RATANA INQUIRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 102, 3 May 1938, Page 8

RATANA INQUIRY

RESUMED BY BOARD THREE WHISTLE BLASTS JUDGMENT GF SPEED REFERENCE TO THIRD MAN ’N CAB [ Par Preea Amoc.bUod. | WELLINGTON, May 2. The Board of Inquiry set up by the Minister of Railways to investigate the derailment of the excursion train from Wellington at Katana on March 26, with the loss of seven lives, resumed sitting at Wellington to-day. The board consists of Sir Francis Frazer (chairman’, and Messrs. H. L. Cole and F. W. Furkert. Mr. H. F. □’Leary. K.C., with Mr. F. W. Aickin, railway law officer, are representing the Railway Department, and Mr. G. G. Watson, the Engine Drivers’ Association and the driver of the train. Mr. E. Percival. Mr. F. J. Foot is appearing for the relatives of the late Mrs. E. S. Lewis, one of the passengers, and Mr. N. T. Gillespie for the relatives of the late Mrs. Hazel D. Tullock, another passenger on the train. Two passengers referred to the suggestion that a third man was riding on the footplate of the locomotive, but it was stated in evidence to-day that the unknown man referred to aa “Mac” by earlier witnesses could not have been riding in the cab. A woman passenger said she heard a young man say that a railway cadet whose home was in Wanganui had travelled on the engine. The chairman, Sir Francis Frazer, mdd a witness had later intimated that he thought the unknown “Mac” might be traced through a telegram sent from a man who may have been “Mac” and who handed a telegram to a police constable at Aramoho. His identity, said the chairman, might possibly be traced through the telegraph authorities. Mr. F. C. Aikin, railway law officer, . said the police constable in question had received about 100 telegrams from i different passengers. The unkown man might be difficult to trace. ; The chairman said also that the Commissioner of Police had made various statements made by passengers available to the inquiry. The greater portion of these passengers could probably be disregarded, but ' counsel would have an opportunity of 1 seeing the statements and any per- i sons who might be of value to the in- j quiry would he called to give evidence. i

Loco Foreman’s Evidence Francis Alfred Ellis, acting locomotive foreman. Wellington, who was in the witness box when the inquiry was adjourned on Friday, was further examined to-day. He had given evidence that when repairs to locomotives were booked they were conscientiously carried out, and had dealt also with the provision of a pilot when a driver did not know a route. Ellis said that when he was driving •ver the section on which the accident occurred, the curve gave him no difficulty, nor had he had difficulty in picking up the curve radius and speed boards or any other notice boards during his service. Witness added that he had no recollection of complaints about difficulty in picking up the notice boards. Questioned about his abilitv to estimate the speed of an engine, witness said he could do this within a mile or two either way. A driver in his opinion would be more careful and more aleit when travelling at a higher speed. In answer io Mr Aickin. witness said that if he received a note in the tablet asking him to ’’step on it.” he would take this as an indication that Train Control wanted the train at a particular spot at a particular time, but under no circumstances would he exceed the authorised speed. He did not think that the driver of an express train would be likely to get such a note. If three short blasts of the whistle were sounded immediately before the train was derailed at Ratana. witness said that the driver might have discovered that all his air was missing and he had no braking power. Otherwise he could not see what reason the driver would have to blow his whistle. To Mr. Watson witness said that if, as had been described, the whistling and the bumping were simultaneous, his view' was that the blasts from the whistle were due to some entanglement of the whistle control after the engine had left the rails. If. in other circumstances, three blasts were made for brakes the driver would want the guard to put the hand-brake on in The van. Speedometer as c Ln reply to Mr. Watson again, witness said that, personally, he would have a speedometer. Mr. Watson suggested that a margin of error in an estimate of speed of two miles either wav might be al! important. Witness said it would not make any difference. Mr. Watson: Speaking generally. Mr. Ellis, a speedometer would eliminate the margin of error? Well, it is a guide certainly. To Sir Francis witness said that on this particular run he did not see that the air supply could have become depleted without the driver noticing IL Asked when the brake would be applied to take the curve where the accident occurred, witness said that if he were driving the engine he might shut off about Ratana Station. The speed at the curve would then be such as to enable him to take it without applying the brake. It was a question of judgment of speed. Mr. Furkert asked what the position would be if some skylarking passenger leaned down and shut off the Westinghouse brake tap coming through the Turakina Valley. Witness said, that was a possibility. If the driver, however, used judgment he would have brought his speed down on the Ratana flat to enable him to take the curve without applying the brake. The next witness was Mrs A. J. Hanning, a passenger on the train She said that after the smash she saw

