EXPRESSES DELAYED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 11

EXPRESSES DELAYED.

SLIP ON MAIN TRUNK.

CROSSINGS DISORGANISED.

A wash-out which occurred in a culvert at Puketutu, nine miles south of Te Ivuiti, and the derailment of a truck of a goods train at Feilding yesterday, resulted in tho arrival of both northbound expresses two hours and a half late at Auckland to-day. Water from the hills accumulated in the valley near the line at Puketutu and formed a substantial lake. The culvert under the line became blocked and pressure of water washed away the filling. In the afternoon workmen placed wooden supports under the line and trucks and carriages were pushed over the weakened section one at a time, the engines not being used. This method of crossing was continued to-day, and although the expresses arrived at Auckland late, some of the passengers werenot even aware that there had been any mishap.

It is anticipated that the service will be fully restored by late this afternoon. A staff will be engaged to-morrow to clear the yards of goods traflic which has been banking on each side of the wash-out.

To enable a small number of passengers from the Limited express to catch the Matson liner Monterey, her sailing was delayed from 11 a.m. to shortly before 1 p.m.

A Press Association message from Palmerston North states that crossing schedules for trains were thrown badly out of gear as a result of tho wash-out and the Main Trunk express arrived at Palmerston North just over five hours late, after being held at Frankton for nearly two hours and then being delayed all the way down the main trunk. The Limited express was a little over three hours late, running less than an hour behind the ordinary express. The position was aggravated by the fact that an extra train with troops on week-end leave immediately preceded the earlier expresss, involving extra crossing arrangements.