EXPRESS ARRIVES AFTER 11 P.M.

Southland Times, Issue 23769, 17 March 1939, Page 6

EXPRESS ARRIVES AFTER 11 P.M.

Derailment On South Line RELIEF TRAIN RUN FROM BALCLUTHA Passengers who left Christchurch at 8.35 a.m. yesterday for Invercargill by the ’ usual express, which should have arrived in Invercargill at 9.5 p.m., did not arrive in the city until about 11.10 p.m. The delay was caused because of the derailment of 10 wagons of a mixed train travelling from Oamaru to Timaru about a mile and a-half north of the Makikihi station at 10.30 yesterday morning. The wagons were near the middle of the train and did not interfere with the engine or the passenger carriages. The derailment was apparently caused by a broken axle on one of the wagons which was carrying coal. The track was damaged for 50 yards, the rails being twisted and many sleepers dislodged. The ironwork of some of the wagons was badly buckled and the woodwork of others was smashed. The south-bound express from Christchurch was stopped just north of the derailment and the passengers were transferred to a relief train on the south side of the derailment. The relief train had been sent from Oamaru. This train came right through to Invercargill, arriving at about 11.10 p.m. For the benefit of Southland travellers a relief train of two carriages and a guard’s van was run from Balclutha to Invercargill on the express’s usual timetable, arriving at Invercargill about 9.15 pm. To keep faith with travellers who had reserved seats for this morning’s north express the department, after the derailment had been cleared, ran the original express train through to Invercargill, arriving here about 2.10 this morning. This express on arrival was cleaned, watered and examined and made ready to travel back to Lyttelton this morning as the usual 7 a.m. express. The 7 a.m. express from Invercargill to Lyttelton yesterday was not affected by the derailment.