Trains Collide On West Coast Line; Fireman Killed

Northern Advocate, 30 March 1938, Page 6

Trains Collide On West Coast Line; Fireman Killed

*’ Cause Vague, 3. is The cause of the accident is as yet e vague, but it is understood that the [- train from Christchurch was either ), stationary or was starting at the ). time of the impact. g # n The damage to the cityr bound train was by far the r most extensive. A carriage had started to telescope, and 1 « the end and two back seats ! u were wrecked. But, fortun- , i ately for the occupants,the telescoping stopped at that. Behind this carriage was the van. This was ripped away from its couplings, and it carried away portion of I the carriage platform as it slid down 1 the bank. i It was possibly a stroke of luck for a the passengers, as the van with an--3 other empty departmental carriage, „ formed a buffer between th e passea- [ ger carriage and the rest of the 30 j vans and trucks, which carried a miscellaneous cargo of sheep, cattle, • timber, coal and apples, > Indescribable Confusion, . 4 > Behind the foremost carriages were ; four vans full of cases of apples. These 1 were piled one on top of another in in-v describable confusion. Most of the woodwork was smashed and apple cases by the hundred burst, strewing' thousands of apples amid the wreckage over the permanent way and for yards on each side of the line. As these vans tore away from the rails, they heaped up ballast into a pile and crashed down on 1 to one of the standards, burying the lights used in the railway automatic signalling device. A similar standard on the other side of the line was also mowed down by the postal van. The coast-bound train at the time of ■the crash wafe on a loop of about 100 yards from Aylesbury Station. This train consisted of 50 or 60 heavy steel waggons, several of which were lifted bodily from the rails and were swung sideways, sb that they lay astride the 1 main track. ;

Twisted Steel. Twisted steel was evidence of the momentum of the crash. Actually, not a great deal of damage was done to the two engines. The tenders were pushed almost up to the footplates and cow catchers and forestructure were naturally crumpled. A few of the wheels left the rails, but, otherwise, there was little damage apparent. By 10.45 a.m., engines h'ad arrived to remove the undamaged rolling stock, and by 11 o’clock a breakdown gang from Christchurch was on the scene, and a big crane had arrived from Springfield, Effort to Clear Line. Every endeavour is being made to clear the main line by tonight, and, if necessary, wreckage on the permanent way will be pushed over into a small depression beside the line, so that the track may be repaired for tonight’s traffic. Mr Bailey had been in the railways service for 17 years, operating trains in the Christchurch district since the time of his appointment as a fireman. He was a married man, and leaves i a widow and a daughter aged 10, I An early arrival 'at the scene of the I accident was Mr W. Rogers, Assistant ( Traffic Manager at Christchurch, and ( Mr J. Binste'ad, Chief Locomotive / Engineer in the South Island. /

Little Inconvenience. As today was Wednesday, there was little inconvenience to passenger traffic, as it is a day when expresses do not run. However, a train from Springfield, carrying about 40 school children and some adults, was held up at Kirwec, and passengers were transported to Christchurch by bus. At the time of the accident, the guard of the downward train received a severe jolting, as did the driver, who, unlike the dead fireman, did not risk a jump. The fireman, who was trapped when the mail van turned cn its side, was crushed and killed instantly, and his body had to be dug out.

[Special To “Northern Advocate .’’J CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. muE SECOND FATAL RAILWAY CRASH IN THE DOMINION IN UNDER A WEEK OCCURRED AT AYLESBURY ON THE WEST COAST LINE AT 5.30 AM. TODAY. A head-on collision between a goods Main from Christchurch and a mixed train from the West Coast resulted in the death of the fireman on the Coast Main. Mr Alfred Bailey, aged 34, of Christchurch. Mr Bailey seeing that a collision was imminent jumped from the engine. but, before lie could regain his balance and race clear, the postal arid luggage van which left the rails, crashed down the bank and on to him. There were eight passengers in the carriage of the mixed train, which & was directly behind- the engine. All were fortunate, for, apart from one woman, who was somewhat bruised, there were no injuries. The victims of the collision were: Killed; Mr Alfred Bailey, aged 34. of Christchurch. Injured: Mrs Rusbatch, of Arthur's Pass, head injuries and shock. Mr Young, of Christchurch, driver of the down train, head injuries and shock. Mr E. Quinn, of Waiutu, bruised. Mr T. McGuiness, slight shock. Mr A. B. Shand. of Palmerston North, bruised. The remaining passengers were all uninjured. They were: Miss Dunn, of Mcana, and Messrs. Rusbatch, railway employee, of Arthur’s Pass; W. Downing, and Dalziell. both of Kotuku. In addition, the two-year-old child of Mr and'Mrs Rusbatch was not hurt. Members of the Rusbatch family had a narrow escape, for they were sitting at the end of the carriage next to the engine of the down train. Actually, the child was surrounded by debris, but did not receive a scratch. In connection with the collision, the General Manager of Railways, Mr G. H. Mackley, left Rongotai Aerodrome at noon by ’plane for Christchurch. It will be recalled that early on Saturday morning an excursion, train bound from Wellington to New Plymouth left the rails on a bend 21 miles from Wanganui. Six were killed and many injured. On this same bend a petrol waggon attached to a goods train was partly derailed yesterday morning and caused an hour and a half delay