RAIL-CARS AND BRIDGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 67, 16 September 1936, Page 6

RAIL-CARS AND BRIDGES

(To the Editor.) Sir—l would like to inquire through your' columns if the New Zealand Railways intend to leave the gates open on the Ngawapurua Bridge, four miles south of Woodville, when railcars are passing over; if so, the practice will be extremely dangerous: as shown by my experience. On Sunday, September 6, shortly before lunch time, I was travelling, towards Woodville. Seeing the gates of the bridge open, I proceeded across. When less than half-way over, one x of my passengers was horrified to see a railcar following closely behind us. As the condition of the bridge makes a fast crossing by car impossible, all I could do was to keep straight ahead, while my passengers watched the railcar coming closer and closer. Had a car been crossing the bridge from the north end, there would have been serious danger. This is certainly a question which should be settled, as,motorists are forced to depend on the closing of the gates when a train is cross-big-lam, etc., C .W.a [The Railway Department (to which the letter was referred) states that "C.W.D." has evidently overlooked the fact that the railcar is in a position no different from that of a motor-lorry following a motor-car over the bridge because it can be just as easily controlled as either road vehicle. There' was thus no more necessity for alarm in the circumstances related than would have been if the following vehicle had been a motor-lorry or a motor-car. When the railcar entered upon the bridge at the south end the motor-car was practically off the bridge at the north end, and when the railcar cleared the bridge at the north end the motor-car was at least a quarter of a mile away from the bridge. Although there is actually no real necessity for it, the same precautions will be taken in regard to a railcar travelling over a combined bridge'as-in the case with a steam train, but on the Sunday referred to by the ■ correspondent no steam trains were running and it was not necessary to bring a bridge-keeper on duty merely for the purpose of seeing the railcars over the bridge. The driver Of the railcariis in; a very much better.'position.; to • e6ntr.pl-, his vehicle than is the driver :of a road vehicle and both are, according to the regulations, required to keep their speed, crossing the bridge; down to six miles [per hour.] !