RUNAWAY TRAIN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3249, 20 June 1911, Page 2

RUNAWAY TRAIN.

EXTRAORDINARY MISHAP IN LANCASHIRE.

A remarkable mishap occurred to a Lancashire and Yorkshire goods train on a recent night soon after starting from Liverpool, and but for the promptitude of signalmen who observed from their boxes that a runaway engine was ten-ant-less’, and who immediately passed on the word to a clear line, a catastrophe would have occurred. A goods train became separated, apparently owing to a snapped coupling, and one'half of the train careered along tlie line* until it was brought to a standstill a dozen miles away by an incline. At the moment preceding the mishap the train was going towards 'Wigan heavily laden with merchandise. A sudden jolt warned the driver and fireman Quiit something had- gone wrong behind. They applied the brakes, and shut off steam"; then they dismounted to see what had caused the concussion. They discovered a breakage, but were glad to find that the separated back portion of the train had been safely pulled up by the guard, who had seen (the danger, and applied the brakes. Relieved by this: discovery, the driver and fireman returned to take up their posts on. the engine-box. To tliedr dismay. they saw the engine had started from some unknown cause, and was gathering momentum as it ran along the line, wilth a number of waggons' behind it. Efforts to overtake it on foot were useless.

At the time the line was clear, and as long as it remained so no great damage could he done by the runaway. The safety of the line was secured by the signalmen. Looking out from their boxes, they noted that tlie ongine-box was 'u n ten anted, and speedily transmitted from place to place on the Wigan lline the message to maintain- a; clear field.

After its run of some twelve miles the errant train came upon an incline. Apparently, too, the steam' liad become exhausted and the runaway caane to a stop. The engine was undamaged in any way.