Camp Mountain train disaster
Encyclopedia
The Camp Mountain rail accident occurred at approximately 9:48am on 5 May 1947 when a crowded picnic
train
derailed
on a sharp left-hand curve between Ferny Grove
and Camp Mountain
stations on the now-closed Dayboro
line, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Brisbane
, the state capital of Queensland
, Australia
.
The Camp Mountain train disaster is still the largest loss of life in a rail accident on the Queensland railway network with 16 fatalities, including both the driver
and fireman of the train; 38 were injured.
at Mayne Junction (north of Bowen Hills station
) to Enoggera
in 1899, to Ferny Grove
and Samford
in 1918, finally reaching Dayboro
on 27 September 1920.
By 1908, banana
growing in the Samford district had become one of the area's most important industries, and in 1926 and 1927, more bananas were sent from Samford railway station, just down from Camp Mountain, to Sydney
and Melbourne
than any other station in Queensland. This successful industry existed until the banana bunchy top virus
wiped out the crops in the early 1930s. Dairy farming and timber were other industries in the district and out to the end of the line at Dayboro, as well as the quarrying of granite
at Camp Mountain, used in the foundations of Brisbane City Hall
.
Traffic on the Dayboro line by 1947 was light, with three weekly mixed train
services, a daily railmotor service, and another on Thursdays and Saturdays. Most suburban passenger services from Brisbane
terminated at Mitchelton
, with the occasional through service to Ferny Grove.
and Excise Social Club, who were travelling to a picnic venue at Closeburn
to celebrate the Labour Day
public holiday
. The special train, service number E91, consisted of a 4-8-0
C17-class steam locomotive, No. 824, and six wooden suburban passenger carriages, Evans Cars numbered 740, 739, 742, 741, 743 and 744. It was one of a number of chartered trains to travel on the line on the day, conveying groups to numerous picnic locations in the scenic country area north-west of Brisbane.
The service departed from Roma Street railway station
at 8:50am, then Central railway station
in Brisbane at 8:59am. It was estimated that the train carried 215 passengers, most of them Customs employees and their families for a family day out consisting of a picnic lunch with dancing and games of cricket.
to enter the section of track to Samford, the train slowly climbed the Samford Range. Especially due to the hilly area, the speed limit on the Dayboro line at the time was 25 miles per hour (40.2 km/h) on straight sections of track, and 20 mph (32.2 km/h) through curves.
As the train descended Camp Mountain Knob, it suddenly picked up speed before the first curve, approximately 1.4 km (0.869921831309729 mi) after crossing the peak of the Samford Range. Carriages rocked dangerously, causing luggage to fall from overhead racks, lighting fixtures rattled, and women and children began screaming.
The locomotive left the rails on a left-hand curve with a radius of six chain
s (approximately 120 m (393.7 ft)) at an estimated speed of 40 mph (64.4 km/h). The locomotive tipped onto its right side and ploughed into an embankment, the coal tender
upended, and water tank set free. The first carriage struck the water tank squarely, with the three leading passenger carriages telescoped
into the wreckage; all of the front carriage and the two leading compartments of the second were destroyed, while the leading bogie
of the third carriage derailed.
The force of the accident was significant, causing the total length of the engine, coal tender, water tank and first three carriages to compress from 238 in 5 in (72.67 m), to 134 ft (40.8 m). Damage to the trailing three carriages was minimal.
The Guard of the train, Mr GE Evans, was sitting in the rear carriage, looking out of the left window. The force of the crash threw him into the corner of his compartment. He picked himself up after the train stopped, rushed to the top of the cutting beside the line as a vantage point to see what had happened, then returned to the carriage and applied the handbrake. He deemed that the time of the accident was 9:48am, after looking at his watch displaying 9:50am and allowing two minutes since the time of impact.
Evans took the first aid kit from the Guard's compartment and passed it to a passenger towards the front of the train. He then took the breakdown kit, rushed back 500 yd (457.2 m) along the line passed and set three detonator
s and red flags to warn and stop the expected following train.
The train's whistle sounded constantly after the accident, alerting locals of an incident having occurred. The first call to the headquarters of the Queensland Ambulance
Service Transport Brigades was received at 10:08am, and in 70 minutes 18 cars and 26 men were on the scene.
