Plates tied to railway line

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32861, 9 March 1972, Page 1

Plates tied to railway line

An attempt to derail a train on the Main Trunk line just north of Ashburton, opposite the Canterbury Malting Company’s premises, failed on Tuesday evening when a locomotive struck two heavy railway fish-plates tied by string to the line.

The locomotive smashed one plate and ran over the other, the wheels remaining on the lines. The locomotive struck the fish-plates at 4.40 p.m., only three quarters of an hour before the Southerner was due past on its way to Christchurch. However, a scheduled express goods train went at 5 p.m., ahead of the Southerner.

A Railways official said the Southerner travels faster than the shunting engine involved in the incident and its wheels could have gripped the fish-plates at speed and damaged the line, causing a serious derailment.

The shunting engine involved had travelled to the Fairfield Freezing Works three-quarters of an hour before without mishap, and was returning to Ashburton at 4.40 p.m. with its eight freezer waggons laden with 257 tons of meat, when it struck the fish plates at about 25 to 30 miles an hour.

These plates are 18in long, 2in wide and 4in deep. They were tied across the line, with one on each, placed almost opposite each other.

No damage was caused to the locomotive or the lines. A railway ganger inspected the line before the express goods train at 5 p.m., and the Southerner express at 5.30 p.m., were allowed to pass.