Werribee accident in '93(?)

Georges Plains · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:02 am Post subject: Werribee accident in '93(?)

Hi gents

I'm doing abit of research into an accident that happened at Werribee around the early 90s, I think '93. From what I believe, a West Coast train was going through there at a top speed when a wheel shattered, derailed and taking the adjacent car with them, and struck a stanchion as well as a car at a crossing (And killing the occupant).

Is there an official account of that accident somewhere, such as what happened and the causes of it?

Anything provided would be of help. thanks!

ninthnotch · Site Admin Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 2340

There will be some somewhere.

It happened IIRC at Hoppers Crossing; a brake shoe or wheel fractured and caused the train to derail, knocking a stanchion down. I can't tell you more than that.

You might recall the BS with the stoved-in end at SRHC? That's one of the cars. ACZ260's the other, up the arse end of Newport Workshops.
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Bigged · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:45 am Post subject:

Werribee St Lxing Werribee.
This is the railworkers version. (read fairly accurate)
The wheel fractured due to heat stress.
Apparently a hand brake had been left on en route or a day or two previously and caused the intitial heat cracks to occur.
From that point it was only a matter of time.
Train examiners at SP ST got Apparatus™ed all round for not picking it up.
Mind you it was also rumoured that the wheel was at or past its condeming mark.

the media version (Read speculation by someone who knows fuck all about trains) is bound to be different as I know that management were running like headless turkeys trying to cover their arses and not even the apex train would be able to haul that much managerial bullshit which would probably require a hunter valley coal train..

I lived in hoppers at the time and drove past going to see a mate and the pass car concerned had west coast stickers on the side.
2 hours later whilst going home I noticed that the west coast stickers had been removed and the VLINE underneath was showing.
This is true but mangers I have questioned have all denied it, But I saw it with my own eyes.
Another rumour was that this was to stop west coast going under due to this and Vline took the fall.
I did say rumour didnt I, but as we all know many Rumours are based on fact. Wink

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MJJA · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:46 am Post subject:

I recall the carriage concerned was a V/Line one on hire to WCR - possibly the WCR logos were temporary anyway.
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VBAndy · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

I am with you bigged, I also noted the WCR stickers and then later on no longer being on the carriage. Living in Werribee made it easy to keep up with the progress of the crash site from the moment it happened until the last phase of the clean up.

The woman that was killed in the car during this incident, was my best-mates mother...like a 2nd mother to me. Funny that I ended up getting involved with WCR steam operations and tours after their train effectivley killed someone I love Razz

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bigholebob · Joined: 17 Aug 2008 Posts: 2

Also of interest was the number of passengers unaccounted for after the accident. Allegedly something to do with WCR method of counting heads for purposes of subsidy. That is to say some heads were counted more times than others......allegedly.