RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19124, 8 December 1933, Page 7

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.

TRAIN OFF THE LINE. HUNDREDS OF SLEEPERS BROKEN. TAUMARUNUI, Thursday. A train which left Taurnarunui at two o’clock this morning for Stratford was approaching Mangapara, the first station past Ohura, when the axle of one of the trucks loaded with manure broke. The train ran for a mile, damaging the ballast, before the mishap was noticed. When it hit the points at Mangapara, jolting indicated that some thing was amiss and the guard applied the brakes. As the train struck the other points on a bend, a wheel collapsed and the truck with the broken axle went off the line and pulled seven other trucks loaded with manure and coal, and also the guard's van off the line with It. The trucks did not capsize, and they were practically undamaged. Hundreds of sleepers and fishplates were broken and the line was slightly twisted. Detonators were placed on the line to warn approaching trains, and a jigger with two officials proceeding to the scene of the accidents-hit them. The jigger was thrown off the line as they exploded, but it was not damaged and the officials were not hurt. Slip at Plrlaka. At Plrlaka at 7.30 o’olock over 30 tons of dry rock and papa were precipitated on to the line. A gang of men employed in the vicinity got to work- quickly and cleared the line, enabling the train leaving Taurnarunui at 9 o’clock to get through. There were no further slips to-clay and the trains ran to schedule.