RUNAWAY ENGINE

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3247, 18 January 1926, Page 13

RUNAWAY ENGINE

A TEN MILE DASH. SIGNALMAN SAVES TRAIN AHEAD A heavily-laden goods train was bound for Sydney on Sunday week, and shortly after, passing through tfauiconbrjdge, the automatic coupling between the truck behind the engine and the rest of the train snapped. The Westlnghouse brake went on at onoe, bringing the long train to a standstill, and the driver and fireman seeing at once what had happened, shunted back to pick up the train, again. The fireman jumpsd down to make the couplihg, and Just as h© did so the lest of the train moved down the line, bumping heavily into the tender The shock threw the driver off the engine, which started to career down the line, and soon gathered terrific speed. Evidently the Impact had thterfered with the brakes. On rushed the engine, through Sprlngwood, Valley Heights, and Blaxland, but the signalman at Blakland junction checked Its mad career. He had been informed of the runaway by the train crew, and switched the poirts over just in time /

Diverted on to a side-line, the engine crashed through a dead-end and toppled over, being considerably damaged. It was a big engine of the “T, F." type. V ' Just ahead of the runaway were two heavily-laden stock trains, and the promptness of +he signalman averted grave danger of a smash. Passenger traffic was delayed for over an hour while an engine from Valley Heights took the train to SpringV'-jOd, whence It came on to Sydney, after thjj passenger trains had been sent through.