Tangiwai bridge. How did the Tangiwai bridge collapse? The lahar.

Tangiwai bridge The weight of the locomotive collapsed the bridge sending six carriages into the raging waters. Site of the Tangiwai railway disaster on Christmas Eve 1953. Sound: Lionel Sceats remembers the Tangiwai disaster. A memorial has been built at the accident site. Cyril Ellis, a motorist who discovered the nearby road bridge was out, tried to alert the crew of the oil-fuelled steam locomotive KA 949, driver Charles Parker and The Tangiwai disaster was New Zealand's worst rail tragedy, with 151 people dying when the locomotive and most carriages tumbled into the Whangaehu River on Christmas Eve 1953. The Whangaehu River at Tangiwai. Soon after 10 p. on 24 December 1953 when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, North Island, New Zealand. To The Tangiwai disaster occurred on December 24, 1953 at exactly 22:21 hours when the Whangaehu River Bridge collapsed crashing an express passenger train at Tangiwai, New Zealand. The locomotive and the first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people. The express reached the bridge at the lahar’s peak flow. Jump to navigation Jump to search Prior to the disaster, the Tangiwai Bridge had been damaged multiple times, In 1925, 1936 and 1944 some of the piers had been damaged by flood waters. Amid the emergency, the response from the community was swift and courageous. It occurred on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington to Auckland express passenger train at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand. During the period from 1906 to 1909, 40,000 people lived in this remote area, and the old coach road operated to bridge the gap between Ohakune and National Park, until the 4 viaducts between were completed. last year RAISING THE “TANGIWAI” BRIDGE Graeme Jamieson1, Tony Mans2 INTRODUCTION The existing bridge carrying SH49 traffic over the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai was recently raised by 2m to allow freeboard for anticipated lahar flows down the river valley. As the bridge buckled beneath its weight, the engine plunged into the Tangiwai is the site of the worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history. Report. Driving through the darkness, Cyril Ellis stopped when he saw that the bridge ahead was under water, even though there had been no rain. on Christmas Eve 1953, the debris at the outlet of Crater Lake collapsed. It was written by David Hill. m. 10 and 10. This sudden loss of stability resulted in the entire bridge giving way and collapsing into the river. The Tangiwai disaster is New Zealand's worst ever rail accident. The Truth about Tangiwai - On Christmas Eve 1953 a volcanic eruption caused a massive lahar to flow down Whangaehu River. This excerpt attacks the story that Cyril Ellis could have warned This film was made by amateur photographer Edwin Nitschke, using an 8-mm camera on 26 December 1953. The Tangiwai Rail Disaster had a profound impact on the greater NZ, but the impact was especially apparent for those that were there that day. 21 pm, Ka949 - the Wellington-to-Auckland Express - travelled onto the weakened bridge, which collapsed sending the train and six of its carriages into the swollen river. The Whangaehu River rail bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train. Every year at Christmas families travel to Tangiwai to pay their respects for the peoples who lost On Christmas Eve in 1953, 151 people died when the Wellington-Auckland express train sped on to the bridge at Tangiwai moments after a similar mudflow from the crater lake swept part of it into The Tangiwai Bridge Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror. Tangiwai disaster 70th anniversar­y service 2023-12-20 - Finn Williams 2023 will mark the 70th anniversar­y of the disaster, where a lahar from Mt Ruapehu caused significan­t damage to the Tangiwai Railway Bridge over the Whangaehu River. It shows the scene close to the site of the Tangiwai bridge. 19 sq mi) census area and a small rural community in the Ruapehu District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. The bridge 71 Years Ago The Tragedy Of The Tangiwai Railway Disaster A Passenger Train Accident That Occurred At 10:21 PM On 24 December 1953, When A Railway Bridge Ove English: Tangiwai Rail Bridge on the North Island Main Trunk, facing the direction of Wellington. Minutes later a Wellington to Auckland night express passenger train entered the bridge which buckled under the weight, . The train was on its way to One of the more poignant parts of taking a trip on the train from Auckland to Wellington, is that you pass over the bridge at Tangiwai, the site where many died on Christmas Eve in 1953. It happened on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington to Auckland night express train plunged into the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai killing 151 passengers. Use/Reproduction Tangiwai means ‘weeping waters’, and the name seemed sadly apt on Christmas Eve 1953, when a lahar (volcanic mud flow) partly destroyed the railway bridge over the Tangiwai River. The subsequent Board of Inquiry found that the The bridge was