RAILWAY SMASH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 31 July 1926, Page 5

RAILWAY SMASH

HOW IT HAPPENED.

SEVENTEEN WAGGONS WRECKED

WARILY MORNING SCENES

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, July 30. The smash to .the .special express goods train from Auckland to Wellington on Thursday night- is one of the biggest that has occurred on the New Zealand railways. “No. 243.” as it- is known to railway men ,laf't, on time and consisted of 51 vehicles. "When it was approaching Pokeno, about half a mile on the Auckland ;side: of the station, there is a curve, and when the train was negotiating it the twenty-seventh waggon from the engine, and one which was in the middle of the rake of trucks jumped the rails. j)t travelled! on the sleepers for some distance before the waggons behind it stopped. On account of the train parting at that point the foie part continued its journey through, the station - on the main line, and when opposite a point between “up” distance and “home” signals, the- derailed waggon hit a “frog” guarding the points on the running track), causing sixteen vehicles behind i.t- to jump the rails and laud 1 on the side of (the line.

The damaged ear then toppled over on its side, the seventeen trucks and their contents being piled up in confusion. In the meantime the front part of -the train was 1 brought to a standstill, w.itli no damage to the engine and 17 waggons behind it. iDisciiss-in-g the accident this morning, the passengers on the “Limited” express described the scene of the accident as appalling. The Hon. G. J. Garland 1 , who was a passenger from Wellington, said the track had been torn up for a. distance, of half a. mile and the permanent'way wa,s much damaged. Railway waggons were broken and twisted, -and pants of them had been hurled some distance away. When the “Limited” reached Alerter some ,50 workmen had been assembled and .they were taken to the scene- of the mishap to- assist in clearing the main line of wreckage. Both the ordinary express and the “Limited” negotiated the deviation at a very slow pace without difficulty, although the clearance between the- carriages and the wrecked! waggons was only about an incli. The deviated track bad to be placed in such close proximity to the wreckage so as to- avoid making a cutting.

There iare pianos mixed up with agricultural implements, drapery with dog biscuits, and two trucks of commercial samples scattered all over the place. One. big waggon did a complete somersault, twisting the couplings and chains 1 in its short acroibatic career, and then landed on top of the waggon in front of it.

Ait Pokeno Porter Drinan- was on duty. He bad just- watched the train go through, when he he<i r<L a report “like- a thousand guns going off.” Realising that something serious had happened he immediately called up the station master (Air. R. N. Milliard), though this was hlardly necessary, for with the sound of crashing timber Air AliLlard hopped out of l>ed and took charge. The breakdown train, was under the direction of Mr. J. K. Lowe, districtengineer, Ali- iW. Martin, locomotive foreman, and Air. J. Gordon, inspector, got to work in clearing the read so as to prevent any undue delay to train running. The officers and men are to be congratulated on .their .good work.

The scene at an early hour was picturesque. the great flare lamps lighting up the dark forms of men hard at work. Those residents who had gone to bed were awakened by the loud crash. One lady thought it was a cyclone and the .smashing of the waggons .was the uprooting of . trees, and she waited in terror for her house to be blown: away. Amusing incidents in #onnedtion with the event were the actions taken by the guard .and the driver. Both, owing to the rattle of the train did not hear the smash and, thinking it was a hurst AVestinghouse hose that had pulled the train up, thev picked up their respective spare hoses and hurriedly made for the spot. Then they found themselves separated from one another by the debris. The damaged) waggons- were bound for the following places: Hamilton (3). Frankton (2). Te Awamutu (3). Otorohanga (1), Te Kuiti (S'). Taumarunui (3), Okahune (1), and Wanganui (1).