Tuesday, December 24, 2013

60 years since the Tangiwai rail disaster

 

Christmas Eve 1953 saw the worst railway accident in NZ's history when the overnight Wellington to Auckland passenger express ran over the bridge at Tangiwai shortly after a lahar from the crater lake of Mt Ruapehu had swept away a pier; 6 cars fell into the swollen river causing the deaths of 151 people.  For colour photos, see the book New Zealand 1950s Steam in Colour.

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