SERIOUS WASHOUT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1939, Page 6

SERIOUS WASHOUT

ON MAIN TRUNK LINE. TRANSHIPMENT OF PASSENGERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' TE KUITI, August 21. Main Trunk traffic has been dislocated by a washout on the railway line at a point five miles south of Te Kuiti. Railway passengers will have to be transhipped over the washout tonight and the very earliest time at which is likely to be possible to operate across it is tomorrow at midday. Earth fell away comparatively suddenly about 11 a.m. today soon after the place had been negotiated by a north-bound mixed train. A blocked culvert is the cause of the washout. With exceptionally heavy rains, water backed up deeply in a pocket behind a filling and saturated and then pushed the filling away for a length of two chains. Over fifty men were at the scene of the washout this evening, supported by a work train, busily piling’ up sleepers to take the weight of the lines now sagging into space, and also in replacing the culvert, the blocking of which caused the water to back up. BACK TO NORMAL. THROUGH RUNNING RESTORED. (By Telegraph—Press Associa‘<on.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Owing to the washout five miles south of Te Kuiti, the 3 p.m. express from Wellington, which should have left Taumarunui at 1.10 a.m. today, did not proceed till 9.15 a.m. The Limited from Wellington should have left Taumarunui at 4.3 a.m., but was held till 10.15 a.m. The 3 p.m. express from Auckland yesterday and the Limited from Auckland were held at Te Kuiti and made into one train, which left there at 121.15 and is due here at 10.30 tonight.

The General Manager of Railways (Mr G. H. Mackley), and the Chief Assistant Engineer, Mr Lusty, left Wellington in a rail-car last night to look into the position at the scene of the washout. Traffic is now clear and normal running has been resumed. Mails were not transhipped and will arrive at Wellington at about 11 p.m. and will be sorted by a special staff.