Who was driving the Tangiwai train?
Tangiwai Disaster train driver Charlie Parker will always remain a hero to his Taihape daughter. Parker’s was one of the 151 lives lost 60 years ago today, when a train plunged into the Whangaehu River after a lahar from Mt Ruapehu weakened the Tangiwai rail bridge.
Who was involved in the Tangiwai?
Memorial at Tangiwai A new memorial was unveiled on 07 May 2017 to mark the courage and sacrifice of train driver Charles Parker and fireman Lance Redman who helped save the lives of 134 people when the Wellington to Auckland night express plunged in to the swollen river.
What was the name of the train in the Tangiwai disaster?
Wellington–Auckland night express
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.
What caused the train to crash at Tangiwai?
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.
Who survived the Tangiwai disaster?
Page 5 – Death at Tangiwai: a class affair 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.
Where is whangaehu?
North Island of New Zealand
The Whangaehu River is a large river in central North Island of New Zealand. Its headwaters are the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu on the central plateau, and it flows into the Tasman Sea eight kilometres southeast of Whanganui. Water is diverted from the headwaters for the Tongariro Power Scheme.
How many people survived in the Tangiwai?
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.
How many were injured in the Tangiwai disaster?
With 151 people killed and many injured, the rail accident at Tangiwai on 24 December 1953 was one of New Zealand’s worst disasters. Because the following day was Christmas Day, there were no newspapers, but on 26 December they devoted their issues to the tragedy.
What does whangaehu mean?
bay, bight, stretch of water. Whanganui, Whangaehu. In addition to these, the prefix “O” usually indicates that the name is an attribute of, or “belongs” to a person, while “Te” usually indicates that the word following is descriptive; for example, Te Akau and Te Iwituaroa. (e) Maori Versions of European Names.
What is special about the Whangaehu River?
The Whangaehu River award is the fifth river award for the Manawatu-Whanganui Region. The headwaters of the Whangaehu are the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu on the Central Plateau, with the river winding itself through the Ruapehu and Whanganui districts before entering the Tasman Sea 8 kilometres southeast of Whanganui.
Why is the Tangiwai disaster significant to New Zealand?
Tangiwai was the site of what is considered to be the worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history. It happened on Christmas Eve 1953, when the passenger train travelling from Wellington to Auckland suddenly plunged into the Whangaehu river at Tangiwai and 151 people lost their lives.
What changed after the Tangiwai disaster?
Following the disaster, the New Zealand Railways Department installed a lahar warning system upstream in the river to alert train control to high river flows.
Where did the Tangiwai train accident take place?
List of rail accidents in New Zealand. The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 10:21 p.m. on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train No. 626 at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand. The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people.
Who are the people who died in the Tangiwai disaster?
Twenty of the bodies were never found and were presumed to have been carried 120 km (75 mi) downriver to the ocean. Among the dead was Nerissa Love, the fiancée of cricketer Bob Blair, who was playing in a Test Match in South Africa at the time. On going out to bat after his loss, he received a standing ovation.
Where was the worst train accident in New Zealand?
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.
How many people died in the Wanganui train disaster?
The drivers’ quick reactions saved three carriages, the other six carriages and engine plummeted into the roaring torrent—151 passengers died, along with the engine driver and fireman. In Wanganui, Salvation Army captains Lawrence and Enid Weggery were looking forward to a traditional Christmas with their family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvrSZPaa8Sk