GOODS EXPRESS HALTED FOR FIRE

Chronicle (Levin), 22 December 1947, Page 4

GOODS EXPRESS HALTED FOR FIRE

An outbreak of Tiro on an "R" .vagon of tho fnst Wellington- Auckland ^oods express traiu which was no.t icheduled to stop at Feilding caused the ■.rain to (#e brought to a standstill in :lie Feilding railwav vards on >Saturday afternoon at 3.50 oVlock while the tire origade dealt with the trouble. The lirst news of the lire Was given by Mr \V. Taylor, storekeeper, Aorangi, who noticed the wagon alight as the traiu swej'it ■ past towards Feilding. He proiuptlv tgjephoued the Feilding station and Xlr \V. T. Nottle, vyho received the niessage, promptly called the Fire Brigade. As the tram speeded on round the bend from the Aorangi bridge over the Oroua river the guard noticed the smoke pouring from the wagon and the engine d river, looking back niomentarily, also saw the smoke and commenced to slow the train down. The engine drivf-r thought that the trouble could be handled by bringing the train to a halt adjac'ent to the water tank just south of ihe station, but a previous experience in endeavouring to deal with a lire in a truck of wool decided the station officials to hand the job over to the Fire Brigade. One engine from the lire station ar- j rived before the train, but Mr Nottle asked for further assistanee and the station gave the tire alarni to bring additional help. The train was un coupled from the burning wagon and the tire was quickly brouglit under eont rol but not before 100 tarpaulins beionging to the Kaihvay Departuient had been destroved along with a Jittle of ihe merehandise. The bulk of the contents of the truck were saved and, apart from the loss of the tarjiaulins, some tins of paint were destroved. The. truck was then shunted out of" the way and the' train later proceeded on its way.