SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 10

SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.

~ AN UNINVITING SPOT. THE EXTENT OF THE SLIP. NO HOUSES. IN THE VICINITY [B* ITXEGBAPH. —OWN COBJIESPONDENT.] HAMILTON, Tuesday. Hilly, fern-covered country surrounds the scene of the accident which occurred to the north-bound Main Trunk express this morning. It appears to be a particularly desolate and uninviting spot, and there are no habitations near a* hand. The accident occurred at the 138--mile pec, two miles south ..of the Puketniu flag station. The railway line cuvS through a range of hills and two sharp curves occur, within a few chains. Near the scene of the accident are two cuttings with a filling in between. On the east and west of the filling the country falls away and a sharp declivity occurs on the western side. The engine ran into some 50 tons of earth and papa and came to a stop on the northern side of the second cutting. A scene similar to that presented at the Ongarue disaster in July last was witnessed this morning at Kopaki. The surrounding country was very similar in appearance. The engine stood upright on a bend in the track between the sides of a deep cutting. It was bespattered with mud, but the only damage noticeable was a bent oow-catcher. Shortly after 10 o'clock a gang of 20 men under Mr. W. Maloney, locomotive foreman at . Frankton, was employed in endeavouring to place the driving wheels of the engine on the rails. The rails were not damaged. A very difficult task confronted them, for the engine was of tho heavy AB type, and weighed 97 tons. The sharp bend where the engine pulled up and the lack of room available between the cutting where she stood aggravated the position. The relief train was coupled up and guiding irons were placed in position. Tho detailed engine had steam up, and with the relief train united efforts were made to pull the driving wheels on to the track. Tha attempts at that stage were unsuccessful and the relief train returned to Te Kuiti.

THE LINE NOW CLEAR.

REPLACING THE ENGINE. ONE HUNDRED TON LIFT. [B* TKLXC&AFH. — COIUIESPOKDBXT.] TE KTJITI, Tuesday. The operation of jacking up the 100-ton locomotive which was derailed near Kopaki was exceedingly difficult and arduous. The track had to be cleared of the rock and papa under which it was buried, and the engine raised with heavy screw jacks. This was finally accomplished about 2 p.m., and at 3 o'clock the engine and carriages arrived at the Te Kuiti platform. Beyond a dent in the cowcatcher and a few lids missing from the grease boxes on the axles, the engine was undamaged. A footboard on one of the carriages was smashed, and the front of the engine 3nd the whole train was plastered in clay. The gangers on the line state that while it is probable that the rails at the scene of the accident are, out of plumb, they should be quite safe for the passage of to-night's express. The bolts on the fish-plates of the rails were cut clean off in some places. The Te Kuiti station staff have had an exceedingly busy day, and had their work cut out in the issuing and carrying out of instructions connected with the rearrangement of the time-tables and the despach of the relief trains.

MAIN TRUNK EXPRESSES.

NORTHBOUND LITTLE LATE. Information was received by the railway traffic department at a late hour . last night to the effect that all local lines wore clear and that no obstacles had been encountered on the Main Trunk line. The express which left Auckland for Wellington last evening reached Frankton Junction a few minutes behind schedule time. The north-bound Main Trunk express was 25 minutes behind time at Taumarunui.