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121 Chapter 9 Operational Problems and Issues While labour recruitment and industrial relations were the biggest problems railway managers faced, managerial and technical staff also had to solve a host of problems relating to day-to-day operations. Although relatively mundane, these demanded no less attention if the network was to function smoothly and efficiently. Broadly speaking, there were three areas of operational concern: safety and maintenance of railway stock and track; tariff regulations; and general efficiency. Safety and Maintenance The Gold Coast railways had a poor safety record. Accidents were frequent and often resulted in fatalities. Table 9.1 provides data on the safety record of the railways. The data reveals that the number of falling trees, the largest single cause of accidents when the railways were first opened, rapidly declined from a peak of 261 in 1909 to just three in 1917; and the number of accidents resulting from derailments increased from 54 in 1905 to 121 in î24, which was the last year for which data were gathered. As a ratio to total mileage worked, as the system expanded over time, the problem of derailments, although fluctuating, worsened, from 1:3.1 in 1905 to 1:1.6 in î23. The problem of trees falling on the track had two main causes. The first was that the railway was constructed through dense tropical rainforest; the second was a lack of foresight on the part of planners in failing to acquire sufficient land on each side of the track on which trees could be felled. Another potential cause was the lack of appropriate resources for cutting the trees down in the first place, both in terms of people and tools or machinery. The problem first came to light with the opening of the western line, on which as many as 45,000 trees along the line constituted a danger.329 This was at its most acute during the tornado season between April and June: ‘in one tornado 56 trees fell across the line in one locality, wrecking sixteen miles of track and telegraph lines’.330 The relatively simple solution was the decision, made in 1908, to obtain more land on both sides of the track on which all trees would be felled. 122 Table 9.1 The Major Causes of Accidents and the Numbers of Fatalities on the Railways Year Accidents caused by fallen trees Fallen trees to miles open (ratio) Accidents caused by derailments Derailments to number of miles open (ratio) Accidents caused by engine failures Engine failures to miles (ratio) Fatalities 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 î î î î î î î î 146 95 195 230 261 112 56 62 N/a 46 30 6 3 N/a 3 î î 2 î î î î î î î 1.2 (miles) 1.8 0.9 0.7 0.6 1.5 3.4 11.1 N/a 4.9 8.2 41.3 89.3 N/a 89.7 î î 167.0 î î î î î î 54 41 59 39 24 49 65 78 Na 92 71 74 96 N/a 78 92 140 211 121 N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a 3.1 (miles) 4.1 2.8 4.3 7.0 3.4 2.9 2.8 N/a 2.5 3.5 3.4 2.8 N/a 3.4 2.9 2.0 1.6 3.1 N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a 36 16 20 3 1 5 27 20 Na 19 6 10 17 N/a 24 31 54 65 37 N/a 61 N/a 36 41 N/a 4.7 (miles) 10.5 8.4 56.0 168.0 33.6 7.0 11.1 N/a 11.9 40.8 24.8 15.8 N/a 11.2 8.7 5.1 5.1 10.2 N/a 6.5 N/a 13.3 12.1 7 12 2 11 14 4 11 7 N/a 14 9 9 7 N/a 5 10 7 4 8 16 9 10 16 13 12 Source: General Manager, Railways Annual Reports, 1905î1929/30 A more familiar concern was derailments. Here there were a number of causes. First, the tracks were badly laid, and second, corrupt practices resulting in shoddy construction were endemic. As the general manager stated in 1904: ‘The soil through which the railway passed whilst standing well in cuttings was, generally, friable on banks and wastage under tropical rains is heavy...

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