Violet Town railway disaster
Encyclopedia
The Violet Town rail accident, also known as the Southern Aurora
disaster, was a railway accident that occurred on 7 February 1969 near the McDiarmids Road crossing, approximately 1 km south of Violet Town, Victoria
, Australia.
of a passenger train, the southbound Southern Aurora
, and a northbound freight train on the new single line standard gauge Sydney to Melbourne
main line, opened seven years earlier. Nine people died, including Lawrence Rosevear, the driver of the northbound freight train.
The trains were supposed to cross at the Violet Town crossing loop (where there are two tracks), but because the driver of the passenger train had died of an apparent heart attack approximately 5 to 6 kilometres north of the crossing loop, the train did not stop at the red signals. It continued until it collided head-on with the freight train. At the time of the accident, neither ATC
nor AWS
nor ATP
were fitted, although a vigilance control system had been fitted to both locomotives. This required a member of the train crew to press a button every sixty to ninety seconds; either the driver or fireman/second person could press the buttons.
According to an inquest into the accident, the fireman of the Southern Aurora, M. Coulthard, had been recorded on the Hasler speed recorder as pressing the vigilance control button when the train passed through the danger signals at the crossing loop.
The crew of the northbound train saw the oncoming passenger train and had slowed their train, flicking their headlights to warn the crew of the approaching Southern Aurora. The fireman (Arnfreid Brendecke) jumped clear of the cab moments before impact; a burning car missed him by approximately one metre. The driver of the northbound train sought safety in the engine room. However, he died in a fire and explosion.
As a result of this accident, improved vigilance control
s were fitted to ensure that firemen as well as drivers remained alert, although, as the later Beresfield rail disaster
in 1996 showed, these were not foolproof.
At the site of the unfortunate crash, shards of the iconic green windows of the Aurora can still be found in the embankments, 40 years after the collision.
Southern Aurora
The Southern Aurora was a named express passenger train that operated between the cities of Melbourne, Victoria, and Sydney, New South Wales, in Australia. First-class throughout, including the dining facilities, the Southern Aurora featured all-sleeper accommodation...
disaster, was a railway accident that occurred on 7 February 1969 near the McDiarmids Road crossing, approximately 1 km south of Violet Town, Victoria
Violet Town, Victoria
Violet Town is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Strathbogie local government area. It was a coach stop on the Melbourne to Sydney road...
, Australia.
Overview
The accident involved the head-on collisionHead-on collision
A head-on collision is one where the front ends of two ships, trains, planes or vehicles hit each other, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision.-Rail transport:...
of a passenger train, the southbound Southern Aurora
Southern Aurora
The Southern Aurora was a named express passenger train that operated between the cities of Melbourne, Victoria, and Sydney, New South Wales, in Australia. First-class throughout, including the dining facilities, the Southern Aurora featured all-sleeper accommodation...
, and a northbound freight train on the new single line standard gauge Sydney to 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...
main line, opened seven years earlier. Nine people died, including Lawrence Rosevear, the driver of the northbound freight train.
The trains were supposed to cross at the Violet Town crossing loop (where there are two tracks), but because the driver of the passenger train had died of an apparent heart attack approximately 5 to 6 kilometres north of the crossing loop, the train did not stop at the red signals. It continued until it collided head-on with the freight train. At the time of the accident, neither ATC
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
nor AWS
Automatic Warning System
The Automatic Warning System is a form of limited cab signalling and train protection system introduced in 1956 in the United Kingdom to help train drivers observe and obey signals. It was based on a 1930 system developed by Alfred Ernest Hudd and marketed as the "Strowger-Hudd" system...
nor ATP
Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...
were fitted, although a vigilance control system had been fitted to both locomotives. This required a member of the train crew to press a button every sixty to ninety seconds; either the driver or fireman/second person could press the buttons.
According to an inquest into the accident, the fireman of the Southern Aurora, M. Coulthard, had been recorded on the Hasler speed recorder as pressing the vigilance control button when the train passed through the danger signals at the crossing loop.
The crew of the northbound train saw the oncoming passenger train and had slowed their train, flicking their headlights to warn the crew of the approaching Southern Aurora. The fireman (Arnfreid Brendecke) jumped clear of the cab moments before impact; a burning car missed him by approximately one metre. The driver of the northbound train sought safety in the engine room. However, he died in a fire and explosion.
As a result of this accident, improved vigilance control
Dead-man's vigilance device
A dead-man's vigilance device is a railroad safety device that operates in the case of incapacitation of the engineer. It is a hybrid between a dead-man's switch and a vigilance control....
s were fitted to ensure that firemen as well as drivers remained alert, although, as the later Beresfield rail disaster
Beresfield rail disaster
In the Beresfield rail accident of 23 October 1997, a coal train passed a red signal and ploughed into the rear of another coal train, causing a collision and derailment that blocked all four tracks...
in 1996 showed, these were not foolproof.
At the site of the unfortunate crash, shards of the iconic green windows of the Aurora can still be found in the embankments, 40 years after the collision.