In a head-on collision or derailment, second-class passengers were at greater risk of death or injury. At Tangiwai, just 28 of the more than 170 second-class passengers survived . Only one first-class passenger was lost, along with the driver and fireman.
Who was affected by the Tangiwai disaster?
At 10.21 p.m. on Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 10 km west of Waiōuru in the central North Island. Of the 285 passengers and crew on board, 151 died in New Zealand’s worst railway accident.
Why is the Tangiwai disaster significant to New Zealand?
New Zealand’s worst railway disaster occurred 60 years ago on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the swollen Whangaehu River near Tangiwai. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy stunned the world and left a nation in mourning.
What happened after the Tangiwai disaster?
Another is on its side across the river, in the aftermath of the flash volcanic mudflow that saw a rail bridge destroyed and a train plunge into the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai on 24 December 1953. ...
When did the Tangiwai train leave?
On 24 December – Christmas Eve – 1953 , the Wellington-to-Auckland express train derailed at Tangiwai in the central North Island.
What was the cause of the Tangiwai disaster?
The cause of the tragedy was a volcanic lahar from the Mt Ruapehu crater lake , which sent a huge wave of water, silt, boulders and debris surging down the Whangaehu River minutes before the express approached the bridge at Tangiwai.
How many people died on the Tangiwai disaster?
The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, 8 km west of Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning, and stunned the world.
Where is the Tangiwai disaster memorial?
The Tangiwai Memorial is situated just off State Highway 49, between Tangiwai and Waiouru . With the very worst of bad luck, the overnight Wellington to Auckland passenger express train, carrying 285 people, arrived at the bridge shortly afterwards.
Who was Cyril Ellis?
In the dark, 27-year-old Taihape postman Cyril Ellis was one of the first on the scene. With rail guard William Inglis, he leapt into the tottering carriage, which was balanced at a 45-degree angle on the sheared-off rails, and remained inside as it toppled into the river.
Why is it called a locomotive?
The word locomotive originates from the Latin loco – “from a place”, ablative of locus “place”, and the Medieval Latin motivus, “causing motion”, and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, which was first used in 1814 to distinguish between self-propelled and stationary steam engines.
How did the Tangiwai bridge collapse?
The lahar. At 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve 1953, the debris at the outlet of Crater Lake collapsed. ... Soon after 10 p.m. this volcanic mud flow, known as a lahar, smashed into the main trunk railway bridge at Tangiwai. The concrete piers were knocked out and the bridge partially collapsed.
When did Ruapehu last erupt?
| Mount Ruapehu | Age of rock ~200,000 years | Mountain type Stratovolcano | Volcanic arc/belt Taupō Volcanic Zone | Last eruption 25 September 2007 |
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How many carriages are on a train?
This is believed to be a record for passenger trains, which generally have about 10 – 30 carriages .
How many carriages fell into the river when the train first stopped?
The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people.
How did the locomotive impact society?
The steam locomotive changed transportation by allowing us to ship goods and travel faster than ever before . It gave us the ability to create new industries and mold transport into what it has become today. The steam locomotive was an icon of the industrial revolution in many countries throughout the world.
Are locomotives still used today?
There is only one place left on earth where steam locomotives are still widely in use: the Chinese industrial hinterland . Rail enthusiasts are now regularly traveling there to witness the last gasps of the engine that created the modern world.
Do trains run on gas?
What do trains use for fuel? Trains use diesel, electric, and steam power for fuel . Upon the genesis of the railroad, steam was utilized, as it was the standard for many industries.
Who owns Mt Ruapehu?
Whakapapa and Tūroa Ski Areas on Mt Ruapehu are operated by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited (RAL) , which also owns the assets of the two ski areas. RAL is a public unlisted company and has been since its incorporation in 1953.
Who invented trains?
The first full-scale working railway steam locomotive was built in the United Kingdom in 1804 by Richard Trevithick , a British engineer born in Cornwall.
How are trains named?
Named trains are sometimes identified through a train headboard, drumhead, lettering on the locomotive or passenger cars , or a combination of these methods.
Is Lahar a lava?
lahar, mudflow of volcanic material . Lahars may carry all sizes of material from ash to large boulders and produce deposits of volcanic conglomerate. A variation is the hot lahar ordinarily produced by the heating of the crater lake water by the quiet upwelling of lava or an explosion. ...
How old is Ruapehu?
Ruapehu is one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes and forms the highest peak of the North Island. The andesitic stratovolcano has an age of around 200,000 years and contains a large summit crater containing a lake.
