ON MAIN TRUNK LINE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 83, 7 April 1924, Page 8

ON MAIN TRUNK LINE

;W ; jSL!PS -AND WASHOUTS "IMPEDE :'f-' "S;;- :- •' « TRAFFIC I jf.:;. '.^;.'-. ' •'. •' ' ___; .. r. : .

GANGS WORK WELL

v.'. ":*■ .' •.) ■.'.'.. . ~r~. -, '.' ■ .-• . . ;..'-: '£' (tj TILBGRAPH.—SPECIAL 70 THI POST ) • %'* ■'■'£.. •■{ AUCKLAND, This Day. ' ; K " -,Z " The. trip .by 'the .Main Trunk express ■■;;:^ ,&rom Wellington to Auckland. on-S.atur-' >^r.:|<iay and Sunday is not likely to befor- ■:" '-' "gotten in a hurry by! those "who Bide ■ -:"" :fet.; Slips and washouts on.various parts .' }.-. .'"'■". :'is>f .the line caused delays' to* such" "an' ex}\v--- 7'Went that the f train", took.*, twenty-f ijiur.. .{'•'l'-V^jpurs to reach Auckland.. Although.the. j .-. ; .^passengers landed six hours late', :they -■:■;■ frwere exceedingly lucky to get through at ~'-:• ■. >?all .on . Sunday,, as in"•many-, places ..the •J- 'VJrain was still-.teeming .'Sown and placed i;'.■'--. .'portions of; the railroadfin a-precarious '■ ■'■■'■: ; ':..|positi6n'... JSlany slips arid washouts had1 ''..( ;.' i'and, despite the efforts of gangs- :. ';.' /Tof men. in 1 clearing the. lineXsufficiently ■/■ '■ J- itfor the eipress to.pass through,; the pos- : *' ■' ;;jßJbility-.,bfc. further ..trouble; was : .by no r-v; .imeans removed. • \-;:. • - '-.•,-;■'<■..-.* '■.'• ,''V '■}>: :.. ;J;.'The.country fromTaihape Jo" Auckland' ",'. V-^'as saturated so.inuchVthatfthe.'utm'ost >:.;..' :;|caution was .'.necessary- in.the running '.■■:-.'.'-.; -<•>' the trains!'..'On.certain..sections'of the' :."'-.< .'.'Jjune frequent inspections';, were being /:■•'/■ ;|taade:in order thaffany'impending trouble 'V;..-■-,•■ JBhould; b'e^uickly'jdetectediW-Much low-,. ;,;' v Syirigj-gountry- was>..nooded,«"and'in. some '' •' -' './'rplaces vthere;; was';danger! of.': :'the ';■ •■;:('it?' s^n^'-above;..the;railway-lineVl'while at '■•■.- ' Others watercoursesI,','.streams, ;>' ■ „.iand: rivers "'near- the''line; threatened, danA.-:.•■■;■>'•• jger'of further" wasHouts." '';7,i?.';''.•' y-/ •■ ;.; i: x?| ; -. TRbuBLE;UT^T ; HE!' SPIRAL A, ' ".; . * Pafeen^ere |6n the; express; "which; left*: ; ;,V Wellington atl2.4sfp;m: 6nSaturday did ;_,■■;.' Siipt learn of''the, heavy'.rairr' haying! af- .'. ■.1,..'-iected the. Main'TrVn'k'untir'they were till -on the way; Dhakune-was'reached ..... .time, 9-^. p.:m;:-';:';Here the"re-;was a v..;. • ; JPnS -■wait.oi^3i:;^oursii-:Slips"t-kiiicL wash- ■•'.'.'; "higher;:up,^mainiy v .oji „the<;SpiraV ... ■ |iiad ,caused, ,a;<<' complete blockade- ofVthe '•'•\ i ."Railway seh4ce'that.day".after;tne"squth- :- •:', • -Jijern express passed ihroiigßiin • the early .'• ;...;!"£aorning. . ; . „"< ', ■■'.';"■ '■;.'• v-Vg. It was ascertained;that'.-in. this district" ,-:. | : jthere.was aa re£ula.r> cloudburst on Friday. : ■■ f jPight, accounting "for rises, in the/rivers '.'• ' I-'F ..su,dden.,as to prevent farmers'■ from ■•v. • . :;^avmg all. their stock. '. On. the railway , Vi , /..jJine there were .numerous;blockades be- ;:,. . ■ jtw.een.Erua and .Taumarnuui, landslides •■■.",' i:.j??.well.as washouts. ' ■■At-Erua a prison '■ --agang.had ..assisted to'put the line in ;••■;; ■vorder'." •?'••"■•■ . - '■ '■'■' .-' ■■■ . '•'V -,'&■ Most qf ,the trouble/was'on the Spiral , ;,.s>nd a.work train-was semvou't on*Sat'' ;.:;,.vf^y;'n<>n l in». t lt..amved;-at^He-'Spiral; \:-r. \ :, .P-'^-i and tte gang-worked .untirin"- ---,.. i enough: for the up-train. Hundreds, of „: . ; :^ds of .ballast were heeded, and much .; ...falling, earth :had to be ■removed - The ;■,-,,. .; ; pperationa"were supervised by- the dis- .•■::■■•■■.-{.