BRIDGEVLOG 2 I'm Done

that they had not ' broke bread ' since dinner time.

The looker was very soon opened, and a cook ap

pointed, and soon the air of tho van- was ?' Ah lah '

the Park Hotel kitchen. Chop and stoaks had been

very thoughtfully placed in the locker, as well as a

plentiful supply of the ' staff of life,' and the van

being litted with a good cooking range it was not

long before the cook had the ' grills ' dono to a

turn, and just as he was about to servo the rcguln

'tion allowance out, the train came to a full stop,

beiug blocked by tho snow. O£ course Locksloy |

boing only 17 miles from Bathurst the journey was

thought to be at end j not bo for upon Inspector I

Hcathcote looking out of tho window he was

informed that the train had only arrived at

Baglan Hill, about three miles from Bathurst.

Upon further .inspection it was found that the

train -was snow bound (and without a doubt this is

tho first occasion that a train in New South Wales

has been placed in such a position). Every pro- '

paration had been made for emergencies of all

kinds, so in the absence of a snow plough, a dozen

men, armed with shovels, left the van, and with

great difficulty proceeded to tho engine. In

places the men had to get through snow

six feet deep, and in front of tho engine it was nine

feet deep — of course, not from the natural fall, hut

from the 'creeping' from tho sides of the deop

cutting. Aftor about an hour's hard work many

yards of snow were removed, and a

fresh start (with a rush) was attempted j

but it was of no avail. So to work tho shovels

want again, and after a 'long pull and a strong pull'

by the engine, the train once more began to move.

Tho workers having re-entered tho van an onslaught

was made on the cook's ' grills,' and just as ample

justice had been done to his steak and chops, the

train pulled up once more, and the work

of clearing a passage was resumed. Necessarily,

very slow progress was made, for here the snow in

the cutting was nine feet deep, and several hours

were spent in hard labor. In this cutting the

engine left the lino in ono of her plunges, the water

gav« «ut, the fire was withdrawn, and the train was

plncod In the same predicament as that which it was

seeking to ?.relieve, Boing miles from either Bre

wonglc or Looksley nothing could bo

done but send word to either of these

stations, asking them to request Bathurst to send

along another engine. Four volunteers wero quickly

found, two being sent to each station, and in duo

course the second engine arrived. Here, however,

another long delay occurred, as further 'creeps' had

occurred ; but a move was made at last, and after

encountering similar difficulties, necessitating the

clearing of the rails with the primitive appliances

provided, Locksloy was at last reached, the relief

train having been nine hours on tho road.

Hers it was found that the engine of the

passenger train which had left Bathurst in the

morning was off the line, and the rolief party at

once set to work to roplace it. This accomplished,

the train started on the return journey to Bathurst,

at 5.15 this morning, having on board most of the

passengers who had started for Sydney some 20 hours

before nearly perished with cold and half starved.

The return journey was accomplished without acci

dent, and the passengers found their way to their

homes from which they had started. Their

experience at Locksley station was the

reverse of enjoyable, as there was no

place near from which provisions could be obtained,

and no houses in which they could take or find shelter,

tl'he stotion-mnster and Jlr. and Mrs. Locic did

heir utmost to make the snow-bound passengers

comfortable, and all provisions available wore

lumped togcthor and shared in common.