AN EXPRESS TRAIN DERAILED

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 852, 25 June 1910, Page 6

AN EXPRESS TRAIN DERAILED

ACCIDENT AT KOPUTAROA.

ENGINE INJURED: TENDER WRECKED

THE POINTS AT FAULT,

TRAFFIC TEMPORARILY DISORGANISED.

■ The township of Koputaroa, which is sixty-five miles north of Wellington, on tho Manawatu lino, held temporary rank yesterday as a busy railway centre. Ordinarily a quiet siding, Koputaroa becamo yesterday a compulsory stopping-place for all trains, after 10:40 o'clock in the morning, for at that hour .the Thorndon to Now Plymouth express left the rails while approaching tho station at a good speed, and a damaged engine and the 'three following cars effectually barred the main track.

The mail train, which had on board from 100 to 120 passengers, was running up to time, and approached Koputaroa at a speed of botween twenty and thirty miles an hour. Both signals at the station were set at "clear,"

had with him Mr. Wildes, also of Wellington, as ticket clerk. Mr. B. Bowles, porter-in-charge, was on duty at Koputaroa station when the mishap occurred.

PROMPT REMEDIAL MEASURES. Assistance was promptly called up to clear the track, and not more than an hour elapsed before relief trains arrived with men gathered- along the lino north and south. In two hours' time, seventy permanent way men, members of tho Ways and Works staff, and ballast-men commenced work alongsido the big U engine—one of the old Manawatu Company's locomotives, of the type which has the largest drivingwheel of any in New Zealand, its diameter being 4ft. 9in. The majority of the gang came from Longburn, where they had been engaged in ballasting and bridgestrengthening operations, but others

and a porter waved a green flag as the express whistled its arrival. Coming ahead at unslackened pace on reading the signals, the driver saw that - tho facing points about 200 yards south of tho station were not set properly, but wore standing, as railway men would say, at "half-cock," which means that a dear entrj was given to neither line. The driver promptly applied the brakes, hut, as tho train at tho time was .only about 50 yards away from tho points, it was not possible to pull up to a standstill. ENGINE LEAVES THE RAILS. Tho train was still running at a fair speed on reaching tho points, and the engino at once left tho rails and went hammering over tho sleepers. Tho tender, a postal van, and two firsf>class carriages coupled immediately behind also left the track, and tho weight. of tho train, caused theso cars to rock along the metals for a distance of some 5b yards before coming to a standstill. The passengers naturally received a severe shock. Those who occupied the foremost carriages—one a bird-cage car and the other a smoker — together with, the clerks in the postal van, were roughly shaken. Had it not been for the prompt manner in which Driver Coulter turned the full power into tho brakes along the train, a very serious accident would have been inevitable. As it was, tho engino was rendered quite unworkable, the tender was practically wrecked, tho end of tho postal van was stove in, and two passenger cars were shaken about forcefully. "LIKE A SNOW PLOUCH." Not many people were about when tho accident occurred, but one resident who stood to watch the mail train run past, and who consequently ' saw tho mishap, expresses surprise that results were not more serious. ' He declares that the engine, after bumping over .the rails at the points, resembled a snow plough,' as it dashed, along between the two railway trucks, throwing up earth on all sides. As proof of this statement, it may. be mentioned that tlie cow-catcher was twisted back out of all recognition, and soil rested on the front' parts of tho engine. Tho spectator interviewed stated also that at ono timo it looked vory much as if tho forepart of the train was going to buckle up, as tho engino gouged more deeply into the ground, and the heavy cars pressed forward. Residents in tho vicinity were startled by tho unusual rumbling noise, l and rushed from' their doors to view the train. Inasmuch as there was risk of the tender crashing right into the cab of tho engine, or buckling up completely,! tho enginemen showed courage in remaining at their posts until the train laboured to a standstill. OTHER DAMACE. Tho undergear of tho engino was badly battered about. The thick steel running plato, upon which the boiler rests, forced back the front framework of the driver's cab, and then itself buckled up. Tho tender was subjected to pressure great enough to cause extensivo bonding of the framework, and tho bogies were Torn from ■ thoir fixtures. On the, forward end of the postal wagon the damage pointed to telescoping in a primary stage, for, not only were tho couplings displaced, but tho wliolo end of the car was loosened and tho walls opened in large cracks. Tho windows also were broken. The wheels and under-gear of the next two cars suffered ■ from contact with tho unaccustomed track, but the rest of the train —three passenger cars and a luggago van—remained on tho rails, and was apparently uninjured by tho sudden jarring stop. TROUBLE IN THE DININC-CAR. Tho passengers escaped with a shaking, some being slightly bruised. Breakable things in the equipment, of tho refreshment car were sent clattering about as tho train slowed up, but the rear portion of tho train was not greatly disturbed. Tho driver of tho train, Mr. G. Coulter, of Paekakariki, has had nearly 20 years' experience on this line, having been previously in the service of tho Manawatu Company. Willi .Mi-. i'\ Lavin, of Paekakariki, ho bad charge j of the mail train on tho section from I'aekakariki. Mr. ttumsay. of WellingI toil, was cuard oil the train, and he

