ANOTHER DERAILMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22952, 9 May 1938, Page 10

ANOTHER DERAILMENT

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS INVOLVED ACCIDENT NEAR CLARENDON OYSTER WAGON LEAVES RAILS The midnight express from Invercargill to Christchurch was involved in an accident near Clarendon at 10.45 last night, a wagon containing oysters leaving the rails and being dragged for nearly a quarter of a mile along the track before the train was brought to a stop. The mishap was due to a broken tyre on the front set of bogey wheels of the wagon, which was directly behind the seven carriages. Consequently the passengers were unaware that anything untoward had occurred until the express was brought to a standstill. The crew evidently felt the succession of jolts at once, and the brakes were applied promptly. The wagon was one of four, and it is considered an extremely lucky circumstance that the other set of wheels did not leave the track and cause a general smash up of the wagons; The express was travelling fairly fast along this section, but there was only minor damage to the permanent way. The train was duo at Dunedin at 10.57, and the goods wagons were immediately uncoupled and the remaining portion of the train taken to Dunedin, where it wits delayed an hour before proceeding for the north. The goods in the wagons were transhipped at Otokia. . A breakdown train left for the scene of the accident shortly after 1 a.m.. and the damaged wagon was temporarily repaired and taken to Dunedin at 9 o’clock this morning. There was no interruption to traffic. The Railways Department is holding an inquiry into the mishap.