HEAD=ON TRAIN COLLISION

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 6

HEAD=ON TRAIN COLLISION

MINOR DAMAGE AT AUCKLAND PASSENGER AND MIXED TRAINS. GREW APPLY BRAKES AND JUMP. FORCE OF IMPACT LESSENED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last- Night. A minor head-on collision between • passenger train from Auckland to Pap® kura and a mixed passenger and goods train from Helensville to Auckland occurred at the city end of the Parnell railway bridge. Both engines were fairly extensively damaged, but, no one was injured. The Papakura train. left the Auckland station at 2.9 p.m. and at the time of the mishap was proceeding at a elow speed on the right-hand track. When the train was approaching the Parnell bridge an incoming train travelling on the same set of rails appeared. It was intended for the incoming train to go on to another track, but just as the locomotive was taking the points it was struck by the engine of the outgoing train- • . . ... The crew of the mixed train, anticipating a serious collision; jumped from the cab on to the ground. Before jumping, however, they applied the brakes and greatly lessened the speed, of the train. The force of the impact caused damage to the front portions of 4>oth engines, the left-hand cylinder box and drivingrod on one of the locomotives being practically wrenched off. A breakdown gang was dispatched from the station yards and the damaged, engines were removed. The- line was blocked for little more than an hour.