MISHAP AT MORNINGSIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 4

MISHAP AT MORNINGSIDE.

RAH/WAY CARRIAGE DERAILED

TEMPOEAItY BLOCKAGE OF LINE,

The 6.55 train from Aucklan- *o Helensville met with an ___£* *? Morningside this morning, traffic bei™ held up for a little under an hour The tram reached Morningside as usual" about i.20, and was pulling out when the acci dent occurred. About thirty yards abov " the station platform there" is a set of points leading off the main line to the deviation, which will become -the main line when the bridge over the New North Road is completed. The engine, which had not had time to gather speed took the points, but instead of continuing along the main line went along the devia* tion. Two trucks which were coupled behind it also crossed the points but when the first carriage encountered'them its wheels abruptly left the rails and the train came to a standstill. a gang of men was got to work as soon as practicable, and the carriage was jacked on to the rails within about an hour. H_ blockage was not such as to cause more than a few minutes' delay to other trains stranded passengers being taken on their' way by the Helensville express, which made a number of extra stops on its rmi m order to fit in with the arrangements of those who would normally have travelled by the earlier train.

It is suggested that the points on which the accident occurred are usually kept locked in the direction of the main line, a bar and padlock being used, but that they are unlocked each morning to admit a light engine to the deviation in readiness to "bank" an early train up the Kingsland hill. If the points __d not been locked again after the engine had passed they might remain at "halfcock," thus causing trouble for the next train that went over them in the opposite direction. The vibration would probably cause the points to drop back into the normal position, and if this happened when the fore part of the train had got on to the deviation a derailment would almost certainly follow.

The railway authorities are investigating the matter, and in tlie meantime the tablet porter stationed at Morninn_de ■has been suspended. The train was going very slowly when the accident and none of the passengers in the derailed carriage appear to have suffered any injury beyond possibly a few bumps. It may be mentioned that the Railway Department is contemplating the installation of a complete interlocking signal system over the *"üburban portion of the Kaipara line, and this will naturally give much greater reliability in the working of points at all stations, •besides _ia-in£ for safety in other directions.