ACCIDENTS ON THE WELLINGTON AND FEATHERSTON RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 372, 19 March 1879, Page 2

ACCIDENTS ON THE WELLINGTON AND FEATHERSTON RAILWAY.

A series of mishaps occurred on the Wellington and Featherston railway yesterday, causing some slight disarrangement of tho traffic, although, fortunately, thoy were of a trifling nature. The first accident happenod to one of tho Neilson bogie engines, which should have brought in the 2.35 train from Upper Hutt Tlio engine was ongaged in shumting some trucks in the Upper Hutt station yard, preparatory to making up tho train, when the cow-catcher accidentally fouled one of the points which, owing to some obstruction, hnd not closed properly, tho result being that the cow-catcher was broken and the engine thrown off the rails. 1 his necessarily caused somo delay in starting tho train, as another engine had to bs telegraphed for from town, it being a work of considerable time to get the derailed locomotive on the line again. The train was detainod altogether 38 minutes. The second accident occurred at tho Summit, to one of tbe Avonside enginos, which was bringing down a special goods train, and through fouling the points, which were not fully open owing to some unexplained hitch iv their working, ran with all six wheels clear off the rails- Every effort was used to replace it in time to bring on the 3.20 p.m. train from Featherston, which leaves the Summit at 4 20 p m., into town, but without effect, and on the arrival of the train at the Summit it was decided to sonrt it forward with the Fell engine which bad pushed it up the iodine. Tiie Fell accordingly was uncoupled and sent round to the front of the train which it brought on to Kaitoke, where tho 3 p.m. down t p ain from Wellington was waiting to cross. The two trains then exchanged engines, the Foil going back with the down traiu, and the Avonside returning to town with the up train, which attired only about ten minutes lat-. Thus there was hardly any interruption of traffic, and the engines wore put all right again to-day at the Petoni workshops.