TRACK FLOODED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23015, 18 April 1938, Page 11

TRACK FLOODED

main trunk railway WASH-OUTS NEAR MARTON TWO EXPRESSES DELAYED SATURDAY NIGHT DOWNPOUR Wash-outs and flooding 011 the Main Trunk line near Rata, 10 miles north of Jlarton, on Saturday night caused considerable delays to several trains, particularly the Wellington-Auckland express, which was held up for about four hours 20 minutes. Fortunately the flood , waters subsided almost as quickly as they had arisen, so that workmen standing by were able to inake au immediate start with repairs. The flooding and damage to the track followed abnormally heavy rain which fell throughout Saturday afternoon. At a point about a milo north of .Rata a culvert proved too small for the volume of water, which soon spread over the track for a short distance to a maximum depth of about 4ft., ajid also undermined the rails in places. Similar damage to the track occurred several chains further north. Rapid Rise of Water The rate at which the water rose is indicated by the fact that at 7.15 p.m. a train carrying members of the Christchurch Corsair Social Club on an excursion to Rotorua was able to negotiate the line, but 25 minutes later the Wellington-Auckland express was unable to get through. The express returned to Marton, where the passengers resigned themselves to waiting until the line should be clear again. In the meantime surfacemen were despatched to the scene of the flooding to stand by in readiness to carry out whatever repair work might be necessary. The waters began to recede at ,about eight o'clock, and an hour later it was possible to make an examination of the track. Where washouts had,occurred the holes were temporarily filled with sleepers and by 11 o'clock the line was sufficiently safe to pillow traffic to pass over it. Resumption of Traffic The exprtes continued its journey north about 50 minutes later. More delays were encountered further north and it reached Auckland at 12.1S p.m., 5 hours 18 minutes behind schedule. Another train affected by the flooding was a mixed train, travelling behind the express from Marton to Taihape, which was held at Porewa, south of Rata, from 8.20 p.m. until after midnight. The Auckland-Wellington express rtas held at Taumarunui for 22 minutes and, after subsequent delays, passed through I?ata at 4.10 a.m., 1 hour 15 minutes late. More permanent repairs to the track were affected by the crew of a work train which arrived at the scene from Wanganui at 2.00 a.m. yesterday. Two hours were spent in filling the washouts with bal/ast.

ELECTRICAL STORM SIGNAL GEAR AFFECTED LIGHTS AGAINST TRAINS FURTHER HOLD UP CAUSED As the result of an intense electrical itorm in the Waikato yesterday morning, automatic power signals on the railway between Frankton and Pukekohe were thrown out of gear at intervals between 8.20 a.m. and noon and two trains-travelling to Auckland were briefly delayed. It was fortunate that the storm occurred on a Sunday when traffic was light, . as otherwise much greater disorganisation might have occurred. When they would normally have indicated that theline was clear and that trains could proceed, several signals showed adverse lights requiring all traffic to stop. Before they could continue the drivers of the two trains affected had to receive instructions from the train control office at Auckland authorising them to proceed. Already nearly five hours late, mainly as a result of flooding and wash-outs on the line north of Marton, the Well-ington-Auckland express was further delayed and did not reach Auckland until 12.18 p.m., instead of 7 a.m. lho usual Sunday excursion train lrom Frankton reached Auckland at 10.57 a.m., 27 minutes behind schedule.

SUNSHINE RETURNS damage TO TARANAKI roads CATTLE'AND SHEEP LOSSES [By TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT] NEW PLYMOUTH, Sunday After several days of rain laranaki *"as bathed in sunshine to-day. The only damage caused by the rain *as in the country east of Stratford, and even that is not as serious as •Mined likely when considerable areas tt'ere under water. The Stratford-Main Trunk railway has been repaired, but some roads are 'till covered with slips. Some cattle and sheep were lost, and considerable damage was done to fencing. The main Taranaki highway, which in a number places is undergoing extensive reconstruction, has in those places been reduced to a quagmire, causing much Inconvenience to the exceptionally heavy Easter traffic. The" return of sunny leather, however, will quickly improve the surface. 'lhe rainstorm did not greatly affect t®mpo ratures, which are still high.

THUNDER AT HAMILTON HEAVY FALLS OF MAIN [FHOM Of U OWN CORRESPOND ENT ] HAMILTON, Sunday . A considerable amount of rain foil ' n Hamilton during the Easter holidays.. For the 21 hours ended 9 a.m. on Saturday .42in. of rain was recorded, makin< r the rainfall for the D'onth 1.97 in. 3 Ihe weather was overcast but fine ypterdny morning, but halfway through the al'tornoon there .was a »p«vy douvnitour. Heavy rain fell last j'l-lht, and between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. MHlny there was a severe thunder>|orm and a torrential downpour. Later the weather cleared, and it was bright Bihl j or ie remainder of the day.