Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter

Johnny's Pages
Old S.A.R. Shunter's Memories

Pics last added: 12 January, 2013

DERAILMENTS & BINGLES

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BALHANNAH DERAILMENT

March 1967

The Station Master at Balhannah was ordered to split the points at the Mt Barker Junction end of the Balhannah station. The Melbourne Express was approaching from Adelaide, and with news the that driver of loco 953 was failing to heed signals, the train was then deliberately derailed. Reason for driver failing to heed signals on an uphill run is unknown.

These Balhannah pics are were taken from Junction Road.
About 500 metres from Balhannah station on the Mt Barker Junction side.

(Pics by Mick Bellman)

Balhannah,

Balhannah pics are taken from Junction Road, about 500 metres from Balhannah station on the MT Barker .

Balhannah,

NAIRNE - PETWOOD DERAILMENT
24th August 1963
(Read newpaper clipping)

(Pics by Mick Bellman)

Petwood.

Petwood

Petwood.

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BLUE BIRD HITS LOG TRUCK

Bluebird hit log truck just out of Mt Gambier 1982

No one was seriously hurt fortunately.
Driver saw log truck not slowing and raced back through guard's compartment and warned passengers to hang on.

Bluebird hits Log truck 1982.

Mo Parry driver facing camera was okay.

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VICY TRAIN DERAILS HITTING COWS
Glenburnie

(pics by Brian Murdock)

Vic engines derail on Princess Highway. 1978.

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LOCAL MOUNT GAMBIER YARD DERAILMENTS

Mt Gambier yard, split points. July 1987.
Loaded with Dolomite.


One of two loaded Dolomite wagons spit the points on an outward evening Melbourne Victorian jet.

Split points in Mt Gambier yard 1980's
These were all empties.

Fireman Graham Carr saying, now that's not where these wagons should be. Sept 1983.

Mount Gambier old yard (Charlicks dead end) late 1970's

Opps got shoved too far.

Victorian engine bogie jumps interlocked points between two Mt Gambier shunt yards early 1970's


It turned out the the engine's pivot point on bogie was faulty.

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NIGHT VICTORIAN JET HITS STOCK TRUCK

Victorian jet hits a cattle semi on Xing and this was result near State Saw Mill, 30th June 1977.
No one was killed only fireman was hurt.
Semi driver and his young daughter escaped with only a shaking.

Middle picture your looking in direction of Heywood the direction the train was originally travelling.

Cement hopper and guards brake behind engine went over top of engine. Note: reason for empty guards brake behind engine, was that Victorian jet trains into and out of Mt Gambier had guards brakes both ends of train because no loop at Heywood towards Hamilton to save shunting time reversing wagons to put GB on the rear.

To see more pictures of this accident
Click HERE

Over $1,000,000 damaged all cattle were shot.
Fireman spent night in hospital as engine filled with dirt when engine was sliding on its side.
Engineman had to clear away earth from Fireman's mouth to breath.

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NEW STANDARD GAUGE TRACK DERAILMENT

January 1970 4 klms north of Jamestown at 4am.
This what happens when track speed raised bit too soon after the new SG track was laid.

Train parted account broken wheel casting some four wagons from behind the twin 600 class engines.

When all the loaded ore wagons were counted, one loaded ore wagon was unaccounted for. When the wreckage was finally cleared away that one loaded wagon minus all its bogies was found buried in the track bed nearly at track level under the main wagon wreckage pile. Such was the forces at play in that derailment. One bogie assembly was found way out in centre of the main Jamestown - Orroroo road. This happened in darkness at 4am. Fortunately no motorists hit the bogie on the roadway and just drove around it. The track was totally wiped clear of any rail and sleepers for near ½ mile.

I asked driver how this came about as bit unusual. He said when the air went and as it was dark and could not see behind his engines, he immediately opened the twin 600 engine's up to full throttle. Reason for doing this was in case the train had only parted company (maybe broken coupler as that does happen) and the rear portion might then career into the front portion, if the front portion of train was stopped too soon. Apparently the power of the twin 600 engines managed to pump enough air to keep the engines brakes from going into total emergency after where the train actually parted. All this was due to an actual wheel casting gave way causing the steel tyre to come off (of all things) this then caused the whole bogie to totally come off that wagon and dropped the loaded ore wagon onto the track itself.

Apparently with the parting rear portion the leading derailed SO ore wagon at the same time, also had lost its bogies as well, causing this wagon to literally plow and be force into the track bed nearly completely burying it to track level. This wagon was the unaccounted SO that was missing in the consist. Then the rest of the loaded SO ore wagons behind it shot over the top and had their bogies sheared off and left in a big pile. The loaded ore wagons now having no bogies under them went shooting off everywhere.

The driver by opening the engines up to full throttle, this dragged the fourth ore wagon with no bogie under it behind the engines, as the wagon started to slewed from side to side still coupled to other wagons and the engines. Three wagons behind engines eventually lost their bogies as well, but they did not uncouple as they all then literally wiped all the rails and sleepers from off the track to only ballast left. The engines finally came to a sudden holt trying to drag 3 loaded ore wagons with no bogies under them. Actually the 600's did a good job to pull it all that far. The wagon next to engines was the only one that was not derailed. Was really weird thing to see. As you can see in the above pictures showing just the ballast only remained the track and it was like that for about ½ mile down the track to where engines stopped towards Jamestown. Fortunately no one was hurt not even the Guard on the rear of the train in his van.

Taken atop of 830 on the rear wagon of derailment which was bought from Peterborough after the rear train portion
with GB was pulled back into Peterborough. Picture far right: You can see the front portion and engine in the far
distance. The fellow walking along side of a derailed wagon was Gordon (gonga) Wright a Guard checking numbers.


Deviation now built around derailment with 605 and an 830 with Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney.

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JAMESTOWN DERAILMENT

Jamestown on Narrow Gauge Caltowie end of Jamestown yard 1969.

Note: This derailment was during last of the Bayer Garratt days

Garratt from next the down train freight now shunting from rear to remove few empty large wagons and the loaded ballast hoppers.

This is what happens when driver of the Garratt uses engine brake and not train brake going downhill during a shunt movement. The loaded ballast hoppers pushed against the empty large Pyrite wagons going downhill and the empty "Y" 4 wheel trucks rose up into the air and tipped over on side. Once the "Y's" went over, this broke the air hoses and the train brakes came on otherwise this would have been much bigger mess.

Pic at left one can see the Standard Gauge was being built and laid.





Pic at left: Behind the empty string of wagons is the GB with the Garratt still there.
Also note, you can see the two old railway dams have been totally filled in
for the then new SG track to traverse over them.

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