reopened in 1957, 4 years after the disaster, in the process of rebuilding the bridge they made reinforced piers to make it harder to be damage, but while the bridge was still being a built a builder was killed which indirectly made the death toll of the disaster 152. Follow Like Bookmark Share. The mountain erupted and a The rail bridge buckled under the train, and the front carriages plunged into the flooded river, killing 151 of the 285 people on board. Video. Ellis parked at a safe distance, then got out to investigate. We searched that carriage three," Date 1958-02 Description. At 10:21 pm the express, consisting of one engine, nine The Tangiwai disaster struck at the Whangaehu River bridge, located near the small settlement of Tangiwai in the central North Island of New Zealand. 1 Bloxam Learn while you're at home with Plainly Difficult!#disaster #documentary #history #TrueStories The Tangiwai disaster occurred at on 24 December 1953 when a r Tangiwai means ‘weeping waters’, and the name seemed sadly apt on Christmas Eve 1953, when a lahar (volcanic mud flow) partly destroyed the railway bridge over the Whangaehu River. A warning from amateur geologists that the state The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai in the central North A giant wave of water, mud and rocks 6 metres high hit and swept away one concrete support of the rail bridge at Tangiwai, almost 10 kilometres from Waiouru. Tangiwai is the site of the worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history. The Tangiwai Railway Disaster, which occurred on Christmas Eve in 1953, remains the most devastating rail accident in New Zealand's history. It was also reported that the bridge bulged 12mm. The new Tangiwai bridge is opened. Written by Dr Harry Keys. How the Tangiwai Disaster has led to more resilient communities. The cause of the tragedy was a volcanic lahar from the Mt Ruapehu crater lake, which sent a huge wave of water, silt, boulders and debris surging down the Whangaehu River minutes before the express approached View of Tangiwai in the aftermath of the railway disaster of 24 December 1953, showing destroyed carriages on the banks of the river. 10 kilometres west of the town Waiōuru in the central North Island, I arrived at a place called Tangiwai. The disaster occurred when the Tangiwai Bridge collapsed, causing a train to derail into the Whangaehu River. The concrete piers were knocked out and the bridge partially collapsed. The Board of Inquiry into the On Christmas Eve in 1953, a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath a passenger train at Tangiwai, North Island, New Zealand. The engine and the first five cars plunged into the river. Of the 285 passengers and crew on board, 151 died in New Zealand's worst railway accident. How did the Tangiwai bridge collapse? The lahar. Twisted train tracks lead to the banks of the Whangaehu River, Tangiwai, the scene of the railway disaster of 24 December 1953. Sound: Prime Minister Sidney Holland at the Tangiwai disaster. The sixth car teetered on the edge before also falling. Fascinating Horror. 15 p. On Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington to Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 15 km east of the museum. Nobody thought anything of the fact that they could be permanently damaged, so the bridge was not rebuilt or That night, a sudden lahar had swept down the river from the Mount Ruapehu crater, fatally weakening the Tangiwai bridge minutes ahead of the Wellington-Auckland night express train, much of which crashed into the river bed below. Of the 285 people on board, 151 The causes of the Tangiwai Disaster is Mount Ruapehu's Lahar and the water levels that cause the bridge over the Whangaehu River to give way. The name Tangiwai means “weeping waters” in Māori. on 24 December 1953 when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 of the 285 people on board. and in an attempt to Destroyed railway bridge at Tangiwai; Tangiwai memorial dedication; Travel by train poster, 1948; Volunteers at Tangiwai disaster; Sound. Add to Playlist. Tangiwai would exact a death toll of 151, taking men, women and children in a most horrific manner. Canadian Dam Engineer Juliana Tabet based in Calgary, Sometime between 10. Sound clip: a Tangiwai disaster survivor talks. The Tangiwai disaster was a deadly railway accident that occurred at 10:21 p. This 2002 documentary examines DEATHS FROM THE TANGIWAI RAIL DISASTER THURSDAY 24 DECEMBER 1953 MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY, TANGIWAI, NEW ZEALAND. Peter Cotterill spends the year of 1953 preparing The tragedy occurred outside the small town of Tangiwai on the North Island. The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into Soon after 10 p. Thus weakened, the bridge collapsed when the train began to cross it. this volcanic mud flow, known as a lahar, smashed into the main trunk railway bridge at Tangiwai. Ruapehu carried away the massive concrete piers of the rail bridge, wrecked the adjacent road bridge and swept on It then shattered the Tangiwai Bridge across the Whangaehu River, just before the train arrived. Sometime between 10. Of the 285 persons on board, 151 lost their lives when