SPECTACULAR ACCIDENT

Grey River Argus, 15 June 1946, Page 4

SPECTACULAR ACCIDENT

WHEEL COMES OFF GOODS TRAIN No One Injured P.A. AUCKLAND, June 14. Three trucks and a guard’s van of a fast south-bound goods express were derailed at Otorohanga at four o’clock this afternoon. The train, which was travelling at speed and not intended to stop at Otorohanga, was approaching the station when a passer-by noticed a wheel fly off one of the trucks. There was then a grinding roar and the last three .trucks and the guard’s van left the line. One truck fell completely over, while the remainder stood upright at rakish angles. Before becoming disconnected from the train, one of the trucks smashed into and wrecked a water tank at the side of the line. The remainder of the train ran on for a few hundred yards and was pulled up just south of the Otorohanga station.

The guard of the train was travelling in the van. He suffered a severe shaking, but soon recovered. No one was injured. As other yard lines were available no serious dislocation of the Main Trunk railway services resulted Several through trains went through Otorohanga after the derailment by using a loop.