Re: Kalgoorlie Blaze

["Derick Wuen" <cullend@webone.com.au>]

Donald R Smith wrote in message <7kssrh$6rk$1@news.iinet.net.au>...
>"Flames from the burning oil leapt to a height of over 30 feet and sent
>dense black clouds of smoke across Kalgoorlie at 2.45pm today when an
>oil-burning engine which was to have taken the Westland Express out caught
>fire as it was being prepared at the loco sheds.  The engine,carrying a
>capacity load of fuel estimated at 2500 gallons was standing over an ash
pit
>outside the sheds and alongside the coal staging when the blaze broke out.
>When the heat caused the tender to leak, burning fuel flooded the full
>length of the pit and engulfed the engine in flames.
>It was the most spectacular fire seen for a long while on the Goldfields
and
>attracted a crowd of over 2,000 to watch the firemen at work.  The flames
>began to subside rapidly about 5p.m.  The firemen with a full pressure of
>water available,could not use it to quell the burning oil.  They were
forced
>to stand by and allow the blaze to burn itself out and to use sand to
>prevent the fire from reaching the loco sheds and coal staging.  In this
>task they were assisted by railway employees and members of volunteer
>brigades.
>No estimate could be made of the damage at the time.  Prompt work in
>servicing another engine resulted in the express leaving at 5.40.p.m., only
>ten minutes behind schedule."
>Kalgoorlie Miner - Aug 1st, 1949
>--
>Donald R Smith
>drsmith@iinet.net.au
>http://www.iinet.net.au/~drsmith/drsmith.html
>
Thought there was a similar happenstance with a U (?) class in the 1960's
closer to Perth. I dimly recall outrage felt by increasingly steam-starved
Eastern Staters that WA train crews could be so lax as to wipe out one of
the few. But did not quite rank up there with the conspiracy theories
surrounding the great big 38 class derailment at Tuggerah.