TRUCK LEAVES RAILS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 110, 7 February 1928, Page 8

TRUCK LEAVES RAILS

MAIN LINE CONSIDERABLY DAMAGED TRAIN TRAFFIC HELD UP Dominion Special Service. Auckland, February 6. A wagon on the 3.55 a.m. goods train from Auckland this morning, which was derailed near Whangamarino, six miles south of Mercer, damaged the main line considerably and held up train' traffic. A broken axle box was the cause of the accident. It is estimated that the wagon left the rails over two miles before the mishap was discovered. Tearing their way along the permanent track, the derailed wagon wheels cut some of the sleepers almost in halves where they were not covered with ballast. Passengers on the Limited express this morning stated that the damage to the track could be seen for some miles. Pieces of splintered sleepers were lying along the track, showing that the wagon must have left the rails long before the train was pulled up. Fortunately, the mishap was discovered before the points at Whangamarino were reached.

The derailed wagon was a tanker filled with petrol. These wagons are rather topheavy and sway when a train travels fairly fast. The accident occurred at 5.45 o’clock this morning, and repair gangs were sent from Mercer to assist in putting the wagon back on the rails, and in repairing the line for the Limited. As soon as this was done, the goods train was taken on to Whangamarino and the damaged wagon left at a siding.

The Limited express was a quarter of an hour late in leaving Frankton Junction, and lost more time at the scene of the mishap, as it had to be piloted slowlv over the damaged portion of the track. The train arrived in Auckland at 10.36 a.m.