The Fireman of the train, Mr Angus Knight from Grange
, was killed instantly from being crushed by the wheels of the engine. The Driver, Mr Charles Hind, 50, of Woolloongabba
was alive, however pinned across the thighs and knees against the train's boiler in the cabin. Scalded with escaping steam, an ambulance officer gave Hind a syringe of the painkiller morphine
, which he injected into himself.
Driver Hind was only recently transferred to the Mayne Depot, had not driven trains on the line past Ferny Grove before, and was being tutored by Fireman Knight. A former employee of Queensland Government Railways who was on the following train, Mr Patrick Campbell, spoke to Hind when he was trapped. He asked what had happened, and Hind replied that he did not know the line he was driving on, and therefore would not have been entirely aware of the terrain and conditions.
The Driver died in hospital the next day.
Judge, Sir Alan Mansfield
, and attended by railway experts, several passengers and local witnesses. The inquiry found that the Driver had been rostered to drive a train on a line he had little knowledge of, and was driving the train with excessive speed.
In his findings, Judge Mansfield said:
The Driver was charged with having the foremost accountability for the excessive speed the train was travelling at, with shared blame directed to both the Fireman and Guard. The cost of compensation for the deaths and injuries from the accident was £
23,554.
After the construction of Samford Road over the Samford Range after World War II, traffic on the Dayboro line declined, with a general shift to road transportation. The Dayboro line was closed beyond Ferny Grove in 1955 and the line in the vicinity of the accident site was converted into a sealed rural road, McLean Road South.
The accident site is commemorated with a stone cairn and plaque on the northern side of McLean Road South, erected by the Pine Rivers council in 1988.
Locomotive No. 824 from the accident was repaired and placed back into service, working around South East Queensland
. In 1958 it was transferred to Toowoomba
, and withdrawn from service in May 1967, exactly 20 years after the disaster. At that point, as a donation to the Bungil Shire Council, it was towed to the South-Western Queensland town of Injune
, approximately 700 km (435 mi) north-west of Brisbane, at the end of a branch line from Roma that had recently closed on 1 January 1967. It sits behind the town's ambulance station and a high fence, and is listed in a town map as an "historical steam train".
The locomotive has incorrect numbers and builder's plates, as they were purchased by a railway enthusiast
when it was withdrawn from service.
At 10:00am on 8 May 1947, memorial services were held at The Cathedral of St Stephen and St John's Cathedral
in Brisbane
. Seven victims of the disaster rest in five Brisbane cemeteries.
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
derailed
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
on a sharp left-hand curve between Ferny Grove
Ferny Grove railway station, Brisbane
Ferny Grove Station is a railway station on the Ferny Grove Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network. It is the terminus for the Ferny Grove Line.It is in Zone 3 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
and Camp Mountain
Camp Mountain, Queensland
Camp Mountain is a rural locality northwest of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, near Samford. It is 20 km north-west of the Brisbane central business district...
stations on the now-closed Dayboro
Dayboro, Queensland
Dayboro is a town in the Moreton Bay Region, approximately 46 km north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.To the north of Dayboro lies the D'Aguilar Range and the mountain township of Mount Mee. Other nearby towns include Petrie and Samford. The land surrounding...
line, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the state capital of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Camp Mountain train disaster is still the largest loss of life in a rail accident on the Queensland railway network with 16 fatalities, including both the driver
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
and fireman of the train; 38 were injured.
History and background
A branch line was opened from the North Coast railway lineNorth Coast railway line, Queensland
The North Coast railway line is a narrow gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It runs from Brisbane, along the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton...
at Mayne Junction (north of Bowen Hills station
Bowen Hills railway station, Brisbane
Bowen Hills railway station is a railway station in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network, located in Zone 1 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
) to Enoggera
Enoggera railway station, Brisbane
Enoggera Station is a railway station on the Ferny Grove Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.It is in Zone 2 of the TransLink integrated public transport system.-Services by platform:-External links:***...
in 1899, to Ferny Grove
Ferny Grove railway station, Brisbane
Ferny Grove Station is a railway station on the Ferny Grove Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network. It is the terminus for the Ferny Grove Line.It is in Zone 3 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
and Samford
Samford, Queensland
Samford is a valley community located in South East Queensland, Australia. It is roughly 21 km north west of Brisbane. The hilly area was first settled in the mid 1850s. The community is well catered for, with a number of sporting facilities, parks and museums.-Location:Samford is one of the...
in 1918, finally reaching Dayboro
Dayboro, Queensland
Dayboro is a town in the Moreton Bay Region, approximately 46 km north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.To the north of Dayboro lies the D'Aguilar Range and the mountain township of Mount Mee. Other nearby towns include Petrie and Samford. The land surrounding...
on 27 September 1920.
