ACCIDENT TO OVERLAND EXPRESS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2709, 2 March 1916, Page 6

ACCIDENT TO OVERLAND EXPRESS

THE OFFICIAL EXPLANATION tbr Telegraph—PreM AABoot&tiouA Auckland, March 1. Tile official statement relative to th 6 mishap to the Auckland-Wellington express at Pukekohe is that a goods train was run into a loop to cross the southbound express from Auckland. Whilst waiting, the interval was utilised as usual ill shunting .wagons on and off the train from the second loop siding. The points for the latter were supposed to have been set for the back road, leading towards the cattle yards. Owing to misadventure, the points were actually sot for the main lino. The result was that when seven of the wagons wero put off the train into the siding, they rail through the main line points in a southerly direction, and on to- the main line for about 300 yards from tlio 6tation. One of the passengers to Wellington by the express states that' the accident was due to a section of the cattle train, which was shunting between Pukekohe and Bucklaud, getting away on to the main line, and running down an incline. The driver of the express luckily saw the runaway in time to stop his way very considerably before tlie collision occurred, otherwise the result might have been much more serious. Our informant also states that it is not cor. recrt, as stated l in last night'B telegram, that a wagon of the express was derailed.