The Taihape Daily Times WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS. TRANSPORT OF GOLD.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 118, 20 January 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS. TRANSPORT OF GOLD.

AND WAIMAEINO ADVOCATE. (With which is incorporated The Tai hape Poet ';.nj Waimarino News.)

Considering the immense weight of bullion and of coined gold tha't arrives periodically in England at the ports of Southampton and Liverpool it saj's a good deal for the system of transport from the ship's Side to the Bank of England, London, that one never bears of any loss either by robbery or by any other way. It may not be generally ; known that a special train, awaits the arrival of a gold ship which consists only of an engine, a guard 's van, and a bullion l car. This car is about the same I length as a guard's van, but not so j high. The roof is highest in the centre, 'sloping to the sides; the sides are smooth and painted grey. The interior is lined with steel sheets an inch and a-quarter thick, and the doors are two large sheets of steel. Special gold trains never run at night, but only between nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. Many years ogo on the arrival of a gold ship from abroad the bullion car was put on to the train known as _the boat express. Somethirty years ago however an accident occurred to a boat train to which a bullion car was attached containing half a million in bullion and gold coin, which was proved/to be the result of a plot to wreck the express with the object of looting the gold. The plot was traced to a. gang of Continental criminals. Since that time the special train is always run. A few years ago it was reported that a box containing bars valued at £ISOOOO was left by mistake on the railway platform after it had been delivered to the custody of the Bank of England official. It lay there for an hour, when the official, finding he was was one box shotrt of the number, returned for it. The gold which may consist of either coin or bar gold, is packed in iron-bound cases and !» usually consigned to the Bank of England or possibly part of it oiay be onsigned to some uig maiicia] house in London. It is unloaded from the ship in which it has arrived and placed in the bullion coach under the direction of two detectives. The coach is then locked by one of the railway officials, who travels with it to London in the guard's van aocompanied by the two detectives, who are both armed with loaded revolvers. As much care is tasen to keep the line clear, for a gold special as is done for a Royal special. When an especially heavy consignment of gold is being- carried, worth perhaps a couple of millions storling, a pilot engine is sent ahead of the special. On the arrival "of the special in London, it is met by a representative of the Bank of England and of any financial houso to whom part of the gold may be consigned. The boxes of gold are delivered to each by a railway official and when this has been done the liability of the railway company ceases. The golfl is conveyed to the Bank of England In a special motor van, but to other financial houses the boxes are conveyed !n a taxi-cab.