a man who was addressed as “Mac.” He had a wife and a little girl about six with him. This man appeared to be known as “Mac” to quite a number of men. He was very agile and definitely on the younger side oi middle-age. He had no coat and appeared to have a sleeveless pullover on. Witness did not get the impres- | sion that the man was wearing dungarees. Just before he collapsed he • had been assisting the ambulance mtn to get an injured preson through the . roof of a carriage. Witness did not {hear the man say anything about hav[ing been in the engine cab. She heard him say: *T reckon he was going too l fast and she got away with him.’’ Ti/j -man added: ”1 know the driver. I was talking io him at Palmerston North and said, ’lt is a pity you did not haw a K engine.’” The man said that the •driver had replied, “Oh, 1 can get a ' bit of speed out of this. You will see I later on.” The driver had also said, j “I am a bit worried about one of the j bearings.” It was running hot and ' they were using a lot of oil. ' Mac’s” j wife said she had lost her child but later the child was found under a seat in the carriage quite safe. After the accident she heard a good deal ol conversation among the passengers as to there being a third man on the engine. She did not hear the name mentioned but had heard it stateci that the person was a railway cadet living at Wanganui. Witness said that from what she heard she did not think "Mac’’ could have been riding in lhe engine cab. Questioned about the railway cadet, witness said a young man named Taylor had talked of a railway cadet. She went from Ratana to Wanganui in his father’s car, and it was in the car that Taylor said there was a young railway cadet travelling in the cao. He added that the cadet lived in Wanganui and was going home for Lhe week-end. Witness said she did noi ■hear the cadet’s name mentioned, nor nad she heard any suggestion from I anybody else that “Mac” had been I riding in the cab of the engine. ’ Another passenger, Charles Allen, I of Lower Hi / , said he was travelling lon the train with his wife and I daughter. At Palmerston North, I w here the train had stopped for sev- ; era! minutes he stood near the loco- ' motive and saw what appeared to be j a young fellow in lhe cab He was | cressed in light grey trousers and a I dark brown sports coat. Witness [thought it strange for another man Ho be in the car. After leaving PalI merston North there was too much i swaying to read comfortably and he ! had the impression that the train w as I going too fast. He had a recollection [of seeing the man referred to as • "Mac” on lhe Aramoho station after I the accident. Witness thought this man. who had his arm in a sling might have been “Mac.” He did not see the young man in the sports coat after leaving Palmerston North, nor did he see anything to indicate that ?. third man was in the cab of the engine. In reply to Mr. O Leary, witness! said his impression of speed was the impression he had gained at the time and not something he had thought of after the smash. He had travelled on that line a good deal but not at the speed of lhe excursion train. Mr. Watson: Did the young fellow you saw at Palmerston North look as though he had travelled 100 miles in the cab of the locomotive? Witness: No, he certainly did not Did you think he was a railway employee at Palmerston North?—No, he gave me the impression he was a pas- ' senger who was having a look round. Cross-examined further, witness admitted that this man could have been a railway clerk who handed the driver train advice, provided this duty was carried out by a clerk. Mr. Watson: If. in fact, the train was either just on or just behind time at every station, your impression that it was going too fast would be ill- i founded, would it not? Witness: It would appear so. • Beatrice Florence Wilkinson, daughter of the previous witness, said she was asleep when lhe accident occurred and was thrown out of her seat. The Chairman: Did you see anything of our friend “Mac”? Witness: No.

fx>cv. Superintendent's Evidence. The last witness called to-day was Percy Roy Angus, locomotive superintendent at Wellington, who said he was in charge of the operating of all locomotives and rolling stock on the New Zealand Railways. He is also in charge of lhe design or new locomotives and rolling stock. Witness said he reached the scene ol the derailment at about 7.45 a.m. on the day of the accident. He made an examination of the rolling stock immediately after his arrival and again at the East Tow n workshops, Wanganui, on April 5. The damaged locomotive, "A 8829. belonged to the Wellington locomotive district and the records disclosed that up to tne lime of the accident it had run 60.589 miles since last receiving a complete overhaul at the Hutt workshops. "The present schedule mileage for this class of locomotive between complete overhauls is 80.000 miles in the Wellington district.” he added. “The figure is a nominal one and is generally exceeded. In practice the figure rf SO.OOO is on the low side and at present the schedule is being altered, the figure of 80.000 now being increased to 90.000 for locomotives in the Wellington district.” Witness described the damage to "A 8829. He could see nothing in the condition of the engine that world have been likely to cause a derailment. In describing the damage Io the rolling stock, witness said the condition of the first four cars after the derailment was such that no definite indication could be obtained of their condition before the accident. The material from which the cars were built was perfectly sound. Witness also submitted extracts of instructions and rules which were issued to locomotive men. including a clause which read: “Unless furnished with an engine pass signed by the general manager or chief mechanical engineer, no person other than a proper engine driver and fireman or trainmen is allowed to ride on any engine or tender.” Some 20 years ago, said witness, the department had limite.l the number of locomotives equipped with speed recorders, but the type was such that they were found in piactice to give unreliable results and as the cost of maintenance increased the recorders were discarded. About 12 month? ago we placed an order for 25 speed recorders as a first instalment to fit all all train-running locomotives with such apparatus.” In cross-examination, witness said

speed recorders were different from speedometers. They recorded every variation of speed, lhe length of tirtie taken with shunting operations and any unauthorised stops which were made. They gave the administration a great deal of information concerning the efficiency of the operator and were not particularly popular with drivers. Witness added that he had made checks and found the drivers fairly accurate in their judgment of speed. In reply to Mr. Watson, witness said he had prepared a list of all locomotive derailments with the cause or assumed cause, during the past 10 years. An "AB” class locomotive was so constructed that it was tnnpssible for the weight to shift from the leading bogies to the driving wheels. Witness agreed to have two "AB’ engines which had covered about 60,000 miles taken to the Woburn workshops and weighed. If there had been any re-distribution of weight it would be disclosed by these tests. To the chairman, witness said that when he arrived at the scene of the derailment the regulator handle was shut, the reversing lever was in the forward gear eight nicks out and the drifter valve was a quarter of a turn open, the norma.' position for drifting. A heavy but not emergency application of the Westinghouse brakes should produce a retardation of speed of about two miles an hour each second under the conditions applying to the excursion train and on a dry rail. Buffer locking could cause a derailment but such a happening was most unlikely in the present case. The inquiry will be resumed tomorrow.