the train heading from Wellington to Auckland plunged into Whangaehu River shortly after the collapse of the Tangiwai railway bridge. About this item Title Tangiwai railway bridge after disaster, 1953 Content partner Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Collection NZHistory Description. This 2002 documentary examines events and the board of inquiry finding that the accident was an act of God. Moments before the Wellington to Auckland express train arrived at the Tangiwai bridge, it had been damaged by the fast moving lahar and the bridge collapsed when the train began to cross it. The Tangiwai disaster was a railway accident that occurred on 24 December 1953 when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, North Island, New Zealand. This 2002 documentary examines Tangiwai is a 2,696. The bodies of 16, including eight whose remains were never identified, still lie at the Tangiwai National Memorial at Karori, which was dedicated in 1957. A further death occurred when a worker was killed during the rebuilding of the Tangiwai railway bridge, which reopened in 1957. Map of Tangiwai disaster site. The location was largely unremarkable until the night of the disaster, when it became the site of New Zealand’s worst rail tragedy. The consequences of the Tangiwai disaster is the remains of the train, deaths and A poignant moment was hearing for the first time about the Tangiwai railway disaster - that on Christmas Eve 1953, the passenger express train travelling from Wellington to Auckland had derailed off the Tangiwai Bridge into the flooded In the investigation that followed the 1953 tragedy, it was discovered that a lahar had substantially weakened the rail bridge at Tangiwai in 1925. The book was first published in March 2003, and was reissued twice in December 2010 and June 2021. It occurred at 22:21 on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington to Auckland express passenger train at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand. Although the Whangaehu River dropped rapidly after the peak of the lahar passed, it was still running high two days after the flood. Minutes after the river hit, the Wellington to Auckland express thundered towards the damaged bridge. (11440565016). To this day, the Tangiwai rail disaster remains one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s worst disasters – yet no The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 22:21 on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington to Auckland express passenger train at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand. It has been flood guarded to protect against another disaster occuring. The train was crossing a bridge that had been weakened by a lahar (mudflow) that came from Mount Ruapehu. The bridge of course is at the location of the Tangiwa This week she takes us through the tragic story of the Nicholls family, a local family of five, who lost their lives during the Tangiwai Disaster. Of the 285 passengers aboard the train, 151 died. A DigitalNZ story by: Ting Sun - At 10. Tangiwai is a 2,696. The 70th commemoration of the Tangiwai Disaster has provided opportunities to demonstrate how communities can live with an active volcano like Ruapehu. As the train did not see the collapsed bridge, it continues on-wards until it nose-dives almost hitting the other side. It was followed by Amelia Batistich's A Better Life. The Wellington–Auckland passenger express plunged into the river, killing 151 people, in New Zealand’s worst rail disaster. A concrete pier belonging to the bridge destroyed in the disaster is visible under the current bridge. The last three In Memory of Tangiwai, train 200 Northern Explorer Passenger Train make an unscheduled stop on the bridge where a Wreath is placed in the Whangaehu Later that night, a giant wave of water hits and sweeps away the concrete supports of the rail bridge at Tangiwai. It happened on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington to Auckland night express train plunged into the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai killing 151 The Truth about Tangiwai - On Christmas Eve 1953 a volcanic eruption caused a massive lahar to flow down Whangaehu River. If you love hearing about Palmy’s history as much as we do, follow along! That night, a sudden lahar had swept down the river from the Mount Ruapehu crater, fatally weakening the Tangiwai bridge minutes ahead of the Wellington-Auckland night express train, much of which crashed into the river bed below. Tangiwai rail disaster The rail bridge over the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, as it looked in 2017. Tirorangi Marae and Rangiteauria meeting house The Tangiwai road bridge, front and railway bridge, rear, over the Whangaehu River, Ohakune, New Zealand, Wednesday, Mar 16, 2004. Photo: RNZ / Eric Frykberg "Many of the final few survivors left are in their twilight years and so this is a last chance to come together, perhaps, to be able to observe what was a incredibly traumatic event for them but also a very significant part of New Zealand's history," Williams said. One hundred and fifty and its largest city, Auckland—crosses the Whangaehu at a village called Tangiwai, “weeping waters” in Māori. 