RAILWAY SMASH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19699, 3 August 1938, Page 5

RAILWAY SMASH

GOODS TRAIN STRUCK

EMPTY COACHES WRECKED

NO PERSONAL INJURIES

ESCAPE OF ENGINE CREW

(Pt»r Tress Association.!

AUCKLAND, this day

Struck by the engine of a suburban passenger train, which was following on the same line, two empty carriages and a guard's van at the rear of a stationary goods train, were completely telescoped at the northern extremity of the Takanini station yards shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon.

There were no passengers in the wrecked cars, and, although the loco.notive of the suburban train was martially buried in the wreckage ol die guard's van, it did not leave the rails, and the engine crew were unaurt.

The collision occurred almost dirjctly on the level crossing which cut* ucross the road leading from Greai .South road to the Takanini Posi juice, about three miles north oi i-apaKura. The goods train, which nad left Auckland at 12.5 p.m. for jrankton, was standing lor about .iali-an-hour at TaKanini while .minting proceeded, the last units in a long line of trucks and carriages iying about 200 yards north of the , anion itself.

No official explanation as to the cause of the accident was furnished, out several Takanini residents heard .he suburban train approaching along Jie straight stretch of track between .vlahia and Takanini. Maximum Braking Power Almost ccr.icldent with the time ,vhen the engine turned a slight bend which brings the Takanini station and automatic signal into view for southbound traffic the train rapidly reduced speed. However, the use ot che maximum braking power could not avert the collision and, although the train was .actually travelling uowly when the impact occurred, the vvooden cars at the rear of the stationary train were smashed like natchwood, crumpling into a mass of twisted iron and splintered woodwork. The unoccupied guard's van was reduced to less than a shell, the top and portion of the battered sides being wrapped around the engine, almost as far back as the cab. Two preceding carriages were also telescoped. As one was forced through the other, the seats and fittings were torn from their mountings, the floor and chassis were torn from the bodywork and the wreckage of the top and sides of the forembst carriage hung drunkenly from the roof of the car behind it. Sections of the wooden cars were reduced to firewood, and even staunch iron stanchions and heavy steel members of, the chassis of the carriages were 'twisted and snapped. The chaos was increased by a 8 litter of small debris, which lay between the telescoped van and the carriages.

Five Trotting Horses

Five trotting horses from Takanini which were travelling south for the Addington meeting, were in the forward part of the stationary train. They were uninjured and continued the journey to Wellington, eh route to the South Island later in the afternoon. The sulkies and other equipment being transported for the team were undamaged. The front portion of the engine of the suburban train was fairly extensively damaged, but the three carriages which it was drawing were not affected by the collision. Included among the children were 20 schoolchildren returning tb Takanini after attending the fortnightly manual training classes at Otahuhu Technical School. Although all escaped even slight injury, a number, wno were travelling in the second car from the engine, were flung from their seats on to the floor when the impact occurred.

As the collision Occurred on a section of the line where a double track is used, no serious dislocation of the main trunk traffic resulted. It was a coincidence that the heavy duty mobile crane used by the department in emergencies should be included in the rolling stock drawn by the goods train that was struck, and it was immediately shunted on to a siding to raise steam. Clearance of Lines A breakdown gang was also dispatched from Auckland and, upon its arrival, oxy-acetylene torches were employed to cut through the sections of twisted steel so that the removal of the damaged cars would be .facilitated. With the assistance of the crane ,and powerful jacks, the work was continued after nightfall. It was found necessary to cut some of the bogeys and the undercarriage from the wreckage, but shortly after 8.30 p.m., it was possible for the disabled engine and the telescoped cars to be drawn to Otahuhu, thus leaving both lines clear for traffic. Two expresses were delayed for about 45 minutes in the afternoon. The afternoon trajn to Wellington was detained at Manurewa until the line was' clear, while the northbound express from Rotorua was held at Papakura. Some interruption was also caused to the normal suburban timetable, which is to a degree dependent upon the double track, but no delay was caused to the southbound Limited express last night. It is understood that a departmental inquiry will be held into the collision.