MAIN TRUNK GOODS TRAIN DERAILED

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1935, Page 5

MAIN TRUNK GOODS TRAIN DERAILED

AFTER FUMES IN TUNNEL GAS LOCO MEN

Fifteen Waggons and Engine Leave Rails

(Per Press Association.) TAUMARUNUI, July 30. An unusual railway accident, due to r the loco men being gassed while passing through a tunnel, from engine tunics, occurred at 2 o’c'oek this morn- > ing to a goods train that was proceed- ■ ing from Taumarunui to Te Kuiti, after having been about a couple of hours on the way. The train comprised 40 waggons, in which there were live stock, and the load was one of 324 tons, compared with the maximum load of 340 tons allowed for an “A.A.” engine on a goods train. The derailment of the train actually occurred after the train had passed through the Porootarao tunnel, in which both the driver. Westneath, and the fireman, J. Reedy, were gassed by fumes, and rendered unconscious. Thus the train emerged from the tunnel without a driver and went on to a sideline crashing into the Samson post, and turned over down the bank. As well as the engine, fifteen trucks were derailed. Twenty-five waggons, with the guard’s van. remained on the line. When the guard went forward he found the engine wheels spinning and the thrott’e still open. No one was injured, but the driver and fireman wore taken to Taumarunui/ am] sent to the hospital for medical attention, still suffering from the effects of the fumes and shock. Passengers, who were in the guard’s van, in charge of the live stock in the trucks, assisted the guard to lift the drive/** and fireman from the cab of the engine. Tn the fresh air they soon recovered. A down-coming goods train arrived five minutes after the derailment, and reported that a large number of live stock were killed. Three truck-loads of live stock from Taumarunui behind the engine were all mangled. ' On arriva l at Taumarunui. the , driver and fireman were ab e to walk to the ambulance. The rood’s train had left Taumarunui for Te Kuiti at 11.10 p.m. The engine was not steaming well and wtien massing through the 53-chain tunnel at the apex of two grades, the driver and fireman felt the effects of the smoke, winch was probahlv accentuated hx tiip jtbcipneo of wind and by the humid ntmnsnher’cal conditions. The train M-nM switched to the side lino to enable a train from the north to pas*, otherwise it would have proceeded along the main trunk, with perhaps worse results. While the train was being placed in the siding for the purpose nf crossing another goods train, it fotded the buffer at the dead end. overturning the engine. and eight trucks of dnirv cattle and four trucks of sheen, ki’ling several cattle and sheen. The engine was lying on its side and eleven trucks piled up at the side of the track and dead and dying stock were scattered about. I The driver and fireman were badly •

shaken, and suffering from the effects of smoke, but apparently were not seriously injured. Traffic was delayed for four hours. The line was cleared at six o’clock. The first express from Wellington had a four hours’ wait at Waimiha. T‘hc Limited from Wellington waited one hour at Taumarunui, and an hour at Waimiha. When the first express reached Waimiha, a call was made for a doctor. and Dr. Ritchie of the Public Ilea th Department, and E. B. Boisen, a St. John's Ambulance worker, responded. Railway officials obtained a motor car, and the party set out over difficult roads for Porootarao. The journey was only six miles, but it took two hours, as it had to be completed on foot. Boisen said that both men had an astonishing escape.. They had been extricated with much difficult}’ from a manhole in the top of the cab, and were only semi-conscious. They could not speak coherently, but seemed 10 be greatly worried over the smash. Their condition is not regarded as serious, but both are suffering acutely from shock. The Limited and the Main Trunk express arrived at Auckland as one train, at 12.15 this afternoon.