GORE

Southland Times, Issue 23378, 9 December 1937, Page 3

GORE

SHUNTING ENGINE DERAILED LOCOMOTIVES COLLIDE A collision occurred at the Mersey street railway crossing about 10 o’clock yesterday morning between a shunting locomotive and a heavy locomotive. The shunter was completely derailed. The Invercargill-Dunedin goods train had been shunting on a loop line, and when approaching the crossing it was met by a shunting engine on an adjoining line which connected with the line on which the goods train was travelling. The lighter locomotive was forced from the rails and ploughed its way through the shingle for a distance of about 20 feet and to a depth oi two feet. The lines were badly twisted and broken in places, and the engines were firmly locked together. The iron work on both locomotives was fairly badly damaged by the force of the impact. The police kept back the big crowd which was attracted to the scene while attempts were made to separate the locomotives. Another engine was secured for the goods train, which left Gore exactly an hour behind the scheduled time. The locked engines were separated two hours after the impact, the heavier locomotive being able to move off under its own power. The task of moving back the shunting locomotive to allow the goods engine to be cleared presented some difficulty and a heavy engine had to be used for this purpose. The tender was removed without much difficulty and placed back on the line with the aid of jacks. Workmen were still trying to replace the shunter on the lines last evening.