DEEP DRIFTS IN OTAGO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20016, 15 August 1939, Page 11

DEEP DRIFTS IN OTAGO

DISLOCATION OF TRAFFIC ENGINE OFF THE LINE EXPRESSES HELD IT

(Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day

Any danger of another snowstorm of the magnitude of the visitation of last month disappeared yesterday when bright sunshine quickly incite l the light carpet which covered the city on Sunday night, but a particularly heavy fall in Central Otago caused a serious dislocation of traffic. On the line between Dunedin and Cromwell, a goods train was completely snowed in near Hyde and when an endeavour was made to free It from the large drifts, the engine and van were derailed, thus preventing the running of two Central Otago trains. The train which became caught in heavy drifts of snow left Dunedin at 9 o’clock on Sunday night, but -n the early hours of Monday morning it was forced to a standstill about a mile past Hyde station and further progress was found impossible. Engines were despatched from Dunedin to assist in its release, but while efforts were being made to free the stranded goods train the engine and one of the vans became derailed. The van was put back on the line during the afternoon, but it was late last night before the engine was

finally restored to the rails. In. the meantime two expresses from Dunedin and Cromwell were sent away yesterday morning in the hope that the line would be cleared in time to allow them to proceed, but the train from Dunedin was held at Middlemareh, while the express from Cromwell was not taken any further than Ranfurly. An effort was made tc have the passengers ol both trains sent on to their destinations by cars, but it was not found possible to obtain sufficient vehicles, so the trains returned.

The express which had left Dunedin early in the morning arrived back at about 10 o’clock last night. It was expected that the service would be resumed to-day, but there are Still heavy drifts on the line in ihe vicinity of Hyde.