RUNAWAY TRAIN.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 4729, 14 June 1911, Page 4

RUNAWAY TRAIN.

A remark abb ; p occurred to a Lancashire and V oi l, uiire goods train on a recent night soon after starting from Liverpool, and but for the promptitude of signalmen who observed from their boxes that a runaway engine was tenantless, and who immediately passed on the word to keep a clear line, a catastrophe would have occurred. A goods train became separated, apparently owing to a snapped coupling, and one half of the train carrecred along the line | until it was brought to a standstill a dozen miles away by an incline. At the moment preceding the mishap tire train was going towards Wigan, heavily laden with merchandise. A sudden jolt warned the driver and fireman that something had gone wrong behind. They applied the brakes, and shut olf steam ; then they dismounted to see what had caused the concussion. They discovered a breakage, hut were glad to find that the separated back portion of the train had been safely pulled up by the guard, who had seen lire danger and applied the brakes. Relieved by this discovery, the driver and fireman returned to take up their posts on the engine-hox. To their dismay, they saw the engine had started from some unknown cause, and was gathering momentum as it ran along the line,with a number of waggons behind it. Efforts to overtake it on foot were useless. At (ho time the lino was clear, and as long as it remained so no great damage could be done by the run- | away. The safety of the line was | secured by the signalman. Looking out from their boxes, they noted that the engine-box was untenanted, and j speedily transmitted from place to place on the Wigan line the message to maintain a clear field. After its run of some twelve miles the errant, train came upon an incline. Apparently, too, the steam had be- ; come exhausted, and the runaway came to a stop. The engine was tin- j damaged in any way.