By 1908, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
growing in the Samford district had become one of the area's most important industries, and in 1926 and 1927, more bananas were sent from Samford railway station, just down from Camp Mountain, to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
than any other station in Queensland. This successful industry existed until the banana bunchy top virus
Banana bunchy top virus
Banana bunchy top virus is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Nanoviridae.-Information:In 2004 Hawaii rediscovered Banana Bunchy top virus in residential areas close to major commercial plantations. It was first discovered in Hawaii in 1989...
wiped out the crops in the early 1930s. Dairy farming and timber were other industries in the district and out to the end of the line at Dayboro, as well as the quarrying of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
at Camp Mountain, used in the foundations of Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street...
.
Traffic on the Dayboro line by 1947 was light, with three weekly mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
services, a daily railmotor service, and another on Thursdays and Saturdays. Most suburban passenger services from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
terminated at Mitchelton
Mitchelton railway station, Brisbane
Mitchelton Station is a railway station on the Ferny Grove Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.It is in Zone 3 of the TransLink integrated public transport system.-Services by platform:-See also:...
, with the occasional through service to Ferny Grove.
Picnic excursion
The train was chartered by the social and recreation club for employees of the CustomsAustralian Customs Service
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is the Australian Federal Government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border, facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and goods, and collecting border-related duties and...
and Excise Social Club, who were travelling to a picnic venue at Closeburn
Closeburn, Queensland
Closeburn is part of the wider Samford valley located in South East Queensland, Australia. It is roughly 28 km north west of Brisbane. It is located in the Moreton Bay Region local government area....
to celebrate the Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
public holiday
Public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year....
. The special train, service number E91, consisted of a 4-8-0
4-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. The type was nicknamed the Mastodon or Twelve-wheeler in North America....
C17-class steam locomotive, No. 824, and six wooden suburban passenger carriages, Evans Cars numbered 740, 739, 742, 741, 743 and 744. It was one of a number of chartered trains to travel on the line on the day, conveying groups to numerous picnic locations in the scenic country area north-west of Brisbane.
The service departed from Roma Street railway station
Roma Street railway station, Brisbane
Roma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
at 8:50am, then Central railway station
Central railway station, Brisbane
Central railway station is, as the name suggests, the central railway station for the Queensland Rail City network in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
in Brisbane at 8:59am. It was estimated that the train carried 215 passengers, most of them Customs employees and their families for a family day out consisting of a picnic lunch with dancing and games of cricket.
Incident
After receiving authority from Ferny Grove railway stationFerny Grove railway station, Brisbane
Ferny Grove Station is a railway station on the Ferny Grove Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network. It is the terminus for the Ferny Grove Line.It is in Zone 3 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
to enter the section of track to Samford, the train slowly climbed the Samford Range. Especially due to the hilly area, the speed limit on the Dayboro line at the time was 25 miles per hour (40.2 km/h) on straight sections of track, and 20 mph (32.2 km/h) through curves.
As the train descended Camp Mountain Knob, it suddenly picked up speed before the first curve, approximately 1.4 km (0.869921831309729 mi) after crossing the peak of the Samford Range. Carriages rocked dangerously, causing luggage to fall from overhead racks, lighting fixtures rattled, and women and children began screaming.
Chain (unit)
A chain is a unit of length; it measures 66 feet or 22 yards or 100 links . There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains...
s (approximately 120 m (393.7 ft)) at an estimated speed of 40 mph (64.4 km/h). The locomotive tipped onto its right side and ploughed into an embankment, the coal tender
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
upended, and water tank set free. The first carriage struck the water tank squarely, with the three leading passenger carriages telescoped
Telescoping (railway)
In a railway accident, telescoping occurs when the underframe of one vehicle overrides that of another, and smashes through the second vehicle's body...
into the wreckage; all of the front carriage and the two leading compartments of the second were destroyed, while the leading bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
of the third carriage derailed.
