Break Down on the Tramway.

Manawatu Herald, 9 June 1892, Page 2

Break Down on the Tramway.

Yesterday morning a 9.30 just after the tram had left Carnarvon and passed the first curve, with Cr Mitchell and Mr Thynne on board for Sanson, the tire of the driving wheel gave way and threw tha engine off the line- The engine driver, Mr Macintyre, immediately stopped the engine and thus the carriage fortunately remained on the rails. On going back on the line to see the cause, the tire was found in various pieces and further back a broken bolt. The tire was known to be faulty, as last week it was patched at Sanson by Mr Bowater and secured (?) with two half-inch bolts bored right through the metal. On Tuesday Mr Bray, the Couty Council's in specting engineer, and the County Chairman officially inspected the wheel and passed it as a satisfactory job ! ! ! The result has proved it to have been far otherwise, as the tire simply came to pieces by the bolts breaking, 'ihe tire shows now the the risk the public has for some time run, as the broken segments show two old cracks which extended right acros the tire, only being held, and that only in one instance, by half an inch of the flange, on the very outside. The holding power of the new bolts was evidently insufficient as they bear the appearance of having snapped like a carrot

There was no jolt or any obstruction on the line, and the breakdown is only accountable by the very fragile character of the repairs to the tire, and the broken wheel evidences the little knowledge the engineer could have had of the very dangerous weakness existing in the wheel.

The engine will have to be lifted and the wheels sent to Wanganui, at least we hope they will be, as tires can only be properly put on with hydraulic pressure.