ENGINE DERAILED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 12

ENGINE DERAILED

MISHAP AT MERCEK CRASH INTO SIGNAL BOX GOODS TRAFFIC DELAYED [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] MERCER, Wednesday Struck by an engine drawing a rake of" 33 waggons which had left the rails, tho signal box at the south end of the Mercer railway station was considerably damaged last evening and 'the signalling system was thrown out of gear. Goods traffic was delayed, but by this evening tho locomotive had been restored to the rails and the damage repaired. The engine was engaged in shunting trucks,., mostly laden with bluo metal, out of the wharf siding. As it approached the points a rail broke and, with brakes applied, tho engine ploughed on through the sand ballast for approximately another 23ft., striking the corner of the signal house and shattering it for tho height of the ground floor compartment, and to a depth of about a foot on ono wall and five feet on the other. The whole building was forced slightly out of plumb and this threw the signalling system out of gear. Alarming Experience

Feeling the engine tilt under their feet and glide on into tho signal box was a rather startling experience for the driver, Mr. R. Corry. and fireman. Mr. J. Muir, but it was tho signalman. Mr. W. Hodge, who was in the control room in the upstairs compartment, who had the greatesu cause for alarm. Ho was cleaning the windows when the crash occuireu. _iie escaped with scratches and bruises caused when detonators, an oil lamp and other movable _ contents ot the signal box fell on him. . , The replacing of tho engine on tho rails proved a long and arduous task. Tho help of a gang of 42 men who are at Mercer cutting away the hill over the tunnel a few chains south of the railway yards They worked on through the night, clearing the soil from under the side where the engine had sunk down. Md with jacks and blocks raising it up. Locomotives Requisitioned The main line was cut and switched over temporarily on to the siding to enable four other locomotives to come in and give a combined pull to hring the derailed engine out. However, the gear, which comprised wire rope and draw bar, failed to stand the strain at that stage, and patient work with jacks and ground packing was conTliis afternoon 'the use of two locomotives was requisitioned and with frequent pulls, gaining sometimes a few inches and at others a foot or two, the derailed engine was gradually brought back on to the line. Passenger traffic was little affected by the mishap, the trains beine brought into the station by hand signal and worked through on a loop, iho taking of goods train locomotives to pull out the derailed engine disorganised soods traffic somewhat. The signal house bad been straightened and the signalling system restored to use by this evening.

EXPRESS TRAINS LATE DELAYS CAUSED AT CROSSINGS In consequence of the mishaps at Palmerston North and Mercer on Tuesday, and subsequent delays at crossings, express trains from Wellington reached Auckland considerably behind schedule vesterday morning. The train due at 7.6 a.m. was almost exactly three hours late, reaching Auckland at 10.7 a.m., and the limited express, due at 9.40 a.m.. did not arrive until 11 a.m. ACCIDENT AT NEWMARKET SLIGHT DELAY TO TRAINS Slight delay was caused to Northern train services last evening by the derailment near the Newmarket station of a combined carriage and guard's van on the 5.22 train from Auckland to Waitakere. No serious disorganisation resulted from the accident, although it occurred when several suburban trains were running, and the service was back to normal in 15 minutes, trains being diverted to a longer: route. A small gang, using jacks, restored the carriage to the rails.