wore brought from Palmerston North, Shannon, and Levin. Ail emergency side-track was laid down under tho supervision of Mr. 6. A. Pearson, locomotivo engineer at Petouo Railway Workshops /who had been at Palmcrston), Mr. Bathgate, of tho Maintenance Department, Palmerston, and Mr. Trewoek, also of Palmerston. It" was found necessary to cut into a bank on the sido of tho track in order that a temporary way. might bo laid .down, to pass round tho damaged part of the train and connect with ono 'of tho shunting tracks at a point farther north, in the station precincts. TRAFFIC DELAVED. _ The temporary connection was hurriedly laid down, and at 3.30 o'clock tho clay bank had been cut away sufficiently to allow a train., to crawl slowly past the wreckage. This was the north-, ward' Main Trunk express, which, on steaming away from Koputaroa, was 40 minutes behind scheduled time. Prior traffic had been interfered with, howover, because the line was blocked when the Napier express reached Koputaroa about 12.30 o'clock. This was the train which left Thoindon Station at 9.10 o'olock, an hom and a half after tho New Plymouth mail train. In order that the passengers <)f both the New Plymouth and Napier mail trains might continue their journey north with tho least possible delay, a train was made up at Palmerston—which is 22 miles north of Koputaroa—and tho passengers and mails changed trains. The combined relief train went north from the scene of the mishap at 1.35 p.m. HEAVY TRAIN OUT OF PALMER- ' ' STON. The down Main Trunk train, which was delayed at Palmerston for twenty minutes', was further delayed 'at Shannon, in order than the New PlymouthNapier spccial might pass, and passengers for the south had'a still longer wait on arrival at Koputaroa. It wourd have been a big undertaking to "change" the passengers and mails of the two long Main Trunk expresses which usually pass each other at Otaki, and the Department officers pushed on the construction work in order that the expresses might cross. The down mail was a heavy train, bringing' a largo number of people who had been attending the National Dairy Conference and Winter Show at Palmcrston North, besides tho usual quota of through passengers from Auckland. The Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, Minoisteir foir Agriculture, Mr. L. E. Johnson, private 'secretary, Mr. C. J. Eeakes, Government Veterinarian, together with other Government officials and muiierous business men who had visited the dairy show were oil th& train. Koputaroa was safely passed at 3.40 o'clock, and the express reached Thorndon at 6.25—tw0 hours and twenty minutes late. Some concern had boon felt as to whether tho maiJs would reach Wellington in. time to catch the Moana for Sydney, but the steamer was delayed until after seven o'clock in orier to receive the mail. Five pas&ngers from the north were also relieved to find the Moana still at the wharf when their train. readied Thorndou. THE ACCIDENT—AND AFTER. Numerous snapshots of the derailed train were taken by uamersi ontJuisi-asts among the passengers arriving by subsequent trains. The photograph published this morning was taken shortly after Uitf mishap occurred,' and gives a good idea of its seriousness. For tho reason that the derailment occurred on tho longest line of railway ill the -Dominion, the accident has greater signifioamce than if it had happened at a tormina! station, whero disorganisation would have been confined chiefly to local-traffic. Before darkness came on yesterday, the main rimming track at Koputaroa. was clear, the, disabled engino having been drawn on to ono of the s-idinits at the station. In, duo course, it.wll be hauled, on its own' wheels, to Petone, whore it will bo handed over to tho stall's of various departments at the railway workshops for repairs. Tho tender a.nd the three A class earswhMi were damaged will also bo consigned to tho repair shop. Although some new rails had been laid down recently just south of Koputaroa, the points seem to have lieen in working order, for,- some time prior to Win mishap, two slow trains had crossed Koputaroa..