RAILWAY SMASH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19179, 9 December 1927, Page 11

RAILWAY SMASH.

MIDDLETON DERAILMENT. LINE CLEARED BY 6 A.M. YESTERDAY. No defects in the tracks or signalling gear have been detected at Middleton marshalling yards, where a locomotive and eight waggons were derailed on Wednesday afternoon. Should an enquiry be necessary it is thought that it may be established that the human element entered into the mishap. The Spriugfield goods train, which was affected, followed closely upon another train, which was being dealt with in the yards.

•Thanks to the co-operation of the staffs at Middleton and Christchurch, there was practically no delay to outgoing trainß yesterday morning. During the night a large gang of men brought from Middleton was working on the assembling of trains in the Christchurch shunting yard, which was also brought into use. Actually the debris was removed by the help of the steam crane by 4.30 a.m., and the track repaired by 6 a.m. Not much more than 100 ft of "the line was seriously damaged. One set of points was bent, but the defects were corrected, and the points used again, at the place. No apparent damage has resulted to the locomotive, but it is thought that an overhaul in the workshops may reveal that some of the bearings were wrenched out of line when the engine was being restored to tho line. Some of the waggons were damaged almost beyond repair, the impact smashing the wooden tops into matchwood.

Should the reports agree, and the Department be able to determine the cause of the accident, no enquiry will be necessary, but if they are in conflict, one will almost certainly be held. Speedy work was accomplished in the removal of the waggons, which were loaded into other trucks for transport to the repair shops at Addington. The engine was also restored to the rails and hauled into the workshops during the morning, and by midday not many traces of the derailment were still visible;

Between Addington and Sockburn all up and down trains were worked under ;i pilot, who travelled on the trains. This necessary precaution is ge'nerally taken by the Department in emergencies of this kind, but it causes a certain amount of delav.