TRAIN SERVICE RESTORED.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 September 1928, Page 5

TRAIN SERVICE RESTORED.

LOOP LINE AT PALMERSTON. NORTH AND SOUTH PASSENGERS TRANSFERRED. MAIL MATTER CHECKED AND SORTED. (By Telegraph—Press Association). PALMERSTON N., Thig Lay. With the completion of a loop line at the Scene -Of the derailment, the Main Trunk express passed; through Palmerston North only half an hour behind schedule time. 3 Passengers on the ; Limited express last evening who spent the night here were transhipped to the south-bound Limited at the scene of the mishap. The latter train then left for Auckland. Passengers ;on /the down’ .train who were brought to .Palmerston joined- the night Limited, which returned to Wellington. It is expected that the ordinary schedule will be maintained from now on Until the line is repaired. There were four vans of mail matter on the wrecked train, including English mails from the steamer Devon for Wellington and the South Island. These latter were sent forward by the seven o’clock train this morning. It is estimated that 196 bags were carried. Although the contents of the vans were scattered in alb directions, only a few were badly crushed. A postal .gang worked all ..night checking and sorting the confused mail matter. The i full extent of the damage will not be known until the mails reach their ; destination. Some of the bags were pinned fast and had to be cut open to allow of the re--moval of the contents. .The arduous task was completed at 4 a.m., with the exception of two bags which were inextricable, but which were later released when the wreckage was levered away. In face of these hardships, there was only a. two or three hours’ delay in the arrival of the mail at its destination. EFFICIENCY OF WESTINGHOUSE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. An experienced traveller among the passengers commented that but for the efficiency of the Westinghouse brakes, serious loss of life would probably have been involved. He paid tribute to the prouipt organisation by the railway anti'-postal staffs whose enterprise was a commendable feature. WOfeST IN HISTORY OF DISTRICT SUGAR AND CASEIN SCATTERED ALONG LINE. rßy Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. With the arrival of a crane early this morning, the work of removing the derailed trucks commenced, and was continued throughout the day, but it is not expected that the main line will be cleared and rebuilt until to-morrow night and it is expected that all evi-. deuce of the accident will be removed by Sunday. The smash is the biggest oil the line in this district prdbably in the' history of the Railway Department. The, cause of the accident has not definitely been ascertained. A truck came off the line for ’ some unknown reason and after going some distance, struck the points at a siding. There after the. rails spread causing the derailment of from twenty to twenty-two wagons. The, permanent way is very badly damaged, the- sleepers being torn into fragments, the rails badly out of alignment, while the wooden vans were reduced to matchwood Strangely enough the guard and passen gers only ■' felt a slight jar, several trucks remaining on the line between the carriages and the derailed portion of the train. Goods were scattered all along the line of the mishap, including sugar, and powdered casein. Five trucks of the latter were among those derailed, the powder and sugar being spile in profusion. The derailed wagons, which are able to run, will be placed back on the line and brought into Palmerston North while those that are badly damaged will be brought in in bogey wagons. A complete telephone service to the scene of the mishap was rigged up at 1.30 a.m. with direct communication between the engineers on/the job ; .and, the train control office in Wellington as well as the local and Feilding stations. The first account"' of the derailment nppears ou page