ENGINE-DRIVER KILLED WHILE DRIVING TRAIN

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1938, Page 6

ENGINE-DRIVER KILLED WHILE DRIVING TRAIN

t Per Press association. — Copyright.] GREYMOUTH. This Day. A railway locomotive driver, Mr Joseph Mowley Mosley, aged 38, was killed at 1.45 p.m. today while taking a goods train from Runanga to Greymouth. Nobody witnessed the fatality, but four maintenance men saw Mr Mosley leaning over the side of the engine cab while the train approached a bridge near the camp station, over two miles from Greymouth. Mr Mosley was endeavouring to ascertain the cause of a driving rod knocking and was facing away from the bridge. A maintenance man called to him, but was unable to attract his attention. It is surmised that he was still leaning out at the bridge and was struck by the abutment and knocked into a stream, which was swollen by recent rain. Water Discoloured. The fireman, Mr R. Thomas, who was looking out on his side of the cabin, did not see the accident, but he heard the call of the maintenance men and at once stopped the train, which consisted of 15 waggons and a van.

The maintenance men on coming to the stream found it discoloured. One man went into the water but was unsuccessful in landing Mr Mosleys body. His cap was seen floating away. Dragging was unsuccessful. The fireman and the guard brought the train to Greymouth. Mr Mosley leaves a wife and two young sons. He was a former representative Coast footballer.