WERE SIGNALS AT DANGER?

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 25 June 1926, Page 9

WERE SIGNALS AT DANGER?

Caulfield Train Smash. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. By* Cable—Press Association—Copyriffh t. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 24, 7.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, June 24. At the Caulfield train accident, a statement by thft driver of the Oakleigh train, taken just after the accident, was read. He said the brakes on the train acted reasonably. When he approached the homo signal, the top left hand arm was off, and showing green. It was too dark to see the arm, but he saw the light. Approaching Caulfield, the driver said he had a fair and reasonable view of ■all the fixed signals. When passing the home signal, the train was travelling 20 to 25 miles an hour. The weather was dull, and there was a slight mist. He proceeded as usual right up to Caulfield. After passing well inside the home signal, and going round the curve, he noticed a red light ahead. He thought it was on another line. Immediately afterwards he saw another red tail light, and became suspicious. He applied the brakes with the emergency force. The'brakes replied, but he hit the rear car of the train, when going about three" to four miles per hour. James Hargreaves, guard of the Oakleigh train, in a statement, said when he passed the home signals they appeared, to show a green light, but after the impact, when he alighted and placed detonators on the track behind, to prevent a further collision, the home signal showed danger.

(While a passenger train from Melbourne to Carrum was standing at the station at Caulfield Junction, on May 26, a passenger train from Melbourne to Oakleigh crashed into it from the rear, telescoping the two end carriages. Three passengers were killed and GO were inured.)