Railway accident at Koo Wee Rup, Christmas Eve, 1928

The Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society received these photographs from Don Cuff. Don is the son of Gordon and Martha Jean (nee Preston) Cuff. He lived In Koo Wee Rup until 1949 when the family moved. There is more family information at the end of this post. The photographs were taken by his father of the  train accident that occurred at Koo Wee Rup on Christmas Eve in 1928. 54 people were injured when a passenger train hit a stationary goods train at Koo Wee Rup. You can see more photos of the accident in The Australasian of December 29, 1928, here and a write-up on the accident in The Argus of December 26, 1928, here and the Weekly Times, of December 28, 1928, here.

Engine of the passenger train
Photographer: Gordon Cuff

Just to prove these photos are from the 1928 accident - here's a photo of Engine 906
from The Australasian write-up.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141360783

First Class carriage

Photographer: Gordon Cuff

First Class carriage

Photographer: Gordon Cuff

Second Class carriage

Photographer: Gordon Cuff

Train Carriages

Photographer: Gordon Cuff

Smoking carriage

Photographer: Gordon Cuff

Family information supplied by Don Cuff, February 2020.
Don Cuff is the son of Gordon and Martha Jean (nee Preston) Cuff. Gordon was the son of George and Kate (nee Ekins) Cuff and the family arrived in Koo Wee Rup in 1919 and lived in Rossiter Road, next to the State School (before it moved to  Moody Street). Their property was acquired in 1938 for the High School, which due to the War was not taken over  until 1948 and they were still paid at the 1938 price, according to Don.  The family left Koo Wee Rup in 1949.  George died January 15, 1927 at the age of 56 and Kate died August 6, 1948 aged 78. Both George and Gordon were plumbers. Gordon died 1958 aged 52 and Martha died 1994 at the age of 85.

The Prestons had arrived in Koo Wee Rup in 1905 and had a farm on Railway Road, next to the Jeffereys. Martha was the daughter of James and Bethia (nee Milroy) Preston, born 1909. She had two brothers, Robert and Jim. Martha's uncles, Jack and Harry, farmed in Preston's Road and both served in the First World War. The Milroys lived at Invermead on the South Gippsland Highway, previously owned by Christopher Moody.

* The Argus report of December 26, 1928 (see here) says it was 54 passengers; The Weekly Times December 29, 1928 (see here) says there was 48 passengers injured; the Koo Wee Rup Sun of January 2, 1928 says it was 52 passengers.