SIGNAL BOX BURNED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1928, Page 8

SIGNAL BOX BURNED.

SET AFIRE BY LIGHTNIR

THUNDERBOLTS AT BWawwjw

RESIDENTS SAVE STATION. \

1 Severe electrical disturbance! in the Swanson district set fire to the «g*i* Box at the railway station early tltfa morning and caused its complete destruction. Residents from nearby A quickly forming themselves into’ > bucket brigade, saved the station bniVT. ing from fire and earned the prew of officials of the Railway Department, vhe visited the spot this morning “But for the work of the the station would certainly have be* swept to the ground,” said a repress* tative of the signal staff this mornhw “Assisted by the heavy rain that wS falling at the time, but handicapped to the lack of tank water, the resideaß made a splendid save.”

The fire broke out about 2a in Airs, Taylor saw the signal-box in flaam and warned the signalman. Tmmedijgt investigations in the station showed that the tablet machine* on fire. It was then too late to attawS to save the signalling system. Withte a few minutes a strenuous fight to prevent the spread of the flames to the station building was in progress. la the stormy night the rushing figm£ toiled manfully. The signal-box w* burned to the ground and the intofe locking frame, consisting of 30 leveK was ruined, but, in spite of the intii* heat, men, carrying buckets of wafi£ approached close to the fire and hl in check the flames that licked out tS wards the wooden walls of the The tablet machines were all bin9| out and became a total loss. apparatus to replace that destroyed w* sent out to Swanson early this morniMa and leading officials, including Mr. JK W. Hollis (electrical lines inspector? Air. R. A. Abel (signal inspector), ]K J. Walsh (signal instructor), and Ml J. Gordon (inspector of permaneM way), arrived on the scene. Pilot guaxtfj were established between Swanson a* z Waitakere and also,between Headers* and Swanson, and hand points had to * worked to meet the position.

Space in the station building baa be* converted for signalling purposes, a* the new apparatus will be housed theqe until a new signal-house can be bniß It was expected that ordinary tablet operations would be restored during thfc afternoon.

In spite of the dislocation of the tignailing system, there was only a slight delay to suburban trains running Lei ween Swanson and the city.