FIRE IN WAGGONS

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 14

FIRE IN WAGGONS

Fire destroyed and damaged goods in 15 waggons in the Waltham railway yard yesterday morning. About 16 firemen fought the blaze. The cost of the damage was not known last evening. An explosion in chemicals may have caused the fire. Two units from the Central Station and one from the Sydenham Station answered a call at 9.12 a.m. The fire had a good hold when the firemen arrived and three leads were used to quell the flames. The waggons were standing on three tracks near E shed at the comer of Waltham Road and Mowbray Street. Most of the metal waggons were damaged only superficially, but a wooden one was badly damaged. Ten of the waggons contained cargo which had been unloaded from the ships Neder Linge and Straat Luanda at Lyttelton. Five of the waggons contained local goods, including timber which was destined for the Addington railway workshops. The members of the shunting yard staff had done an excellent job, said the goods manager (Mr H. E. Stevens). They had been going to attend a meeting of the social committee when they were called back.