TRAINS HEED UP

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21047, 26 February 1940, Page 6

TRAINS HEED UP

LINE FROM SOUTH PASSENGERS TRANSFERRED BILLETING IN TOWNS TERRITORIALS ISOLATED As a result of the heavy rain on Saturday the main trunk railway line \*as blocked by slips oil Saturday night and trains from Auckland and Wellington were held up. The slips and washouts occurred between Te Kuiti and Taihape and the passenger trains held up en

route included two Saturday afternoon expresses from Auckland, two from Wellington and a special Waikato territorial troop train bound for the military camp at Waiouru. As a result of steady work in clearing the slips all trains Mere moving again by 5 p.m. yesterday, but the line was blocked by a further slip near Taumarunui and no trains have passed it.

On the Te Kuiti-Taihape section of the main trunk more than 1000 passengers were inconvenienced, and at Te Kuiti about 500 people in southbound trains camped in their carriages. a similar number of northbound travellers staying at Ohakune. The 500 territorials were billeted at Taumarunui where, at one stage,

they were isolated by rail and road.

Two Main Slips

Quick progress with the clearing w'ork was made until 2 p.m. yesterday, when the two main falls covering the permanent way about five miles south of Taumarunui were reached. It was estimated that at that time about 11,000 cubic yards of spoil had been removed. One of the slips was about a chain long and filled a cutting 10ft deep, M r hile the other, almost one and a-half chains long, was not as deep. About 60 men from the territorial units assisted the line gangs in the clearing work.

Passengers from both north

and south-bound trains have had to be transferred at Taumarunui to continue their journeys. In all it is expected that passengers from about 10 trains will have to be transferred and that the

work will continue all day. No passengers from Wellington and

other southern stations had passed through Frankton since Saturday morning until the first train arrived at 11.15 a.m. today.

Stratford Branch Line

The Okahukura-Stratford branch line was seriously affected. Many slips occurred between Matiere and Okahukura and also south of Heao, traffic being blocked on both aides of Ohura.

It was stated yesterday that no traffic would be possible for several days and that passengers for Taranaki would be taken through Marton. The express for New Plymouth left Frankton on time last night. Among the passengers on one of the south-bound expresses were the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, and Mrs Jones. Inland mails for both north and south will be delayed as the result of the dislocation of traffic. No overseas mails are concerned. BoM-lers Inconvenienced Passengers on the Auckland-Wel-lington express on Saturday w r ho included a large party of Waikato bowlers. spent a tedious week-end. The train was stopped by slips for an hour at Poro-o-tarao, about 15 miles south of Te Kuiti, and for three hours at Waimiha, a serious slip having occurred a few hundred yards south of the station. Two huge boulders among the debri« which fell on the line were removed by explosive charges.

As there were no refreshment facilities at Waimiha the express returned to Te Kuiti, arriving there at three o’clock yesterday morning. It remained there more than 12 hours. Early in the afternoon the line as far as Taumarunui was clear, but the 500 territorials on an earlier special train had eaten all the food at the Taumarunui refreshment rooms. The express was therefore held at Te Kuiti until fresh supplies and additional waitresses for the Te Kuiti refreshment rooms arrived from Frankton. The train finally left Te Kuiti at 5.15 p.m. The territorials, composed of Waikato units, reached Taumarunui at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The men were stranded by the slips further south and had to be accommodated in halls in the town overnight.