MAIL-VAN DERAILED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 November 1938, Page 6

MAIL-VAN DERAILED

DURING SHUNTING OPERATIONS NORTH OF TAIHAPE. SEVERAL EXPRESSES DELAYED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, This Day. Traffic on the Main Trunk line was temporarily dislocated in the very early hours of this morning by an accident 12 miles north of Taihape, at Ngaurukehu, where the north-bound Limited express and the first express from the north usually pass each other. The mishap occurred at one o’clock, when a mail-van attached to the south-bound express was derailed. The express was being shunted on a gradient when the van became derailed and slewed across the track, also fouling the main line, which was effectively blocked. Both the up Limited and the down express had to be held" for several hours till the lines could be cleared and the van detached. Meanwhile, the Limited express from the north was overtaking the delayed first express, which was further held at Mataroa to allow former, which also suffered some delay, to pass. The Limited express arrived here an hour and a quarter late. The ordinary express was nearly five hours late.