RAILWAY SMASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 35, 10 February 1923, Page 11

RAILWAY SMASH.

j WHANGAREI GOODS TRAIN. TRUCK LEAVES THE RAILS. THII.TKI N PILED IT. THROWN DOWN \ RANK. (By Tele.rai-h '"''i '"nrr..p -ndent.) \\"H.\\"(. \REI. Friday. A big sma.h-'i'.i occurred on the Whangarei railway section this afternoon. Luckily the (iai.iagc i< confined to rolling-Mock and permanent-way, nobody sustaining any injury. The scene of the occurrence was just pas' the Ruatangata crossing, near the Springs crossing. From what '-an lie gathered. about 3.30 p.m. a heavily-laden goods train was southward bound to Whangarei and after the train had come down the steep Ruatangata incline, and when Hearing the lew! crossing, something went wrong. The train consisted of a mined rake of trucks laden with coal and limestone rock, with a guard's van at the tail end. A truck about halfway down the rake left the rails, and a con- . diderablc distance was travelled before the actual smash-up occurred. How the cattle stop nt the bottom of the Springs hill was negotiated i- marvellous, lithe'derailed truck travelled nil '.he wooden stringers ivhich hold the rails. These arc deeply -cured. When- the wheels cut an actual passage for tlie truck which was responsible for the final disaster is plainly defined. The truck ploughed through scoria till the wheels were cutting :i truck between the rails. .After passing the flag station it upended, and twelve trucks following, laden with coal and limestone, piled up in their turn, skips and trucks being thrown down a banking. Some of the trucks found a resting-place in a neighbouring paddock, where there are now limestone deposits which did not previously exist. The permanent-way was wrenched up nnd twisted, some rails even being fractured, and flying metal was embedded hi woodwork, the mix-up being most complete. The heavy iron framework of derailed trucks was fractured like matchwood. and they were scattered in all sorts of grotesque positions. Luckily the guard's van. although it left the metals, did not capsize, which was fortunate for Ouard Mackey. As it was, he had a nerve-racking experience. Crash succeeded crash as the trucks piled up, and he prepared for what looked the inevitable hy throwing himself to '.he floor of the van. Providentially the van came to a standstill on a level keel. The whole of the available staff from Whangarei, including workshop hands and breakdown gang, were quickly on the scene to clear the line. The rails are being relaid and replaced with new ones where necessary, and the general wreckage is being cleared simultaneously. The 4.30 p.m. north train had to be .cancelled, but the interrupted service . will be restored to cope with the usual through traffic to-morrow. The prompt way in which order is being restored reflects great credit on tbe capabilities of the local staff. *While the origin of the mishap is somewhat obscured, a broken axle-box on the first truck derailed points to it being possibly the cause. Xews of the quickly spread, and a throng •of interested spectators quickly travelled to the scene by motors. While the damage done to the rolling-Bt-ck is heavy, the consequences might have been much more serious. : 'i.METABLE RESTJSrTD. (_v Telegraph.—Own Corre-p .dent., WHANGAREI, this day. By expeditious work the local railway staff and breakdown gangs managed to repair the track, enabling the belated train to be sent north to Hukerenui late last night. The chief delay was caused by the derailed guard's van. By this morning the line had been consolidated and the usual time-table restored. ' The derailed trucks contained 00 tons of coal and 30 tons of lime.