15

D.—7

heard the engine going ofi the Heat arid hei said he' had. We examined the outside of the enginesboth sides. We got over the couplings, 'the engine was motionless then. We had torches. W<» could find nothing wrong outside, and I decided to crawl underneath and examine. I crawled 1 underneath with my torch and could find nothing wrong. While underneath I asked Taylor to f>ass< down the hand-hammer, and he did so, and I tested with it, but <5o«ld find nothing wrong. I came , out from underneath and told Taylor we had better cut off and move her slowly ahead. We both walked along to Taylor's engine. Before doing so I told my fireman to put the lever in the fore gear and give her a little steam to hold the train, because we were going to recharge. Taylor and I had spoken about this. Taylor got on to his engine and I stood on his step. Taylor, I think, first released his brake —the Westinghouse. I could not say whether his tender-brake was on or not. He recharged the train with air. He then made a reduction of about 30lt>. or a little over. He shut off his steam, got down off his engine, and walked back to my engine. I told my fireman to shut off steam —my tender-brake was still on. At this time I stood alongside ray own* engine. Taylor went to the couplings between my engine and the van ; that would be five or six yards from me. I heard him sing out to his fireman to " Ease up." I then walked along to where Taylor was. The fireman had eased up, and Taylor had just lifted the hook and then got into* the first van-door next my engine and put on the hand-brake as an extra precaution, as we were leaving the train, and Taylor went back and dropped some wagon-brakes. I did not see him do this, but he told me when he came back that he had dropped three. The engines were then disconnected from the train. Before that neither of us gave the guard any signal as to what was being done, and they would be in ignorance of what was being done by us. I have never been in the same circumstances before. I was supplied with the Appendix, but lost it a year or eighteen months ago. I did not apply for another copy. My books had been examined twice, and I was twice told that they could not supply another copy. I considered Taylor and I were jointly responsible at the head of the train. After we cut off, the guard could not communicate with us by whistle or any other way except lights. I cannot say that I know any rules in the Appendix, It is so long since I had the book that I have forgotten them. I never knew the Appendix rules very well. I knew the rules and regulations. Rule on page 6of Appendix was not in my mmd 1 , that night, and I did not recognise that that was my duty under those circumstances. I do not' dispute that regulation is still in force, but I think it was meant for before the Westinghouse brake , was introduced more so than for the present time. If I had remembered the existence of that rule that night I would have complied with it—that is, I would have given three short whistles beforv I uncoupled—to warn the guard and give him an opportunity of protecting his train at his end. I see now that that is very important on a grade like that. I did not see what Taylor did when he uncoupled. He must have closed the cocks or I would have heard the air coming out. I heard the usual report made by the hose when uncoupled. We each called out to our firemen to move slowly ahead. Between the uncoupling and the time the engines moved ahead would be three minutes fully. During that time I noticed the train and it was perfectly motionless. I watched it to see that it was secure, and I saw no movement whatever. Then I turned my attention to my engine. They went ahead four or five yards. I was walking with Taylor on right-hand side of my engine, and we were watching it as it moved along. I gave a glance at my eccentrics, and I glanced back at the train casually. I had no anxiety about the safety of the train. The train was still standing. Perhaps five minutes had elapsed since the uncoupling. We went ahead then for about 70 yards slowly, Taylor and I walking alongside. Taylor had told his fireman to shut off while my engine was going under steam. We stopped when about 70 yards away and could find nothing wrong, and were going to return to the train. I looked round and found the train was moving away. I could see that by the van-light, and there were lights in the carriages. I should judge the train was then 150 to 200 yards away. It must have been going at a good speed. I was the first to see this. I sang out to Taylor " The train's started," or something like that. I was alongside Taylor then. We both got into our engines and started after the train without any consultation. The two engines were coupled up but that did not hamper us. W x c steamed down the grade taking our brakes off. We got pace on quickly intending to catch up and hook on. I crawled out to the cowcatcher on my tender and was prepared with the hook in case we caught up. At that time Taylor was regulating the speed. He must have seen me with a torch going to the cowcatcher. I saw the train ahead. It was gaining on us and got further away. We chased it but Ido not know for what distance. The train disappeared. As far as I could judge we must have chased it for about two miles. I came back from the cowcatcher to my cab. I suppose Taylor had shut off steam and gave up. We did not consult together. We never spoke together until we got to Ngatira, and we were there stopped by a platelayer who told us he had heard a crash. We did not fear anything as to ourselves until we got to Ngatira. After that when we were told of the crash we went along carefully and came up with the wreckage. I should say it would be 8.40 or 8.45 when we uncoupled. I did not examine wreckage that night. T had a casual look on Monday, and saw nothing of any value as an indication as to cause of accident. I gave evidence before the Coroner (pages 45 to 75, inclusive). It was correct to the best of my belief. Prendergast: I did not discover the cause of my engine going off its beat. I reported the matter to the Running-shed Foreman (Exhibit No. 12). I have no idea now on which side of the engine the trouble was. I have an idea what the cause of the trouble was, because the engine has broken down since. I have seen the engine since she broke down. The cause was the valve-yoke breaking. That produced is the identical yoke so far as I know. It is not a fact that if that were broken the engine would necessarily be unworkable. It could not work if the yoke were in its present state. The engine would not necessarily break down completely and suddenly if that were the cause of going off its beat. I worked the engine on the Monday following the accident at very light work, not its usual work. She worked satisfactorily—nothing whatever appeared to be