The force of the accident was significant, causing the total length of the engine, coal tender, water tank and first three carriages to compress from 238 in 5 in (72.67 m), to 134 ft (40.8 m). Damage to the trailing three carriages was minimal.
The Guard of the train, Mr GE Evans, was sitting in the rear carriage, looking out of the left window. The force of the crash threw him into the corner of his compartment. He picked himself up after the train stopped, rushed to the top of the cutting beside the line as a vantage point to see what had happened, then returned to the carriage and applied the handbrake. He deemed that the time of the accident was 9:48am, after looking at his watch displaying 9:50am and allowing two minutes since the time of impact.
Evans took the first aid kit from the Guard's compartment and passed it to a passenger towards the front of the train. He then took the breakdown kit, rushed back 500 yd (457.2 m) along the line passed and set three detonator
Detonator (railway)
A railway detonator is a device used to make a loud sound as a warning signal to train drivers. The detonator is the size of a large coin with two lead straps, one on each side. The detonator is placed on the top of the rail and the straps are used to secure it...
s and red flags to warn and stop the expected following train.
The train's whistle sounded constantly after the accident, alerting locals of an incident having occurred. The first call to the headquarters of the Queensland Ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
Service Transport Brigades was received at 10:08am, and in 70 minutes 18 cars and 26 men were on the scene.
The Fireman of the train, Mr Angus Knight from Grange
Grange, Queensland
Grange is an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland. It is located north of the central business district, on the southern side of Kedron Brook. In 2001, the population of Grange stood at 3,941....
, was killed instantly from being crushed by the wheels of the engine. The Driver, Mr Charles Hind, 50, of Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
was alive, however pinned across the thighs and knees against the train's boiler in the cabin. Scalded with escaping steam, an ambulance officer gave Hind a syringe of the painkiller morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, which he injected into himself.
Driver Hind was only recently transferred to the Mayne Depot, had not driven trains on the line past Ferny Grove before, and was being tutored by Fireman Knight. A former employee of Queensland Government Railways who was on the following train, Mr Patrick Campbell, spoke to Hind when he was trapped. He asked what had happened, and Hind replied that he did not know the line he was driving on, and therefore would not have been entirely aware of the terrain and conditions.
The Driver died in hospital the next day.
Court Inquiry
A Court Inquiry was held into the crash, headed by Supreme Court of QueenslandSupreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
Judge, Sir Alan Mansfield
Alan Mansfield
Sir Alan James Mansfield KCMG, KCVO was Governor of Queensland, Australia between 1966 and 1972.-Family:Sir Alan Mansfield was born in Brisbane and educated in Sydney. The Mansfield family had land in Gumdale. Mansfield lived in the Mount Gravatt area for many years...
, and attended by railway experts, several passengers and local witnesses. The inquiry found that the Driver had been rostered to drive a train on a line he had little knowledge of, and was driving the train with excessive speed.
In his findings, Judge Mansfield said:
The Driver was charged with having the foremost accountability for the excessive speed the train was travelling at, with shared blame directed to both the Fireman and Guard. The cost of compensation for the deaths and injuries from the accident was £
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
23,554.
Line closure
The accident site is commemorated with a stone cairn and plaque on the northern side of McLean Road South, erected by the Pine Rivers council in 1988.
Locomotive No. 824 from the accident was repaired and placed back into service, working around South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
. In 1958 it was transferred to Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
, and withdrawn from service in May 1967, exactly 20 years after the disaster. At that point, as a donation to the Bungil Shire Council, it was towed to the South-Western Queensland town of Injune
Injune, Queensland
Injune is a small town in western Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Carnarvon Highway, north of the regional centre of Roma. A railway connected Injune with Roma from 1920 until 1966...
, approximately 700 km (435 mi) north-west of Brisbane, at the end of a branch line from Roma that had recently closed on 1 January 1967. It sits behind the town's ambulance station and a high fence, and is listed in a town map as an "historical steam train".
The locomotive has incorrect numbers and builder's plates, as they were purchased by a railway enthusiast
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
when it was withdrawn from service.
At 10:00am on 8 May 1947, memorial services were held at The Cathedral of St Stephen and St John's Cathedral
St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
St John's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Brisbane and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland, Australia...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Seven victims of the disaster rest in five Brisbane cemeteries.