SHUNTING IN THE DARK

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25207, 11 June 1947, Page 8

SHUNTING IN THE DARK

RAILWAY OPERATIONS AT RICCARTON —‘♦ The total cut-off of power in a section of the Riccarton borough on Monday evening affected shunting at the Riccarton railway station. Warning of the cut-off had been given and the department was able to convert four semaphore signals at Riccarton to allow them to be. battery-operated, but there was no yard lighting. Fortunately. shunting operations had to be conducted with only one train during the cut-off period. A railway officer at Christchurch, discussing the use of night lights in the Christchurch yards, said yesterday that shunting was the most dangerous operation the department carried out, and without light it would become “impossibly hazardous.” At P s scarton, work inside the station had to be done by oil lamp. Four semaphore signals at Papanui were made battery-operated yesterday, and four more at Belfast were equipped with kerosene lamps. Level-crossing lights, being battery operated, have not been affected by the restriction. Recently, the semaphore sginals between Rakaia and Dromore had to be equipped with kerosene lamps, following power cuts imposed by the Ashburton Electric Power Board.