Re: 3801 Conspiracy Theories and Urban Myths (was: Indian Pacific hits freight train - Who's the Responsible)

["Bill McNiven" <wmcniven@gunzel.ozemail.com.au>]

David Langley wrote in message <37C78243.37EB56A6@ancc.com.au>...
>Russell Norton wrote:
>
>> Hopefully the idiot who put the handbrake on still has
>> nightmares about their big secret.
>
>I think this says it all. If this hadn't happened then the whole incident
and
>subsequent ramifications would have been nonexistent.
>
>David.


After wandering away from Zanthus (Coonara?) here are two issues in this
thread:
1    Why did the train stall?
2    Why did the signalling fail to protect the stalled train from a
following train?

On 2, I'm grateful for all the detail of sand and track circuits.

On 1, I'm not sure that it's an established fact that an "idiot put the
handbrake on".
I travelled up Cowan Bank behind 3801 on the day before the fatal collision.
3801 went close to stalling at what became the site of the collision a day
later.  Circumstances I noted were that the track was freshly resleepered
with concrete sleepers, and that the uniform 1 in 40 grade south of No. 3
Tunnel seemed to have acquired a few undulations during the
resleepering/ballasting.

My understanding on handbrakes was that a well-meaning but shocked volunteer
stated the speculation "someone must have put the handbrake on" but no
smoking handbrake was ever found.

I retired from the steam train business about two days later, so I didn't
follow the inquest evidence.

Can somebody tell me
1    Is the "idiot who put the handbrake on" an established fact or an urban
myth?
2    Was the possibility (i.e. my conspiracy theory) that tight track gauge
on a 12-chain curve or a grade steeper in parts than 1 in 40 contributed to
the train stalling?

Thanks in advance

Bill