RESTORING THE TRACK

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 31, 6 February 1931, Page 11

RESTORING THE TRACK

GANGS WORK NIGHT AND DAY

Ucliiud tlie unnouiLC-i'iacut that rail communication with Napier lias been restored lies a story of men who worked night and day to bring the lines back into alignment and safe for traffic. ' The first advice received in Wellington after the earthquake at 10.50 a.m. on Tuesday was that the Kopua Viaduct, north of- Ormondville, had dropped. At 12.5 p.m. a breakdown, train was dispatched from Woodville, and it reached Waipukurau at 450 p.m. A second train left Wellington at 1 p.m. conveying breakdown ■ materials and gangs, and got through to Otane, the line north of Waipukurau having been given attention in the meantime. Two special trains, tents, •medical supplies, etc., were then ordered by the.Defence Department, and they were loaded for dispatch, from Trentham to Wellington. 15- minutes after the advice had been received. On arrival at Thorndofi the trains were .ioinedwith a total of 1.1 cars and wagons and two engines, and left at 8.20 p.m., -reaching Waipukurau nt 1.44 a.m. on the 4th.' Forty-one lorries were waiting there, and were loaded with material, the first leaving Waipukurau for. the stricken area at 2 a.m. Another special train was got ready at Wellington, but was not needed. FROZEN MEAT SAVED. In the meantime advice was received that tWe freezing works at Paki Paki liad been severely damaged, and there was a danger that 50,000 carcases would deteriorate.' A number of refrigerated wagons, 120 in all,, were sent up, and the meat was saved. The first lot of injured was to have left Waipukurau at 11.30 a.m. on tho 4th for Palmerstou North, but it was held up. on account of further shocks, and did not get away until 3.63 p.m. At; 7.15 a.m. yesterday the work train reestablished a communication with Hastings, and to-day at 9.43 a.m. the first train left Napier for the south. It was stated to-day that tho SVai-pukuiau-Hastings section of tho damaged line had given very touch more trouble to the repair gangs than the Hastings-Napier, portion. One bridge was slightly damaged near Hastings,, and there was considerable subsidence of the approaches to the Waitangi bridge. Towards Napier the track was in fairly good order, although there was a considerable amount of readjustment necessary. South of Hastings there was a- great deal of subsidence in the embankments, owing to the swampy country, and the line was very much twisted' for several miles, and at one place there had been a distinct side movement of eight j feet, which broko the track. When the track wai restored to its original'line it was IS inches short, and pieces had to be inserted. In another place the rails were found to be too long, and had to be cut. So twisted were some of the rails that before they could be replaced they had to be put through a bender. The' first breakdown train carried 20 men, who worked all through Tuesday night. They were then reinforced by two more gangs of 20 men each, one from Wanganui and one from Wellington, and the work proceeded with onlyshort rests.