[NSW] Armidale XPT Repairs

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

This one is from the Sunday Terrorgraph, so the XPT runs to Armidale.  I
know we all thought it must be an Xploder, but the Terrorgaffe is always
right!  From Letters to the editor:

The Coathanger that kept the XPT on track.

I can top the story (ST 1/4) about the high-speed XPT being patched with
insulation tape.
How about the XPT being tied up with wire coat-hangers?
On a journey between Sydney and Armidale on February 4, just before
Maitaland there was this ungodly clatter near where I was sitting.
It proved to be a great long pipe of the chassis that had come adrift.
After much humming, pulling and pushing a guy went to the satation master's
office and came back with a coat-hanger and a hammer.
He unwrapped the coat-hanger and, after a good deal of banging and pushing,
they tied the long piece of metal back to the body of the train.
And so we journeyed on to Armidale.
Doris Calder
Teneterfield

Nice to see Countrylink staff using their inititaive to keep the trains
running.  If Ansett maintenance used their inititative, no doubt the 767s
would be flying this Easter with coat-hanger wire supporting the cracked
engine pylons.

Regards

David Bennetts