Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 14 January 1946, page 1


TRAIN DERAILED NEAR

FRANKSTON

Passenger Killed; Guard Injured

WHEN the rear portion of

a seven-car electric train to Frankston left the line on the Frankston side of the Wells rd crossing, about two miles from that town, late yes-terday afternoon, a passenger was killed and the guard was seriously injured.

Thomas James Baxter, 62, farmer, of Mornington rd, Tyabb, who was killed, was the only passenger in the rear car-riage, which struck the stan-chions carrying the overhead

wires.

Baxter's left arm was torn off and he suffered head in-juries and fractured ribs. He died shortly after admittance to Frankston Community Hos-pital.

The guard, William Bourke, 41, of North st, Richmond, suf-fered a fractured leg, lacera-tions, and concussion. He was admitted to Frankston Com-munity Hospital.

All traffic between Seaford and Frankston was suspended for the night. More than 5,000 visitors to Frankston were transported by buses to Sea-ford and Carrum.

Cause of the derailment is not certain, but railway officials be-lieve it was due to buckling of the line in the intense heat.

The train was the 4.50pm Mel-bourne to Frankston. It was carrying about 100 people.

When the rear bogie of the last car left the rails it swayed violently and struck a stan-

chion near the "down" track. The rear pantograph of the train was torn off and the canopy of the guard's van was ripped away.

The car then crashed into a second stanchion, which ripped half the side. The strain on the overhead gear brought down another stanchion on the opposite side. The track was torn up for about 300 yards.

Bourke, who immediately ap-plied the emergency brake, was imprisoned in his cabin when the car hit the first stanchion. The second stanchion ripped off the side of his cabin and he was thrown on to the per-manent-way.