He first set the background by explaining that it is nowhere near as easy to view the track ahead from a steam engines as it is from a diesel. Steam engines have a very long nose where the boiler mechanisms sit, and therefore the driver and fireman both need to be keeping a lookout, often poking their heads out of the side windows. Diesels on the most part, however, have flat, shot nose or round nosed cabins where both the driver and fireman have clear views ahead.
He also pointed out some of the railwayman's jargon: Loco is the term for the locomotive depot, and Traffic is the term for lines outside the depot. Running into Traffic therefore means that a locomotive is running from the depot into the traffic-controlled sections of line. When it returns, a train pulls up in the shunting yard, the engine is detached and heads to Loco.
A Bung is a 'please explain' letter.
At Murrurundi Loco there were seven rail lines that converged into one, in order to cross a small bridge right before the engines came into Traffic control. On one occasion, Jim Day, a driver was taking a steam engine out of Loco and was heading down towards this convergence of lines towards this small bridge.
Meanwhile, driver Alex McKenzie on another steam locomotive was running from the station area towards Loco and this small bridge. Neither one saw the other and there was a mighty crash as the engines met on the Loco side of the small bridge at a converging set of points.
Both steam locomotives were derailed and badly damaged, and the fireman of one of them was thrown out of the cabin and landed on the lawns of the District Locomotive Engineer's office, sustaining some fractured ribs.
Bungs were sent to everyone.
The incoming driver (Alex) wrote that he was not looking out as he was attending to the lubricator, which is a necessary task for any driver bringing a locomotive into Loco. Both firemen explained they were attending to the fires, one was putting on a fire (the departing Locomotive) and one was cleaning the fire (the incoming Locomotive).
Jim, the outgoing driver, was more blunt. In his reply and he wrote: "There were four men on two engines, none of whom were looking out".
Somehow Jim was the only one of the four not to receive some form of punishment.
As Footplate Padre, Mark Tronson wrote, he is constantly amazed as how the truth sets one free, as Jesus said (John 8:32) and has far fewer complications than lies or excuses. As soon as a lie is told, other lies need to be added to find ways and means to back up the original lie.
