CLEARING THE SLIPS.

Grey River Argus, 11 May 1923, Page 5

CLEARING THE SLIPS.

Departmental Doings. “When the minor slips are cleared we hope to be able to transfer passengers across the larger ones,” said a responsible railway officer to an “Argus” reporter yesterday. The Department, he said, had that morning sent through a locomotive from Greymouth. The locomotive had been taken through the tunnel by two of the smaller locos, from Otira, and one of the battery engines, just lately brought across, for the through service, on the completion of the tunnel. This was the first business trip made by the battery engine. There are a number of slips on the Arthur’s Pass line to be cleared and a full gang of men, from Otira. under command of Mr R. S. Kent, District Engineer, went through the tunnel' to help in the clearing of the line. He did not expect that any work would have been done yesterday, as it would bo late in the afternoon by the time the men arrived on the scene of the trouble. The railway service, he considered, would not be a through one for some time, though once the smaller obstructions were out of the road, passengers would, in all probability, be transferred from the Churstchurch train into one from Arthur’s Pass. “They might have to walk a little distance,” said the officer, “but they should not mind that. Of course, travellers will not be able to get a number of hampers through, and only limited luggage will be allowed ”