SHUNTING MISHAP

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 24, 28 December 1942, Page 2

SHUNTING MISHAP

JAR TO PASSENGERS

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 2S. i When a rake of two engines and five carriages hit the rest of a train due to leave Christchurch last evening for Timaru the passengers wen jarred but all, it is understood, escaped injury. However, in the shunting mishap two carriages were badly damaged, the platforms telescoping, while two others were slightly damaged. The two carriages were derailed and the main line at the station was out of action for some time until breakdown gangs finished their work. The accident happened at 6.45 p.m., and it was not until 10.30 p.in. that the main line was clear again. Just before tho train was duo to pull out for Timaru and after the passengers had taken their seats the train examiner suspected there was a defect in the fifth carriage and that officer declared that the carriago would have to be put off. Tho train was broken in two and the two engines and five cars then went ahead to shunt the suspected car on to a siding. Then the examiner found that tho car did not have a defect and the five cars were shounted back to the remainder of tho train. With a resounding crash the two portions of the train met and the second and third carriages from tlie engines came together hard and the platforms disappeared in a mass of wreckage, though fortunately the liodics of the cars did noi telescope. There were passengers in four of tho five cam being shunted, but there were none in the carriago suspected of having a defect. As far as the railway officials knew the passengers suffered nothing worse than, a jarring, although one woman complained of shock both apparently recovered in time to make tho journey south.