TIMAKU EXCURSION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 24

TIMAKU EXCURSION

IO TUB KDITOR OF THB PRESS. Sir—l see the Railway Department blames the Temuka bridge for thP second excursion train from Timaru running late yesterday. The bridge may have caused the initial hold-up at Washdyke, but it did not account for the wretched delays on the rest of the journey. At Ashburton the tram pulled in by three instalments and then, to add insult to injury, after it had waited the 10 minutes tea inter--val i during which time one would have thought any watering of engines would have been done), it pulled up to the tanks, stopped for the first engine to get water, then pulled a few yards for the second engine to water, stopped again, and eventually left for Christchurch. It stopped at places like Dromore and Burnham on the way in. it , , The business of pulling the whole train up to the water tanks occurred also at Hinds on the way down. Could not (he watering have been done at Ashburton while the tea stop was taken" I noticed at Timaru ihere was no porter to couple up the engines on to the train. There may nave been cheese-paring in staff for Sunday work, but it is not fair that hundreds ot people should suffer for internal squabbles. If the Railway Department cannot do better than this, the Sunday excursion will fall flat. I for one say, '•Never again."—Yours, etc., EXCURSIONIST . February 28, 1038. [The District Traffic Manager, to whom this letter was referred, stated that the primary cause of the delay to the second excursion train from Timaru was the hold-up on the Temuka bridge. This created a position where it became necessary to cross the down excursion with the two up excursion trains at Ashburton. The consequent congestion led to the second up excursion being signal checked at Ashburton, following which the train was pulled up for the purpose of changing over the train crews. There was, more : over, an unforeseen shortage of water at Ashburton. which led to delay. The reference to "internal squabbles," said Mr Brittcnden, was not understood. An adequate staff was booked on at the various stations to deal with the business. An unforeseen set of circumstances led to the delay to the train referred to by "Excursionist." The Sunday traffic had been abnormally heavy, but generally speaking the excursion trains had. maintained reasonably good schedules.]