*«<*•■■ engineer, arid the .arduous task .; -Svae sp well carried out .under the very „ • •., «*Tymjj- conditions -,that.rthe\exiirßss; was '-•:. - :# bJe .^iPSfe^l on its ? iourney"fromc 'Oha-; :;• ■'■;|:; ."passenger" Collapses.■;■■.■ ■.' : k':\f, ;It w« about", to 'be.resumed at/12 20 ja-m.when a passenger-collapsed: ' McdiVV^■"^? 0?i?^- Callea ' the' doctor^ .-.^ordered that_the .young..man,., whose, name ■ .•.■.-?» believed' to be~ Hughes, be removed wpni-the-train.^iThe man;iad.just been : . discharged from hospital. Those ' who - lent assistance in attending the case iri- - '.f;i u?, ed %■ ■■ F. J. M'Comisky,-late sec-' •,. retary of the-Wellington 'Rugby-.Union?' ': 4,' iTn' B express finally cleared phakune at- -.,-: A 2.45 a .m. ..; Except .'for. "the. woidc train .;•.. - auoiJier./slpw: train,-which left.Oha-, ;-fcuna aboutv midnight;, the Sorth-'bound; ..: : was the only one to pass,.through' ■... .' :ithe Ohaknne-Taumarunui section- since ;: "■. night's South express.\ ' '':'•'-.;.' ■ ; \;l;;;M;U:nen;yiable'job. v:; v J All day Saturday the stafi at the dis- .-..■■- iitrict oflace had a trying time,""and some ■■", JtPiembers went'without a mealfor tjvelve ; :.. -*houjs..-_:.sy'orke ; rp .oil the lines., had an job^in the rain'and mud. ■.'.. j t-iobdstrairis were held up" at Kaurimu,i iriOwhango, and Kakahi.. The ...blockages, .■ v.> -due to the effect of rain on'the papa ■ : f and pumice, formation, included one ;,,- £ washout; fifty long -and- three; feet - ■/.JdeeE.',, Except for ;a washout at. Kariqi. ' > Mast-month, there-had'been.no-'trouble oh '-,;.. .| the 'line since the Ongariie' disaster; but' '.v ■■.'.,'.i6wing. r tQ.:.thß';pepuJiar .formation x of the '..! .',!;; country, patrolling ; is", done ''day 'and! ■-.■.,'"jlU2ht. ':' '■'..' ( . ■• -:' ■■■'■ '■''" ' .' s - ...'.--.: , ■ ;■'..•■ -i '.Reveriihg^'tp .'''the'"; express'"'journey. -:;. 'tnor^ward;' progress-was "slqw. fronr: Oha- r' |knne to Waipiarino, particularly where, .'■■'..•'..' ::itho' washout.t.occurred,;'.at:;.Eruay' The ;:. .) train. cra>v)ed'down the Spiral; where men .'■■ '..' iwere stationed at intervals and signalled -..' "shy 'means', of-lights-'and fires the various ■ ■/•"■-. -Idanger spote." "In" the dark.it, was a altiw.'. ■':. ■']'-■■ i haza.rdou?:.tripr but"- it '■ was - acdomplished - :.■-•/; ■ successfully;' arid from Raurimu good |':■-..' iprogress was made tp-Frankton, ..where . :.- .. ■vthe""epcpress v*was;"f6ur hours, late. Here '. •' .'•,* again; rain was cbiriing ddwn 'in tor- ... ;: : yir'ents. -and for-^th&ilest of the', journey ,; .-■; .w^greffev^h^wprse. „ '■ '( ' V-^fi " Bl^SapS^t-'PAERAT^.,:-;-:' -.-■',.!.':J .Word.was, passed around that-there ■ ' .'";f*as arjotfier^slip'";up the line,, and that's ■ ',''■: s,:-f'''/woul.i';l?"e':ali case of get out and, .walk' ■" 'ijfor. soine v distance;; at;/any" rate. The pa»--I|^engera»hoped-for^th but the'guard- -, f.^did notneip Jthem "b'y.Eis announcement:.. ..' : :|''llefieshmeh'ts'- i ;at',-,Mercer i this: moitiing.• '■'■ :^Change.jat ;the/slip.!';. The' slip was a i.■ ' ivsjils-above Paerata;»3B milbs south■ of .■ . SAuckUarrf. i>Thq.ugK-»|."'.big one, (hundreds ■ "...&(' tonsjp'fA.clay.!*.coijiing''down. on the line, .-" . ;. |it was':{cle'ared;by working all night and '.;'.' '•-. -^nornirig, so .that, the change to . ■' '. ?another Jbraiii. was unnecessary. 'There ' .'■ Jwas a long'jWJpt,;however, before-.the line ; itwas tested^ and"; passei as secure for .the -■■.'•'' fexpress to "crawl-over tho poiti6ri affects : led. The', remainder "6f the journey: was i-without any. [further hold-ups, and when .'Aucklandwas reached;one and all were " "sglad theHryingiltime was over. '.'.':,.. „