Rimutaka Incline railway accident

The railway accident at Rimutaka occurred on September 11, 1880 on the railway line at Wellington Wairarapa Upper Hutt in New Zealand. It was caused by crosswinds, the car took to derail. Four dead were the result. It is the oldest known railroad accident that was caused by wind.

Requirements

The railway led to the accident site by extremely difficult terrain. The track itself had here on a 4.8 km long slope of 67 per thousand, which could be here, mastered only by a special technique, the system fur. It ran along a ridge and trains were under certain circumstances extreme crosswinds exposed.

The Unfallzug the New Zealand Railways was from Greytown to Wellington on the go. It consisted of a fur - locomotive, which was set in the middle of the train, which pushed two coaches and the luggage cart in front of them and two more laden with timber freight wagons and a brake van for the system moved fur.

Circumstances of the accident

In the slope of the three cars were pushed to the front of the train by strong gusts of wind to the side, derailed and fell down a slope. Here, the construction of the first car broke away from his frame, plunged into the valley and was smashed. Here the dead were to be deplored. The frame and the following two cars did not fall down, because the clutch held - as well as the brackets are the fur - locomotive to the center rail. The weight of the locomotive prevented so that the entire train could crash. The brakeman of the last current brake carriage separated it from the train and let this roll downhill to get help. All dead passengers ( three died during the accident, an injured later succumbed to his injuries ) were children.

Accident investigation

The investigation of the accident came to the conclusion that there had been a natural event and not at fault vorliege, but recommended to shield vulnerable parts of the track by a windbreak. The came to the New Zealand Railways. In addition, trains were now getting promoted to the section in strong winds by two locomotives.

Worth knowing

On the route again in 1936, a similar accident, was pressed as a railcar by a squall just before the start of a windbreak from the rails occurred. Eight people were injured. 1937, the dangerous road section has been replaced by a base tunnel under the Rimutaka Range.