Main Trunk Mishap

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 242, 26 September 1922, Page 3

Main Trunk Mishap

CARRIAGE COUPLING SNAPS. TRAIN DELAY I’D AN HOUR. | ENGINE DRIVER INJURED. Wellington, Sept. 25. A mishap occurred to the Main 5i link express which left Wellington at 12.45 p.m. to-day for Auckland. Shortly before 1 o’clock, when the train was at the Crescent road crossing, half way between Ngaio ami Khandallah, the draw bar at the rear I end of the third carriage from the cnI gine snapped, the break occurring underneath the carriage platform. The | steam pipe also broke and one of the I big heavy chain hooks connecting the third ami fourth carriages also opened out. The mishap occurred at a fairly steep incline, the grade at the point is in the vicinity of one in 40, but the breaking of the coupling meant that the Westinghouse brake was also applied automatically, and the train came to a dead stop immediately. she car on which the trouble arose, an empty car in front of it and the postal van next to the assistant engine (there were two engines hauling the tarin) were taken on to Khandallah, the intention being to place the damaged car on a siding and transfer the passengers into the empty car which had previously been sot apart to pick up a party of Maoris further up the line. After the damaged car had been left at Khandallah, the front portion of the train returned to Crescent road , to hitch up with the remaining carriages. When the train was being coupled together the driver, J. Meaehom, had his head crushed between the concertina shelters of two carriages. He was at once removed to the house of Mr Cousins on the main road between Ngaio and Khandallah and was attended by Dr. Bertram Wright, of Johnsonville. Later he was to be brought to the Wellington Hospital. The down express from Auckland was waiting at Khandallah for the up train to pass and arrangements were nt once made for the driver of the Wellington bound train to take the northward train on to Palmerston North. By good fortune a railway engine driver happened to be travelling as a passenger on the southern bound express and immediately took his place in the cab and brought the train to Wellington. The train reached Thorndon exactly one hour late. The northbound express left Khandallah at 1.58 p.m., being 50 minutes lato.