> Dazz wrote:
>
> > David i need to know times and circumstances for the accident and also some
> > trivial information about this
>
> Here goes...
>
> On Tuesday, 18th January, 1977, passenger train No. 108, operated by the Public
> Transport Commission of New South Wales (PTC) departed Mt Victoria, in the
> mountains 126 km west of Sydney, as scheduled at 6.09 a.m. being due to arrive
> in Sydney at 8.32 a.m.
>
> The train comprised eight carriages hauled by an electric locomotive, No. 4620.
>
> Prior to departure from Mt Victoria the train crew carried out the required
> inspection procedures and found everything in order.
>
> The journey down the mountains to Parramatta was without untoward incident, the
> train operating in a normal manner as it received and set down passengers at
> intermediate stations. The train departed Parramatta at 8.10 a.m., three
> minutes late, having being delayed by signals at Blacktown, with at least 469
> passengers.
>
> The normal schedule for this service provided for a non-stop run from Parramatta
> to Strathfield and signals were cleared at Granville, 2 km east of Parramatta,
> for a run through Granville Station on the up main western line, the normal
> route for a movement of this kind.
>
> Soon after leaving Parramatta the speed of the train accelerated to 80 kph, the
> authorized maximum speed for this section. Being aware of a 20 kph temporary
> speed restriction because of track work being performed at Clyde, east of
> Granville, the driver shut off power and was reducing speed just prior to
> reaching Granville.
>
> As the train was moving around a left hand curve travelling east and about 150
> feet west of an overbridge known as the Bold Street bridge the locomotive,
> travelling at a speed of 78 kph (2 kph under the speed limit), became derailed
> and in turn caused the derailment of the leading and second carriages.
>
> Still attached to the derailed carriage 1, the locomotive proceeded in an
> uncontrolled and uncontrollable condition when it collided with one of two sets
> of trestles (No. 2) supporting the upper decking of the Bold Street Bridge. It
> careered on from there, demolishing all eight steel stanchions of that trestle
> and finally came to rest on its right side 220 feet east of the bridge, having
> torn up up the adjoining track. In doing so, it probably struck the foundation
> and lower portion of a steel electric power line mast, shearing it off at the
> base.
>
> In the meantime, carriage 1, having been dragged behind the locomotive, collided
> with the power mast already referred to which was apparently suspend from the
> overhead power lines. This mast ploughed through the carriage, demolishing the
> superstructure, and the carriage finally came to rest partly on its side, with
> the detached roof on the adjacent tracks and the walls demolished almost to
> floor level. Of the 73 passengers in this carriage, 8 lost their lives and 34
> were injured.
>
> The driver and fireman in the locomotive, although badly shaken, were not
> seriously injured.
>
> With the locomotive and carriage 1 diverging from their correct course after
> having derailed, the coupling between carriages 1 and 2 probably parted and,
> although derailed itself for a short distance, carriage 2 proceeded generally
> along its correct path. It passed to the north, or left hand side of carriage
> 1, tilted to its left and came to a halt hard up against the retaining wall of
> the northern abutment, clear of the bridge on the eastern side. Although there
> were injuries to some passengers and all had been severely shaken by the
> incident, none of the 64 passengers in this carriage were seriously hurt.
>
> The balance of the train remained on the rails and came to a stand with the
> leading end of carriage 3 and the rear end of carriage 4 clear of the bridge,
> and the rear and leading ends of carriages 3 and 4 respectively under the
> bridge. Although the passengers in these cars had been affected by being
> suddenly jolted to a halt there was no evidence of significant injuries when the
> carriages came to a stop.
>
> Unfortunately, however, demolition of the trestle of stanchions supporting the
> deck of the bridge created a situation which the structure as it remained could
> not support. After a few seconds the joint in the deck beams near the position
> of trestle No. 2 gave way and, having no support, began to sag. As this took
> place, the ends of the steel beams carrying the road surface of the bridge were
> drawn off their seatings on the northern abutment and, once they had been
> dragged clear, the northern span crashed onto those portions of carriages 3 and
> 4 beneath it. The northern end of the centre span remained connected to the
> northern span and it too fell to the ground. The other end of the central span
> continued to be supported on trestle No. 1 to the south and this remained
> standing, although the stanchions were pulled forward by the mechanism of the
> collapse and assumed a final position with their tops tilted towards the north.
> The southern span remained in the air, but in a most precarious position. The
> northward distortion of the top of the stanchions of trestle No. 1 had drawn the
> whole span in that direction, to the extent that the southern end of the beams
> almost came off their seatings on the southern abutment.
>
> The calculated weight of the northern span of the bridge was approximately 250
> tonnes and that of the central span approximately 320 tonnes. The effect of
> this mass of steel and concrete falling onto portions of carriages 3 and 4 was
> devastating. The roofs of the carriages were crushed in, the sides were burst
> outwards and the height of the carriages from floor level reduced, in some
> cases, to inches. The result was catastrophic. Of the 77 passengers in
> carriage 3, 44 lost their lives, and of the 64 passengers in carriage 4, 31
> suffered the same fate. In all, 83 passengers were killed or died of injuries
> and 213 were injured, 31 of these being admitted to hospital.
>
> There were several motor vehicles on the bridge at the time of collapse and,
> although four of these fell or descended in one way or another with the bridge,
> no person in them was injured.
>
> In the seconds after the derailment and before the bridge collapsed alert
> signalmen in the signal box west of the bridge had switched some 13 signals into
> the "stop" position and had sounded the alarm, thus setting in motion with
> remarkable rapidity a rescue operation of extraordinary size and complexity.
>
> The recovery of those injured in carriages 3 and 4 under the huge slab of
> concrete resting on those vehicles became the urgent aim of the rescue teams.
> Police units, particularly the Police Rescue Squad, the Fire Brigade, Ambulance
> services, emergency medical teams from nearby hospitals, railway workers, and
> other voluntary workers all worked at this task. However, it being obvious that
> there was no way of lifting the slab, the job of cutting it up into removable
> pieces became the responsibility of the Department of Main Roads personnel using
> jackhammers. These men, aided by the expert drivers of huge cranes operating
> from the northern side of the bridge, worked continuously for 22 hours, often
> under the spray of hoses as there was a danger of igniting escaping low pressure
> gas from cylinders in the carriages, part of the train heating system.
>
> Throughout the rescue operation there was a real danger that the rest of the
> bridge would collapse on to the track and those working there. The bridge had
> partly moved from its position at the southern abutment, while the centre
> portion of it was at risk of moving in a lateral direction. Further movement
> seemed decidedly likely. Steps were taken to remove the remaining part of the
> bridge and these were successfully performed. Meanwhile those involved in the
> attempts to remove injured passengers continued to work despite the possibility
> of further collapse.
>
> The last injured passenger was removed about ten hours after the accident. He,
> unfortunately, did not survive. It was not until 3.20 p.m. the following day
> that the last body was removed from the wreckage.
>
> Extract from the Report on the formal investigation.
>
> Any further questions?
>
> --
> David Johnson
> CityRail Guard
> trainman@ozemail.com.au
> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
The only thing you forgot to tell us was the names of the driver, fireman and
guard. Also tell us the number of the dicky points.
Bob