Re: Granville train disaster 1977

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

john <jellison@odyssey.apana.org.au> wrote in article
<01bd4628$20e5a900$LocalHost@p120>...
> My apologies  for  not  replying  earlier, many thanks to those who
> supplied
> info re my enquiry about D57/58 locos,your replies much appreciated.
> Can anyone advise me as to what caused the loco to derail,which resulted
in
> the 
> Granville disaster in 1977?
> john
You could say that the track wasn't in very good condition.  Immediately
prior to Granville occurring, coal trains were falling off the lines with
monotonous regularity.  I won't mention what brand of political party were
in power at the time, but suffice to say that after Granville a lot more
money was put into track maintenance. 
Reports at the time said that when the curved track leading to the bridge
was pulled up, many of the sleepers just disintegrated, they were well past
their use by date.

I also read a recent report that electric loco 4620 was a rough rider, and
needed attention to its bogies, though I only read this recently.  The
driver of 4620 was exonerated from all blame, unfortunately he suffered
much unjustified recrimination.
I lost a workmate in the crash, it was a very sad day for the NSW railways.

David Bennetts
Canberra  
>