TRAIN INQUIRY

Waikato Times, Volume 193, Issue 22204, 25 November 1943, Page 6

TRAIN INQUIRY

! HUTT DERAILMENT

COINCIDENCE MENTIONED (By Telegraph.— rress Association) WELLINGTON. Wednesday The Beard of Inquiry proceedings in connection with the derailment of a train from Upper Hutt on the morning of November 6. which resulted in the deaths of three persons and injury to 20 others, opened today. Sir Francis Frazer, presided. About 26 witnesses are to be called. Mr W. H. Cunningham, representing Ihe Railways Department, said the coincidence that the same tram drawn by the same engine, should have met with two derail - meats in the same vicinity within three months, had naturally caused public comment. The first derailment. however,-was attributable to a trailing bogie yoke casting on the engine breaking. The department’s experts were frankly puzzled as to the precise cause of the derailment on November There had been no suggestion that the train was travelling at other than normal speed. There was nr question about the sobriety of the driver and it, appeared the brakes were applied promptly, immediately the driver realised something was amiss. Evidence about the traek. while it showed irregularities ard variations from the standard, did not appear to establish .anything in the track conditions sufficient tn itself to have caused the accident. The up-train passed over the section only a few minutes before the accident occurred. The driver noticed nothing unusual aboqt the track, nor did the driver of the down-train which went through less than an hour before. Both these drivers would be witnesses. Inspection of Locomotive A very careful inspection of the locomotive after the accident revealed nothing in its condition that could have caused the accident. What happened was reasonably clear from the marks on the rail. What precisely caused it to happen was a difficult question. Mr Cunningham expressed the sympathy of the Minister of Railways, the management and staff to those bereaved, and the hope for the speedy and complete recovery of the injured. He also expressed the management’s appreciation of the behaviour of the injured and other passengers, and its thanks to all who helped .after the accident, particularly members of the United States and New Zealand forces, local doctors, the police, and traffic officers. Frank Leineweber, permanent way inspector, said the accident occurred on a 15-chain radius curve. He last inspected' the section on foot with a ganger on November 4. On the curve where the accident occurred he found the track was showing a little excess cant up to three-eighths of an inch in places. He told the ganger the track needed attention, and approved the latter’s proposal to deal with it the following Tuesday, as he had other work to do in the meantime. The variation was nothing unusual, and did not worry him in the slightest. The curve was also a little wide of gauge in places, but well within the safety limits. After the accident he found that thccant at practically the same place as before had increased by 4 of an inch. A few dog spikes had been bent back, three in one place and two in another. He attributed this to the sudden stopping of the vehicles. He also noticed a broken screw spike on one of the plates holding a rail in position, but as far as he could see the rail had not shifted. Questioned as to the roughness of the travelling in the area from Andrews to Silverstream, witness said it appeared rough sometimes but there was a reason—corrugated rails. Passage of Earlier Trains Lewis John narracioinrli. eng-inedriver, said tie drove a train from Upper Hutt to Wellington, leaving: Upper Hutt at 6.15 on the morning- of the aeririent. He noticed nothin? unusual on the curve on which the accident later occurred. John William Boyd, eng-inedriver. said he drove a train from Wellington to Upper Hutt on the morning rtf the derailment. It passed over the 15-chain curve about 10 minutes before the accident, and he noticed nothing unusual.

Mr G. G. C. Watson, for the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association, then read a letter which had been sent by the secretary of the Wellington branch of the association to the general secretary of the association on August 00. It stated that the branch desired the executive council tn make representations tn have the speed nr trains between Wellington and Upper Hutt reduced to that- of g-oods trains until such time as the track was put in reasonable repair. Members were or the considered opinion that in its present state the speed was too great if trains were to be run with safety. Mr Watson asked the witness if he agreed with the contents or the letter. Witness stated that he concurred. Drivers had complained of a kick, or bump, or hole, just where the train had been derailed. Track Condition Not Responsible Harry Louis Percy Smith, district engineer or the area which includes the Wellington-Upper Hutt line, said that, marks found on the rail were not consistent with an obstruction having been the cause of the derailment. The profiles of the rails showed they had not yet reached the limit of wear at which renewal was necessary. The line of the curve was not perfectly true, but there was nothing to make it uTisafe for traffic. - It would be perfectly sare up to -in miles an hour. He was satisfied the condition ! or the track was not responsible for either derailment.

Following the receipt on Pep 1 ember 6 or a letter' Trom the general secretary of the Locomotive Engineer?. .Firemen and be accompanied the r-hipf engineer. Mr G. T. Bertlnshaw, on an inspection or the line belween Wellington and l pper Hutt. He agreed with the opinion of the chief engineer that there was no justification as yet ror reduction of the speed of trains. The inquiry will be continued tomorCPMPLAINT FROM DRIVERS (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON'. Thursday When the Hutt railway derailment inquiry was continued todav Mr G. G. g. Watson raised with the witness Smith, district engineer of the area in which the derailment took place, the question whether it were not worth while getting the department's recording machine to test the track. Witness Said it h3d hot occurr e d. 10 anybody to get it. The Safety or the track was something the permanent way man could rick up with Ins inspection Jt Parities. lie had receUed individual complaints from eucine drivers about the state Of the track, and had sought such. They were a great help in checking up on the track Are vou prepared. ' asked Mr Watson ‘■to suggest any step? that should be taken in the light of the two derailments to prevent the possibility of a thud on Hus ?rr tion. Oliver than the reduction m speed the Engine drivers. Firemens and Cleaners Association has asked for? - ’ Cause Unknown witness ; ! could not find anv fault tn the 'track that would cause oitriPr derail ment 1 ha'e no suggestion to make to avoid a similar derailment because i don t know what caused me derailments, witness* expressed the opinion that minor vanations in cant and slack that had been found did not in iheir cumulatee rijprt cau.-e tn< derailment, but mu knowing the cause, he said to a further question, he would not rule out that possibility. under further questioning witness said the wear on ’he rails was perfectly normal lor a rad on a curve. The experience of track men witness said to Mr McJJvride, was that the w ar tvpe of engine was the hardest on the tr3 r k they hao. To Mr Cunningham, he said he considered that authorised speeds could be i Un safely on the track in its present condition (Proceeding.;