RAILWAY SMASH.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20090, 20 November 1930, Page 9

RAILWAY SMASH.

THREE TRAINS INVOLVED. FOUR WAGGONS AND A VAN WRECKED. ?RBSB Speciel Berplee.J AUCKLAND, November 10. Three goods trains were involved in a smash at Te Kauwhata railway station shortly before daybreak to-day. For inoro than sxs hours the main line was blocked by tho wreckage of trucks and a, guard s van. Four waggons and tho van were piled up across three lines of tracks between an engine near the station platform and the goods shed on the opposite aide. An engine-driver, J. Hannan, and a fireman, J. Robertson, jumped from their engine on the main line and made a dash for safety w nen they saw crash coming. Under the glare of the electric lights 031 j 1 i. P' a^f°rin and in tho station yard Jnoy saw tho roof of the guard's van thrown skywards. "We were just in the nick of time." said the driver. 'We had only a few seconds to got clear and it was impossible to attempt to get my engine away." Waggons Piled Up. Mr Hannan explained that his train had been waiting on tho main line at the station for about twenty minutes until the line was clear ahead. When he roached To Kauwhata from Auckland a goods train from Frankton was on the station loop alongside and was shunting. About 3.25 another goods train from Frankton turned on to the loop. As it steamed along at 15 miltc an hour he saw that it would crash in a few seconds into the rear of the guard's van of the stationary goods train on the loop. The van collapsed with a loud crash when the engine hit it, and the broken framework was driven into tho waggons just in front loaded with butter and cheese. Splintered waggons were piled up in a confused mass of bogey wheels and twisted iron frames. In the midst of this wreckage were boxes of butter anil crates of cheese crushed and broken.

By far the worst effects of the coll ision were felt by tho train that was standing on the loop. Broken buffers showed how tho shock had been transmitted through the long line of trucks, many of them loaded with cattle and sheep. All tho wrecked waggons were thrown together in the length of tho engine's boiler, and several waggons and a van on the siding near tho goods shod were battered > n and tipped against the landing. Twenty minutes before the crash J. Ness, a guard, left his van to assist in shunting operations. When he saw the wreckage he said lie considered himself a lucky man. The roof of the van came to rest on top of the funnel and sand dome of one of the engines, and the floor TV a a dragged out from under a .wrecked truck. Ono wall was thrown in a shattered condition against the big engine wheels, and tho other side and tho ends were splintered to pieces. Ono of the wrecked trucks, built of iron, was recovered in a useless condition, and showed tho effect of such a collision on a waggon of the strongest type. Heavy pieces of Australian hardwood that were used in building other waggons were torn apart or broken. Kauri had collapsed with the violence and was pierced in many places by pieces of iron and steel. Those who heard tho collision say the sound of the impact did r.ot suggest such extensive damage: evidently the empty guard's van took the brunt of tho shock, and its immediate collapse helped to save the sheep and cattle. None of these was injured. A thoroughbred marc and foal escaped without a bruise. Partly derailed next to the wreckage was an empty petrol waggon. Gangs Clear Unoa. C. A. Linehan, gtationmaster at Te Kauwhata, said he hoard tho collision from his house nearby. Gangs were quickly called, and the work of clearing away the wreckage was aided by one of the engines.

The first express for Auckland, which had been held lip at Frankton and Ohinewai arrived at Te Kauwhata at 7.30, and passengers, luggage, and mails were transferred to a train from Auckland. This train reached the city at 9.40, throe hours late. The quick transhipment of the luggage and mails, and the transfer of the passengers was a credit to Mr Linehan and the crew of the express. It was completed in 35 minutes. The Limited express was delayed at Frankton, and passed through Te Kauwhata at 9.52, when the lino was declared clear. It reached Auckland at 11.59, two hours and a quarter behind its usual time. Both Auckland-bound goods trains followed the express and arrived at their destination later.