Menu
ALBUM - Wallsend Train Crash and old newspaper cutting.
Expand/collapse
About this image
DescriptionI found these at the dump in a old wardrobe
The newspaper is all there and the train crash is at Wallsend
I framed them bothMap[1] ContributorMarie Summers
The newspaper is all there and the train crash is at Wallsend
I framed them bothMap[1] ContributorMarie Summers
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)WallsendEventWallsend Train Crash.
Category Information
Category Tagnewspaper
From Facebook
Date Created20th December 2023CommentsRichard Butcher
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Rob Lunn
I think that both the locomotives were written off we as kids used to play on the south bound one that was pushed over the edge just a little down stream from the crash I believe it was recovered later on and perhaps preserved???
Russell Postlewaight
Rob Lunn Ab808 and B302. 808 was repaired and end for a few years after that, but you're right about 302. It was left standing at the site for a while before being doomed at Omoto.
Rob Lunn
Russell Postlewaight very interesting Russell like as a kid I was just amazed by the size of the thing right up in the flesh the steam engines were still working outside my Dobson home but to actually get amongst the old beast was really something else
Dennis Thompson
Wow that's crazy
Carla Kissane
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newsp.../CHP19601112.2.127
Papers Past | Newspapers | Press | 12 November 1960 | TRAINS COLLIDE ON WEST COAST
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Papers Past | Newspapers | Press | 12 November 1960 | TRAINS COLLIDE ON WEST COAST
Vern Pattinson
Dad drove us up to see that train smash remember it well cabages and other vegetables scattered
Mary Moffitt
Vern Pattinson You could tell the time in the early morning by the ‘Perishable’ because fresh vegetables arrived on the Coast from Canterbury first thing. It was considered a fast train, because it did not stop often through the night so that the verges were fresh and early enough for the shops.
Vern Pattinson
Mary Moffitt you would like be able to here it from your place Mary
Brian Steele
Vern Pattinson I suppose there would have been scrambled eggs.......mashed potatoes .... mushy peas and not to forget sliced beans....... what a feast!!!!!!!!!!
Richard Butcher
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Paddy Wakefield
Mary Moffitt yes we were still using that panel at the station up until the late eighties
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Kerry Keating
Both engines were on a side line just along from the Taylorville bridge. I was told a few years later they were tipped over the side for anti erosion work.
Paul Agnes Smith
Kerry Keating Not quite correct. Ab 808 was repaired, B302 , I believe, was sold for scrap to aid another restoration
Kerry Keating
Cheers Paul.
Rob Lunn
I think that both the locomotives were written off we as kids used to play on the south bound one that was pushed over the edge just a little down stream from the crash I believe it was recovered later on and perhaps preserved???
Russell Postlewaight
Rob Lunn Ab808 and B302. 808 was repaired and end for a few years after that, but you're right about 302. It was left standing at the site for a while before being doomed at Omoto.
Rob Lunn
Russell Postlewaight very interesting Russell like as a kid I was just amazed by the size of the thing right up in the flesh the steam engines were still working outside my Dobson home but to actually get amongst the old beast was really something else
6d
Reply
Paul Agnes Smith
Russell Postlewaight Ab 808 was 'on shed' in my day. Fired her a few times.
Richard Butcher
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom It was CTC on that section.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher from the "Brick house" in Greymouth or more localised, like Stillwater?
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Paddy Wakefield
Mary Moffitt yes we were still using that panel at the station up until the late eighties
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Diane Ross Rarere
That would be right
Vern Pattinson
Dad drove us up to see that train smash remember it well cabages and other vegetables scattered
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Rob Lunn
I think that both the locomotives were written off we as kids used to play on the south bound one that was pushed over the edge just a little down stream from the crash I believe it was recovered later on and perhaps preserved???
Russell Postlewaight
Rob Lunn Ab808 and B302. 808 was repaired and end for a few years after that, but you're right about 302. It was left standing at the site for a while before being doomed at Omoto.
Rob Lunn
Russell Postlewaight very interesting Russell like as a kid I was just amazed by the size of the thing right up in the flesh the steam engines were still working outside my Dobson home but to actually get amongst the old beast was really something else
Dennis Thompson
Wow that's crazy
Carla Kissane
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newsp.../CHP19601112.2.127
Papers Past | Newspapers | Press | 12 November 1960 | TRAINS COLLIDE ON WEST COAST
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Papers Past | Newspapers | Press | 12 November 1960 | TRAINS COLLIDE ON WEST COAST
Vern Pattinson
Dad drove us up to see that train smash remember it well cabages and other vegetables scattered
Mary Moffitt
Vern Pattinson You could tell the time in the early morning by the ‘Perishable’ because fresh vegetables arrived on the Coast from Canterbury first thing. It was considered a fast train, because it did not stop often through the night so that the verges were fresh and early enough for the shops.
Vern Pattinson
Mary Moffitt you would like be able to here it from your place Mary
Brian Steele
Vern Pattinson I suppose there would have been scrambled eggs.......mashed potatoes .... mushy peas and not to forget sliced beans....... what a feast!!!!!!!!!!
Richard Butcher
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Paddy Wakefield
Mary Moffitt yes we were still using that panel at the station up until the late eighties
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Kerry Keating
Both engines were on a side line just along from the Taylorville bridge. I was told a few years later they were tipped over the side for anti erosion work.
Paul Agnes Smith
Kerry Keating Not quite correct. Ab 808 was repaired, B302 , I believe, was sold for scrap to aid another restoration
Kerry Keating
Cheers Paul.
Rob Lunn
I think that both the locomotives were written off we as kids used to play on the south bound one that was pushed over the edge just a little down stream from the crash I believe it was recovered later on and perhaps preserved???
Russell Postlewaight
Rob Lunn Ab808 and B302. 808 was repaired and end for a few years after that, but you're right about 302. It was left standing at the site for a while before being doomed at Omoto.
Rob Lunn
Russell Postlewaight very interesting Russell like as a kid I was just amazed by the size of the thing right up in the flesh the steam engines were still working outside my Dobson home but to actually get amongst the old beast was really something else
6d
Reply
Paul Agnes Smith
Russell Postlewaight Ab 808 was 'on shed' in my day. Fired her a few times.
Richard Butcher
That was a signal fault but they blamed one of the drivers and confined him to shed duties for 12 months as punishment. He was a very astute driver, and did not deserve this.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher did they have signals or tablets where this occurred?
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom Rob it was quite a busy line at the time so it was controlled by train control, points and signals.
Richard Butcher
Rob Absalom It was CTC on that section.
Rob Absalom
Richard Butcher from the "Brick house" in Greymouth or more localised, like Stillwater?
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butcher At Stillwater there was a huge type of screen showing the nearby tracks. Lights came on when a train passed a signal box. I am not sure if it was still used at the time of the crash. Fascinating to see though. It was about three metres wide and up above eyelevel.
Richard Butcher
Mary Moffitt Mary that from Kokiri / the yard at Stillwater/ and to Brunner.
Mary Moffitt
Richard Butler. Wondered about that. Thank you.
Edited
Paddy Wakefield
Mary Moffitt yes we were still using that panel at the station up until the late eighties
Anne McMillan Miller
Richard Butcher Thats sad
Diane Ross Rarere
That would be right
Vern Pattinson
Dad drove us up to see that train smash remember it well cabages and other vegetables scattered
Editing is temporarily disabled
Cancel Edit
Click on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
West Coast New Zealand History (27th Dec 2023). ALBUM - Wallsend Train Crash and old newspaper cutting.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 29th Mar 2026 18:04, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/33058