TENDER DERAILED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27171, 29 August 1949, Page 4

TENDER DERAILED

LIMITED EXPRESS STOPS ON VIADUCT DISASTER AVERTED PA NEW PLYMOUTH, Aug. 28. Grinding to a standstill its emergency brakes applied, the Wel-lington-Auckland express, with the locomotive tender derailed, stopped on Saturday night on the Makatotoe Viaduct, the highest in New Zealand, which towers 200 feet above the Makatote Stream. The check rails of the decking prevented the derailed wheels from running out and allowing a disastrous accident to occur. The viaduct lies six miles ?QUth of National Park. As the train was approaching it, the front pair of wheels of the leading bogie of the tender became derailed and were dragged along the permanent wav and on to. the viaduct with the first and second carriages. There was no panic among the passengers. The danger of allowing the passengers to disembark from the carriages on the viaduct was immediately realised by two railwaymen from National Park who were passengers in the leading carriage. They took immediate steps to warn all concerned of tne danger. The locomotive crew, assisted by an Auckland engine driver who was also a' passenger, made a commendable job of returning the tender to the rails under difficult circumstances. and by the time that a work gang had arrived, the train was ready to resume its journey. A relief locomotive was held at National Park and it hauled the express to Taumarunui from Erua, to which station the express was taken by the disabled engine. The train arrived at Taumarunui at 4.25 a.m., over three hours and a-half late. The south-bound express was delayed for a similar period and was held at Erua until the line was cleared and declared safe