1974 Z2 & a ZA taken VERY early the following morning

mid 1974. ( can't remember, think it was March or May.) The outer rail spread under the weight of train 252 letting both Z2 and an unknown ZA (I think it was 1) find more sand than usual under the wheels. The log trucks didn't follow very well....

252 Derails at Sulphur Ck- What the people on the Bass Highway saw on their way home from work.

Derailed log trucks. Following morning a close up of the over turned log trucks

X18 in Emu River. I still remember that Saturday afternoon.I was at home at Ulverstone, the phone rang, Loco Foreman Timmy Roberts was quite upset. The leading loco "X 18" on the Tasman Ltd. was on it's side in the Emu River at Wivenhoe. On my bike and go to Sth Burnie NOW!!! The trailing X had been put on at Heybridge otherwise with only one loco coupled to the leading ASC(or were they ACS?) it could have been a lot worse. It was high tide when the a Mayne Nickless Mercedes semi collided at that dangerous blind road crossing. The main pipe-line from the oil refinery to the Burnie wharf was also broken spewing oil over the derailed loco and into the river. To make matters worse the solenoid cut out on the engine failed to do it's job and the E.E. had to be shut down by the crew who luckily were no too seriously hurt. Early Sunday morning at low tide a crane began the recovery operation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

These are a few more old photos I have taken at derailment scenes. One train conveniently? derailed right next to home early one morning, giving me a hell of a fright.

This picture was taken looking west at about the 194k mark. Logs rolled onto the road and the beach.

This picture was taken from near the driveway to my house. Note the railway fence, now long gone. This accident would have occured in the early 1980s I think, but I am open to correction. Note that the van is probably air braked.

X4 was one of 2 X class locos that derailed here at approx 205k, just on the Wynyard (east ) side of Flowerdale. This would have occured about 1976 -80, and happened after heavy rain weakened the track. A line was laid around the site, and the engines recovered later.

X4 has been preserved and is now in use at the Don River Railway.

Another log train off the rails, this time near Boat Harbour Siding at approx 209K

The Boat Harbour siding ( or what was left of it) was used to store X18 and the van etc during rerailing operations. X18 would have been sent up from Wiltshire Junction from where it would have been running trains on the Smithton - Stanley line. Date would have been about 1984.

March 17 1989 these two engines left the track near Black River while hauling empty log wagons.

ZC 19 was completely off the track, while only the leading axle of 22 was off.

ZC19 is still serviceable and is being used on the NE line, now numbered 2144.

The cause of the accident...

|back to home page| back to map index page | Back to more pics by John Robertson|