Roma Street Railway Station

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Roma Street Railway Station looking towards Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane, 1898

The Brisbane Courier - Sat 3 December 1898

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER EXPLOSION

-ROMA STREET RAILWAY STATION-
-ALARMING OCCURENCE-
-A REMARKABLE ESCAPE-

An alarming occurence in the shape of a locomotive explosion happened at the Roma-street Railway Station last evening. As in the case of the recent explosion in the same vicinity, there was fortunately no loss of life, nor was there serious injury done to anything except the engine. The accident happened under especially fortunate circumstances. The engine was detached, and the lines were practically clear at the time. If by any chance the conditions had been different, it is difficult to conceive how a most serious catastrophe would have been avoided. The engine in question was No 62, one of the Baldwin type, manufactured in Philidelphia. [...]

It left the engine shed preparatory to shunting up to pick up the carriages, and when within about fifty yards of the spot where the previous explosion had occurred the boiler burst with a tremendous noise [...] The greater part of the boiler was blown completely out, and pieces of iron were precipitated in various directions. The driver was thrown backward on the tender: his foot was scalded by escaping steam, and he was badly bruised about one hip [...] He was able to walk to the station, and was once driven home in a cab.

The fireman suffered no injury at all, and was able to walk home. A great mass of twisted plates blown for fully fifty or sixty yards, and precipitated on the ground in front of the good-sheds, in its descent severing the telephone and signal wires on that side of the line. [...]

The noise of the explosion quickly attracted a crowd of people, and various railway officials were soon on the spot.


Then and now...

View of Roma Street train station with smoke rising from chimney

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