RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Shannon News, 16 April 1926, Page 3

RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

DANGER NEAR OHAU STATION. ENGINE'S BELATED WHISTLE. In a letter to the Wellington Automobile Club, read at the meeting of the executive yesterday, Mr H. C. Pocklev stated that an instance of '.a dangerous railway crossing had come before his notice last month. "Immediately on the Wellington side of the level crossing just before reaching Ohau railway station," he wrote, "the road was being re-formed and had been closed to traffic except that vehicles were able to proceed *at a very slow pace along the water-table on the western side of the road." On Mondav, March 15, he was motoring to Palmerston North and had negotiated that piece of road with another motor immediately behind. Just as he got beyond the closed portion of the road he noticed the train to Palmerston North approaching at a fast speed and called the attention of Ins wife, who was sitting behind -him, to the fact that the driver of the train was getting very close to the crossiag and had not sounded his whistle. At the same instant he noticed that the car which had been behind him was passing and was proceeding to cross the line, but just succeeded in pulling up a few feet from the line at a signal from the writer. At that moment the engine-driver sounded his whistle, when he was not more than thirty feet from the crossing. Mr Pocklev added that it was the narrowest escape he had ever seen ironi a collision .which would have pronably meant the death of the two occupants of the car. The secretary stated that he had forwarded a copy of the letter to tin? Railway Department, and Ins action was apiproved.