carriage fell, the fourth climbed on top of it, and remained tipped into the air Ihe lemaining carriages stayed on the rails, and were not seriously damaged. Jhe stationary 'train was forced back into an earth buffer, and ploughed through it. tearing the permanent way from the sleepers. The motorman of the stationary train was sleeping in. the third carriage from the front. The carriage was splintered in front and forced off the rails, but he suffered only a severe shaking. The doors of the carriage jammed, and he was imprisoned until released by a youth who witnessed the accident Mr Willsmore was thrown from Ins seat at the rear of the runaway train, and he suffered severe shook. The injured men Ireceived attention at a nearby house ,and were later driven to their own homes. , Mr V Anderson, superintendent ot the Croydon Eire Brigade, saw the accident, and rang the lire alarm immediately. Fire engines were on the scene within a lew minutes. iVithm minutes with the assistance of the Ringwood Brigade, they had the fire under control. . , Great difficulty was experienced by the breakdown gang later m the morning in extricating the tangled eairiicres The overhead gear was wrecked and it was not until 12 hours later that the line was opened for steam train traffic.