D.—7

14

finishing shunting I watered, and then picked up the van. While I was shunting Taylor's engine was away down the main line right ahead of us. While we were shunting we stopped and took water. I do not think any one decided whose engine should go in front. I am not sure but I think I suggested to Taylor that he should go in front, as he knew the road better than I did. 1 had the stronger engine. I did not see Taylor while we were shunting. He was on his engine away down the line. 1 do not know who coupled the van to the train. I did not do it. I do not know who coupled between rear of my van and the train. I cannot say who coupled the engine. Porter Tyer or Guard Dwyer may be able to say. Guard Lowe was shunting. I did not see him near the engine when we picked up the van. Ido not think he coupled that nor the coupling of the two engines, or the coupling on to the train. I gave two whistles and Taylor's engine came up and I think one of the shunters coupled the two engines, but I cannot say. I had a conversation with Taylor before we left the station. 1 think it was after the engines were coupled. The conversation was about my headlight, and also about if we had occasion to stop on the bank I was to give him a pop of the whistle. I could not say exactly where I was when we had the conversation. Ido not recollect if I was on or off my engine then. I think Taylor came alongside my engine. Taylor turned my headlight down. When I first came on duty before Leydon came in with his train I had a conversation with Taylor about his engine leading. Taylor was then on his engine in the yard. The leading engine had continuous control of the brakes. I did not anticipate trouble on the grade. But often with a heavy load on a steep grade you might want water, and we arranged the signal as a precaution. I had no anxiety about the load. 1 had run a very few trips over that grade during the last five years. I ran the last one about Christmas. After the engines were coupled I suppose the train started in about two or three minutes. The brakes were tested before we left Putaruru. I saw the brake-test given. I saw the signal red-white-red by the guard from the van. I heard Taylor applying the brakes. I heard my engine-brakes go on. I saw the release signal, white-red-white, from the same place. The guard did not, to my knowledge, examine the brake-blocks all along the line, either on the applying of the brakes nor on their release. I could not tell, when the brakes were applied and released, whether the whole train was affected. I was keeping my pump going the whole time, but my pump was only affecting my main reservoirs. My engine was cut out. I could tell from my indicator the pressure that Taylor was putting on. My indicator was connected with the trainpipe and also with my main reservoir, and showed me the pressure of both. I noticed when the brakes signal was given that the indicator showed 80 lb. I saw the release also. We could probably tell if the pressure did not apply beyond our engines, but beyond that and a few wagons we could not possibly tell. Beyond a few wagons the train might be dead so far as we knew. I would rely entirely on the train-examiner or the guard to see that the train was alive up to my engine. Guard Dwyer and Porter Tyer and the porter at Putaruru all took a hand in the shunting. The shunter as he couples up is supposed to open up the cock also. Four persons, including Guard Lowe, may each of them have had something to do with that train that night. When the train was completely put together it was the duty of the guard to go round and see that everything was complete." There was no Train Inspector there, so that Guard Lowe would perform the duty. I cannot say if Guard Lowe inspected every cock and coupling. I have a governor on my pump. I could not say what reduction was made when Taylor applied the brakes at Putaruru. I had no particular reason for noticing the pressure in the train-pipe. The light is burning on the gauge and you cannot help seeing it. The pressure would be shown on four places on the train. I remember the 80 lb. pressure because I noticed that his pressure was greater than my engine carried. We would not have to use the Westinghouse brake between Putaruru and Mamaku, and it would only take a minute or two to charge the train. Our hand-brakes would not hold the train without whistling for brakes. We could have held her with the hand-brakes and the steam of the engine. I saw the guard signal " Release brakes," and the next signal a steady green light was " Right away." There was necessity for me to watch the signals. I take my orders from the guard the same as Taylor would. I would wait until Taylor moved his engine forward before moving mine. The guard was at his van. I could see the lights of the van close by him. He gave the signals from the station side of train. I think we were standing on the second line, think there was one line between us and platform. We were certainly not on the main line. I had not been long watching the guard before the signals were given. I could see he was close alongside his van. Ido not recollect seeing any one else or a light between the guard and myself. We were in no particular hurry to get away that night. We were very busy, and were ten minutes late in starting. After leaving Putaruru we first stopped at Ngatira. The Westinghouse brake was applied twice at Ngatira. I heard it go on my engine. We first stopped at Ngatira for water and the brake was applied there. I heard my exhaust on my brake-van. I could not judge from what I heard whether the brake was acting properly—not at Ngatira, because it required such slight break-power to stop. I did not notice the reduction. If the brake had been operating on the two engines only it was sufficient to stop the train. We both filled up with water at Ngatira. The water in my engine would have taken me from Ngatira to Mamaku and back to Putaruru. It was about 7.55 when we left Ngatira. I looked at the watch there. We were going very slowly up the hill The line was greasy that night and we applied sand. After we had gone about three miles up the hill from Ngatira my engine went off her beat. I gave a pop of the whistle to Taylor to stop and he did no. I got down on. to the track. Taylor came along to me, and said " What s wrong?" or words to that effect. I replied that I did not know. I asked him if he heard her going off the beat. At this time the train was being held by the Westinghouse brake. I heard it being put on It was a distinct sound. I saw the reduction on my gauge. It was between 15 lb and 20 lb —a little over 15 lb. I could not say how far along that brake affected the tram. My fireman secured the tender-brake on. It is the usual thing for the tender hand-brake to be always applied I gave the fireman no instructions before I got out. I asked Taylor if he had