EXPRESS TRAIN DELAYED

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22657, 11 March 1939, Page 14

EXPRESS TRAIN DELAYED

LATE SAILING OF STEAMER 4 _ TWO-HOUR HOLD-UP AT MIDDLETON UNDER GEAR /OF CARRIAGES DAMAGED A mishap to the express train from Invercargill at Middleton, four miles from Christchurch, caused last night’s steamer express to be delayed two hours in its sailing for Wellington. Damage to the undergear of the tender of the engine and to the five following carriages brought the express to a sudden standstill between Sockburn and Middleton, and further delay to the steamer train followed the discovery at Christchurch that the damage was more extensive than first thought. Showers of small stones from the ballast of the permanent way gave passengers in the first four carriages of the express a signal that speedy run of the express to Christchurch was likely to be interrupted. At a speed estimated by passengers to be 50 miles an hour, the express, which was running to scheduled times, passed the Sockburn ■ station. Sprays of metal on the windows and the undercarriage of the first four carriages made the passengers apprehensive. “The ballast was flying over the carriage for 10 minutes before there was a terrific bump. The carriages lurched to both sides and dragged along until the train was stopped, half a' mile after the bump was felt.” This description of the sensation experienced by passengers in the fully occupied secondclass carriage at the head of the, train was given by one traveller. “It was like a traction engine going over a track of boulders,” said another passenger. Although many of the passengers. while the express was waiting at Middleton, expressed their fears during the bumpy half-mile trip before the train was brought to a standstill that the first carriage might be derailed. Railway Department officials were later emphatic that a derailment was impossible. Unexpected Delays

The break-down occurred at»7.20, and the express did not reach Christchurch until 9.22 o’clock, nearly two hours behind time. Passengers complained that the train had been kept waiting on the main line only a few miles from the city without a relief engine being provided. “The train men anticipated that it would be quick work moving the damaged first carriage to the siding at Middleton: but complications arose through some of the gear breaking,” said Mr W. Rodgers. District Traffic Manager. “The carriage had to be hand lifted to clear the permanent way. and that was necessarily a slow job. When the engine got back to the train, minor damage to other carriages was detected and an examination had to be made to make sure that the running of the train to Christchurch was a safe procedure.' That caused further delay.” The bumping of the carriages before the express came to a stop was felt in the last of the 11 carriages. The exceptional movement was more pronounced in the first four carriages but no sign of alarm was given by any passenger while the express bumped along the permanent way to its stop. Broken Tender Equipment

A broken spring on the first of the second-class carriages was blamed, originally, for the break-down, but official reports were that the intricate and heavy spreader bar, carrying the brake rods on the tender, had broken and that its dropping on to the track had caused the damage to the following carriages. When the express came to a standstill half a mile beyond the point at which the brakes were applied between Sockburn and Middleton, the passengers anticipated a short delay. However, it developed into a stay of almost two hours. The Timaru Pipe Band, which was in the third carriage, entertained the passengers while the engine hauled away the damaged first carriage, from- which passengers had shifted their luggage to other cars. The damage ,to the first carriage was, however, more extensive than was at first thought. The gear locked and heavy manual work was necessary before the carriage could be moved along the line and dropped in a siding. “No Fear of Derailment”

Passengers had another disappointment when the engine returned from its slow work of removing the disabled carriage from the main line. An examination disclosed that the under carriage of four other passenger cars was damaged and a slow haul to Christchurch was ordered. It was at 9.22 p.m., 1 hour 56 minutes behind time, that the express drew into the station.

Further delay in dispatching the express to Lyttelton arose when train examiners gave their report that the four carriages were unsafe. They were removed and the abbreviated train, with all passengers accommodated, was taken to Lyttelton, where they connected with the steamer express, which sailed at 10.45, two hours after its usual sailing time. The engine and tender were used on the run from Invercargill. “There could be no fear at any stage of a derailment because ' the fractured spreader bar would drop in the permanent v way between the rails,” replied Mr Rodgers when the-pas-sengers’ theories of possibilities was discussed with him.