PICNIC TRAIN DELAYED

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 5

PICNIC TRAIN DELAYED

RACE PATRONS CARRIED FROM MOTUKARARA Had it not been for a train carrying adults and children from the Opawa School’s picnic at Little River, about 60 racing patrons who attended the Banks Peninsula Racing Club’s meeting at Motukarara and who lived north of Motukarara might have had to walk home on Saturday. The race meeting was running well behind schedule at the time the special race train was due to return to Christchurch. Shortly before the train was due to leave it was announced at the racecourse that those persons wishing to see the last race could return on a picnic train from Little River, and the special race train left on time. Because of the delay in picking up the extra and unexpected passengers the train was further delayed at Lincoln and other intermediate stops. The picnic train arrived at Christchurch at 6.55 p.m.. but was held to allow the 7.10 p.m. steamer express train to clear the station. The train, which was scheduled to leave Little River at 4.50 p.m., finallv arrived at Woolston at 7.30 p.m., com< pleting the journey of 39 miles in twe hours 40 minutes.

Parents of children who had left Little River by car on return to their homes in Christchurch became apprehensive when their children did nnt return home at the scheduled time, and even more worry was caused parents who did not 'iccompanv their children to the picnic.

“It was unfortunate that the race programme was running late,” said the district traffic manager of the Railways Department (Mr W. A. Breach) yesterday. Actually two persons had missed the picnic train, but they were brought back to Christchurch by officers of the Transport Department. “Had the races run to time everything would have run to schedule,” said Mr Breach.