BARROW ON RAILS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 619, 22 March 1929, Page 1

BARROW ON RAILS

KNOCKED THERE BY STAMPEDING HORSES NOT TRAIN-WRECKERS’ WORK Straying horses are said to have been the cause of the barrow falling on the main line at Bucklands station on Tuesday evening. At first it was thought that a deliberate attempt had been made to wreck the passenger train from Frankton Junction, but investigations by detectives have disproved this theory. A railway barrow was found lying on the line and was removed just before the train swept through the station on her journey to Auckland. But for the timely discovery of the barrow by a passerby a serious accident might have occurred. On Tuesday evening some horses were either let into the station yard or else forced the gate open themselves. An approaching train, bound for the south, is thought to have frightened the animals, which apparently stampeded along the platform and knocked the barrow on to the rails, where it was found later. One of the horses was struck by the train and killed, but the others escaped. / Bucklands is a flag station controlled by a porter. He stated that when he went off duty earlier in the evening the yard gate was closed, but later he found it open.