Re: Salt Clay Rail Distaster nsw

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Les Brown)]

krel4203@netconnect.com.au (Krel ) wrote in aus.rail:

>The Salt Clay Creek Rail disaster occurred on January 25, 1885. A
>Melbourne to Sydney express ran into a washaway. James Camphore, a
>ganger, found the break and could not cross the washaway. He saw a
>resident (George Hawke) and shouted a message to warn the SM at
>Cootamundra (H. T. Giddy). Giddy found that he could not warn
>Bethungra as the telegraph line was down. 
>
>The express, driven by Mr. Smith, ran headlong into the 50 yard
>washaway. A Doctor and a Chemist wre despatched to the scene. several
>horsedrawn vehicles made their way through the virgin bush to the
>site. 
>
>Seven people were killed and over twenty injured.
>
>The locomotive was No. 81, a C79 class built by Beyer-Peacock in May
>1877. The loco was rebuilt in April 1887 and was renumbered 1302 in
>1924 (?). 1302 was retired in 1936 and scrapped on 123/12/1937 with 1
>627 686 km (about 1 000 000 miles) recorded.
>
>Cheers
>
Gee, that's pretty good Krel, I'm impressed!

I just thought I'd add my little bit here that 1302 was a member of
the 4-4-2T tank 13-class converted from the famous C79 or 12-class
4-4-0 between 1896-1902. My thanks to Leon Oberg.

Les Brown