First Prize Essay

(By P. J. Raleigh, Guard, Greymouth.)

After a century of railway working all over the world, and despite the fact that we have almost said the last word in safety, both in protecting the millions who travel by train and the employees who work them, accidents still happen and sometimes with disastrous results. It is with a view to minimising them, so far as our own railways are concerned, that I would give a little sound advice to the younger members of the service, and I include all Departments, viz., Locomotive, Traffic and Maintenance.

From experience gained in the course of nearly twenty-five years in the Traffic Branch, I have come to the conclusion that it is the younger men of the service who really need advice on the question of safety.

There is an old saying “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Take the locomotive Department first. If a knoek develops on an engine, the good old saying, “take no risk,” is at once apparent—you may come in contact with a bridge or other obstacle. Play safe, stop, and then look round for anything loose about the engine. The same remarks apply to the fireman. If he has to trim coal there is always the danger of striking an overhead bridge or telegraph wires crossing the line. Keep well down towards the front of the tender when engaged in this work. When an engine is slipping badly, and the sand pipes are blocked, great care requires to be exercised; if tapping pipes with hammer or other tools you are dangerously close to the motion, and a shattered arm is the result if you come into contact with same. Again I say, play safe, stop and adjust matters.

To my mind one of the most dangerous undertakings on our railways is performed by an employee who is called upon to run over any portion of the track with a velocipede or trolley. Here it is a question of being absolutely sure of your whereabouts and the time the train is due to pass, to say nothing of special trains. No chance must be taken here—it is all too perilous. Be certain your watch is correct time and that you have advice of specials running. Don't foolishly go ahead although you may be a little late, especially where curves or tunnels intervene. It is usually at curves where the long list of fatalities is added to. Again I say, “Don't risk it for the sake of a few minutes. It's not safe. Your life is worth more than a few minutes.”

A train speeding into the station at a fairly high rate of speed seems to have a fascination, and sometimes a fatal one, for the young and more athletic members of the staff, who, to save a walk of a few hundred yards, will deliberately risk their life by attempting to jump on the engine, wagons, or footboards of cars. They sometimes miss and—you know the result. This dangerous practice has unfortunately taken a heavy toll of members in the past. Think twice when you see a train running into the station and don't endanger your life in this way.

Sometimes work about the yard, such as cleaning points, etc., entails a member being engaged in close proximity to the rails. Always make it a practice to work at the side of the rails. You can do this work equally as well as by taking up a position in the centre of the track, and don't forget to keep a good lookout both in front and rear. Always keep in mind a rake of trucks or engine may come along.

When working in their repair siding or when circumstances arise where it is necessary to go under a car or wagon for any purpose, train examiners would be well advised to place (in addition to the discs put up to block the road) one or two detonators on the track a little distance from where their work is. Always remember, no shunter has an infallible memory. Protect yourself; it makes you doubly safe.

To all members I say never get into the bad habit of walking between buffers of wagons or cars at short distances apart. I think it is the worst fault any employee can have levelled against him. Far better to climb through wagons, if stationary, or walk around. You take a grave risk otherwise.

Never leave anything lying about between the paths where shunters have to run. There is a grave risk of serious accident to some member if you do. Gather up all tarpaulins and stanchions and put them clear.

To the younger members, providing they have had a little training and experience of shunting —and it is the practice now to bring them along gradually in the work—all I say is: keep cool and collected at all times. An excitable man in a shunting yard, be he stationmaster, foreman or shunter, is a menace to everyone working in conjunction with him. There is an old saying, “Shunters are born, not made.” This is true to a degree, but there is nothing to prevent the page 13 novice or timid youth from becoming expert if he will just keep cool and collected. No matter how thick the work is, don't rush about blindly. You get nothing done that way. If in doubt, stop all movements and think for a few seconds.

Both by day and night give all your signals clearly and distinctly. Keep the driver well in view.

Take a good hold when riding on wagons and always be prepared for a sudden stop. The reason for this is obvious in a shunting yard.

If a hook jams against a buffer, watch your hands and on no account attempt to meddle with it or a shattered hand may result. Play safe, stop and right matters.

Always be careful when cutting off loaded “Ub” wagons, as there is a lot of play between buffers on this class of wagon and a crushed thigh might result if rounding a curve at the time of kicking off.

No doubt a lot more could be written about working on railways, but 1,000 words is the limit. The whole position summed up is: Keep cool and don't attempt anything rash whilst moving vehicles. Always be sure to pin brakes down on wagons left in a siding. Watch the older hands going about among vehicles, coupling up and cutting off. They take no risks, why should you?

Again to the younger members I would say, “Read the little book, ‘Shunting Risks,’ and heed them, together with the few remarks I have added about safety generally, and I feel sure you will go through your railway career safely.”