MISHAP TO TRAIN

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 67, 23 March 1929, Page 5

MISHAP TO TRAIN

NEW PLYMOUTH MAIL OFF LINE. FOUR CARS AND GUARD’S VAN. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The tyre ot a wheel or one of the carriages broke as the New Plymouth -Wellington mail tram was approaching Pulvorua Bay, about- b.M> !>•“• to-aay. Pour carriages and the guard's van left the rails. Two women and a man, all bound from Levin to Pare.mata, were sov erely out and bruised but ail the other passengers escaped with nothing more than minor bruises aud a isnakiug.

Those injured wore Mrs. S. Wallace, Miss Margaret W allace ami Mr. I\ fc>, Wallace. The part of the train remaining on tiie rails continued, the postal van being used to carry the injured, and arrived at Piinuuerton, the next stop past Pukerua Bay, at 8.00. The limited express front W elliugtou to Auckland was delayed at Tlvoifidou but the line was clear at 9 p.m. and it then proceeded. The guard states the passenger car with the damaged wheel was second in front of the guard’s van and it and the cars on either side ami the van were pulled off.

The derailed section ran 40 feet down the slope to the beach, the guard’s van becoming . detached and turning upside down. The train came to a standstill with some 0 t the derailed carriages on their sides and the last one resting on the beach below. There was a surprising abse.nee of panic and only a lew doors had to he forced to release passengers.

“The passengers took the mishap in merry spirit, lit bonfires on the beach and turned the whole affair into ai jolly picnic,” said the guard.

Officials states the train was running to time and at the usual speed. An official explained such an accident as the rim leaving the wheel are rare.