The Sad Tale of a Weak Engine

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 44, 14 May 1927, Page 15

The Sad Tale of a Weak Engine

Why Mr. Coates Stayed at Croydon Crossing

Proudly the engine of the Whangarel express puffed out of the Auckland station yesterday. It was showing off, and the ostentation was pardonable because it was not every day that it had the honour of drawing the Prime Minister and his suite. It snorted past motor-buses and cars on the concrete road and tackled the old Scroggy Hill with a fine burst. It knew it could, knew it could. But old man Frost had spent the night hours smearing the rails in preparation for Friday, May 13. A slippery track makes any locomotive lose confidence in itself. The engine grunted and spurted steam and the top of the rise came nearer. It thought it could—thought it could.

It reached the top, but the driving wheels went whirring round without effect. It knew it couldnt!

Failure had come when victory seemed certain. The weight of the 10 cars was too much and at Croydon Crossing the train stood helpless. The snubbed buses came up and honked disdainfully, asking for right of way.

Then there came the humiliating process of dividing the train. Five carriages were taken on to Glen Eden and the engine came back and collected the others.

The Prime Minister was in one of the rear carriages. He had half an hour’s wait before he was safely on his way again.