THE MAIN TRUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21448, 23 March 1933, Page 10

THE MAIN TRUNK

WEEK'S WORK TO CLEAR

TRANSHIPPING PLANS

ESCAPE OF THE EXPRESS

CAES SINK IN SUBSIDENCE

CRASH ALARMS PASSENGERS

TRAIN STOPS PROMPTLY

[by telegraph —special reporter] TAUMARUNUI. "Wednesday

As a result of slips and subsidences, which in number and extent are without precedent in the history of tho Main Trunk railway, direct communication between Auckland and Wellington is not likely to be restored for over a week. A service will be maintained by transhipping passengers, luggago and mails at a gap in the line, caused by the undermining of the rails, five miles south of Tnumarunui.

The subsidence of a culvert at Okahukura, seven miles to the north of Taumaruriui, whero the engine and two cars of tho limited express which loft Auckland for Wellington on Tuesday evening were derailed, has been rcpairod sufliciently to allow trains to pass slowly. Passengers on the express experienced a remarkable escape from serious injury as the track across tho culvert had subsided to a depth of 4ft. when the last carriage passed over it. Mo6t of the train was in darkness at the time, and when the carriages began to rock and jolt passengers were startled, but almost as soon as they had realised that a mishap had occurred tho express was brought to a standstill.

Engine Starts to Sink

At. Ongarne fhe cnginedriver, Mr. S. Olive, bad received instructions to proceed slowly as it was feared that heavy rain might bring down slips. About six miles further south, as Ihe. express was Hearing Okahukura. along a portion of straight track, a culveit bridging a small torrent rushing from Mountain Gully was reached. The surface appeared to be sound, but as the engine crossed the rails began to sink, the subsidence becoming more pronounced as each carriage passed over it.

The rails were forced downward and at the same time twisted out of shape, while the carriages began to rock alarmingly. Fortunately, none of them left the lino on the culvert, which was 20ft. above the torrent. With the irregular motion all the couplings and drawbars were twisted out of shape, the carriages being forced against one another with heavy crashes and grinding.

Oars Leave Rails

After it had cleared the culvert a short distance the engine broke away from the remainder of the express, the Westinghouse brakes being automatically applied. The sudden application of the brakes to the swaying cars caused two of them, the second from the engine and the guard's van, to leave the rails, the train coming to a stop with the van only a short distance clear of the culvert. The engine stopped a short distance in front of tho remainder of the train, with its driving wheels off the line.

The passengers in the front carriages were not jolted to the 6ame extent as those in carriages at the back of the train, as with each succeeding carriage the subsidence became greater. The guard's van was heavily bumped about, the guard, Mr. E. Simpson, who was making his first trip on this section of the line, being thrown about his compartment. There were no signs of panic, but nearly all the passengers were alarmed by the experience.

" A Terrible Jolt "

I have never been in anything like it before, and I never want such an experience again," said one man, who is a fairly constant traveller ,on the Main Trunk line. ' Most people had come to think that tho line had settled down by now, and it was a- shock to find that such mishaps still occurred. When I felt the carriage give'a terrible jolt and then commence to roll wildly from side to sido I guessed at once what had happened, as did most of us. It was a tremendous relief when the train stopped so promptly." The noise associated with the tearing of the couplings and breaking of other running gear was the chief sensation of the accident to a worn am passenger. "We had just turned the light out and settled down for the night when wo felt the carriage heave and there was a terrible noise," she said. "It was terrifying in the darkness and we could not move. After the train stopped I fainted." Strength of Carriages

Most of the passengers express the opinion that had the express been composed of the old type wooden carriages instead of modern steel cars the accident would have proved far more ssrious. Although the cars were almost battered together they appeared to have suffered no damage, although in one or two cases the bodywork was slightlv twisted and windows could not be moved.

Immediately after the accident assistance was summoned from Okahukura, but as a goods train had run into a small slip betweon Okahukura and Taumarunui it was some time before a relief train could reach tho scene. The slip had first to be cleared. The relief train reached the express shortly after 3 a.m. Another breakdown train arrived from Frankton Junction a short time later with a large crane which, however, was not required as the ' engine and cars wore jacked back to the line without difficulty and the track restored.

The passengers spent the night in their carriages and shortly before 8 a.m. were conveyed to Taumarunui for breakfast. The express was taken to Okahukura in two parts and the mail and baggage forwarded to Taumarunui at 3.30 p.m. by a relief train. At 4 p.m. tho passengers and mail were despatched by a special express connecting with '.ho other delayed express at Manunui, where tliey were transhipped, being required to walk about eight, chains. POSITION AT TE KUITI TRAFFIC DISORGANISED [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] TE "KUITI, Wednesday Traffic is still disorganised here owing to the railway blockage. A consignment of livestock for tho south which arrived here last night had to be returned to Frankton. Heavy shipments of lime am being sent from all the lime works here and at Tlangatiki ami the yards arc bo coming congested.