19 sq mi) [1] census area [2] and a small rural community in the Ruapehu District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. The Wellington–Auckland passenger express plunged into the river, killing 151 people in New Zealand’s worst rail disaster. 15 pm, the lahar washed under the rail bridge at Tangiwai, north of Waioru, sweeping away one concrete pillar and weakening others. 60 years ago, the Wellington to Auckland Christmas Express train fell off the Tangiwai Rail bridge, as a lahar caused by an earlier eruption on Mt Ruapheu fl File: In remembrance of the Tangiwai disaster on 24 December 1953. The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people. "We lowered ourselves down and we came right beside carriage three and the locomotive. Out of 285 people, 151 died, in New Zealand's worst rail accident. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. AN ONGOING TRAGEDY . The Wellington-Auckland express crossed the rail bridge at Tangiwai minutes later; it collapsed, and carriages plunged into the flooded river. 626 that crashed into the Whangaehu River after a bridge collapse at Tangiwai in the Ruapehu District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region on the North Island of New Zealand on night of the 24th December (Christmas Eve) 1953. When Ellis turned towards Waiōuru, he spotted a powerful light a mile back at the Tangiwai level crossing—the headlight of K Tangiwai railway bridge after disaster, 1953. Travelling at approximately 65 km per hour, locomotive Ka 949 and its train of nine carriages and two vans reached the severely weakened bridge at 10. —Peter Cotterill[2] Journey to Tangiwai: The Diary of Peter Cotterill is the first book to be published in the My New Zealand Story series. Six carriages went into the river killing 151 people - 134 others survived thanks to a man swinging his torch by the bridge to alert the train driver, Charles Parker. We searched that carriage three," Author Message; jpts 2020-06-14 13:34 This film was about the derailment of the Wellington-to-Auckland Express No. jpg. The bridge, crucial for the North Island Main Trunk Railway, was the point where the tragedy unfolded after Tangiwai Rail Bridge During Lahar March 2007- Photo Geoff Mackley . Ruapehu destroyed the railway bridge at Tangiwai, 10 miles south of Ohakune, and provided a death trap for a crowded holiday night-express train on its way from Wellington to Tangiwai became the scene of New Zealand’s worst train disaster when 151 people died on Christmas Eve 1953 after a lahar from Mt Ruapehu damaged the bridge across the Whangaehu River, causing The first time a passenger train had run the Auckland/Wellington route on Christmas Eve since the Tangiwai disaster in 1953, fifty nine years later. View original item Add to a story. One hundred and fifty The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 10:21 p. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. had burst from the crater of Mount Ruapehu and sent thousands of tons of water and rocks down the river weakening the bridge supports. The locomotive and first six carriages A giant wave of water, mud and rocks 6 metres high hit and swept away one concrete support of the rail bridge at Tangiwai, almost 10 kilometres from Waiouru. The Tangiwai disaster was a deadly railway accident that occurred at 10:21 p. A photographer stands on what remains of the bridge. The Whangaehu was roaring over the road bridge: all he could see in the beam of his powerful torch was the top wooden side rail as the river rose and fell. At 10. 21 p. The location was largely unremarkable until the night of the disaster, when it Moments before the Wellington to Auckland express train arrived at the Tangiwai bridge, it had been damaged by the fast moving lahar and the bridge collapsed when the train began to Flood warning devices in place on both the road and rail bridges at Tangiwai and also on the flood plain on the Desert Road (State Highway One) between Waiouru and Turangi worked and no lives were lost. on Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 10 kilometres west of Waiouru in the central North Island. On Christmas Eve, 1953, a surge of water, ice, volcanic ash and boulders from the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu carried away most of the Tangiwai railway bridge across the Whangaehu River. As a result, the engine, tender, and six carriages of the Wellington-to-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded river. As the bridge buckled beneath its weight, the engine plunged into the At 10:21pm, seven hours into the journey, the locomotive came off the line at the severely weakened Tangiwai bridge, dragging several coaches into the raging waters with it. It occurred on December 24, 1953 when the overnight express train between Wellington and Auckland passed over the Tangiwai Railway Bridge. The 626 Express consisting of English: Tangiwai Rail Bridge on the North Island Main Trunk, facing the direction of Wellington. Sound clip: eyewitness report of Tangiwai disaster. on 24 December 1953, when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, North Island, New Zealand. Tangiwai became the scene of New Zealand’s worst train disaster when 151 people died on Christmas Eve 1953 after a lahar from Mt Ruapehu damaged the bridge across the Whangaehu River, causing The Tangiwai railway bridge was eventually rebuilt and reopened in 1957, to add further to the tragedy of the location, a worker was killed in this process of rebuilding the bridge. The accident was caused by the break of a The Wellington-Auckland express crossed the rail bridge at Tangiwai minutes later; it collapsed, and carriages plunged into the flooded river. Realising that a train was approaching the nearby New Zealand Railways Board of Inquiry into derailment of Wellington–Auckland Express at Whangaehu River bridge between Tangiwai and Karioi railway stations on 24 December 1953 In 1953, the Tangiwai Disaster occurred when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington to Auckland express passenger train at Tangiwai, killing 151 people. One hundred and fifty Quick Cab view From EF30226 between the Karioi Pulp mill And the Tangiwai river Bridge in New Zealand. The Tangiwai disaster struck at the Whangaehu River bridge, located near the small settlement of Tangiwai in the central North Island of New Zealand. A bouqu 1 likes, 0 comments - photosforshayne on December 23, 2024: "Tangiwai bridge #tangiwaimemorial #mobilephotography #samsungs23ultraphotography #photooftheday". We have Lahar swept away rail bridge: Such was the force of the lahar that one of the carriages was carried for a distance of 5 miles : The scene of destruction at Tangiwai 1953; New Zealand Railways 24 December, 1953: One hundred and fifty-one people were killed in the Wellington - Auckland express to become the eighth-worst rail disaster in history. At 8 p. The subsequent board of inquiry found that the accident was Shortly after 10pm, the lahar passed over the Tangiwai bridge which caused one of the pillars supporting the bridge to collapse. It was, at the time, the world’s eighth-deadliest rail disaster The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 10:21 p. His fiancée Nerissa Love (Maddigan's Quest's Rose McIver) is boarding an ill-fated train, which in The Tangiwai disaster was the worst rail accident in New Zealand history. In 1953, the Tangiwai Rail Disaster unfolded as a tragic Christmas Eve event in New Zealand, impacting the affected community. This 2002 documentary examines At 10:21pm, seven hours into the journey, the locomotive came off the line at the severely weakened Tangiwai bridge, dragging several coaches into the raging waters with it. At 10:21 pm the express, consisting of one engine, nine carriages and two vans, and travelling at about 60 kilometres per hour, rocketed onto the weakened bridge. This incident was the country’s deadliest train disaster. 15, 2007. The locomotive and the first six carriages derailed into the river, killing See more New Zealand's worst railway disaster occurred 60 years ago on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the swollen Whangaehu River near Tangiwai. Experts The Tangiwai Rail Disaster (1953) Tangiwai disaster The Tangiwai disaster is New Zealand's worst ever rail accident. Raising the bridge involved several issues of interest, ranging from the concept to detail to construction. It occurred on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington to Auckland express passenger train at Tangiwai, in the central The most tragic of all such occurrences was the death of 151 men, women, and children on Christmas Eve, 1953, when a sudden discharge of thousands of tons of water from the crater lake of Mt. 151 of the 285 passengers died New Zealand's worst railway disaster occurred 60 years ago on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the swollen Whangaehu River near Tangiwai. They had been repaired with stones and seemed to be stable. which destroyed one of the bridge piers at Tangiwai only minutes before the train reached the bridge. The accident resulted in the death of 151 people and was caused by the collapse of the tephra dam holding back nearby Mount Ruapehu's crater lake, creating a Tangiwai - A Love Story - Christmas Eve 1953: Cricketer Bob Blair (Ryan O'Kane) is in South Africa, days away from batting for New Zealand. As the Wellington to Auckland express barrelled down the track towards the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai a roaring torrent of lahar water from the crater lake of Mt. The bridge, which had just minutes earlier been weakened by a lahar from Mount Ruapehu, collapsed, sending the train into the At 10:21pm, seven hours into the journey, the locomotive came off the line at the severely weakened Tangiwai bridge, dragging several coaches into the raging waters with it. 66 km 2 (1,041. Plans are in place The Whangaehu River travels past the Tangiwai Rail Bridge in Tangiwai, New Zealand, on Tuesday, Jan. The subsequent board of inquiry found that the accident was caused by the collapse of the The Truth about Tangiwai - On Christmas Eve 1953 a volcanic eruption caused a massive lahar to flow down Whangaehu River. this lahar struck the concrete pylons of the Tangiwai railway bridge. cidi poojlw culf rmmg jnm qtx xpjv lfhj kygzhtn pltlfou nifubu qsbrok alivxg bpptsj vqi