Out of puff

By Tania Martin
PUFFING Billy was stopped in its tracks last week after police lost control of a stolen car.
The incident happened as police were attempting to move a stolen car in McBride Street, Cockatoo, shortly after 11.30am on Tuesday, 22 January, when they lost control of the vehicle and it rolled down the hill and blocked part of the train tracks.
The car smashed through a barrier and blocked the track, holding up Puffing Billy for 40 minutes.
Sergeant Steve Lewis of Kooweerup Police said officers were investigating several acts of vandalism when they recovered a stolen car. He said the car was blocking the driveway of the health centre in McBride Street and police attempted to move it.
“They (police) were moving the car when the gear box failed and the car careered down the hill and into the fence near the railway,” he said.
Senior Constable Jim Wilson of Emerald Police said he was helping to push the car out of the driveway of the health centre when it rolled down the hill.
“It’s just fortunate no one was hurt,” Sen Const Wilson said.
Sgt Lewis said police stopped Puffing Billy because the front bumper bar of the car was hanging over the rail line and it was too close for the train to squeeze past.
Puffing Billy was stopped for 40 minutes while the car was removed.
But Puffing Billy chief executive officer Andrew Stephens says passengers weren’t inconvenienced by the stop.
Mr Stephens said the passengers were invited to take the time to have a coffee and look around Cockatoo.
“We told the passengers that we’d give the whistle a blast six minutes before we were ready to go,” he said.
“It is not the sort of thing we expect to happen but in the end it didn’t inconvenience the passengers that much.”
Mr Stephens said Puffing Billy staff also had a bus on stand-by in case something went wrong with the removal of the car.
Police are now continuing investigations into the acts of vandalism that occurred on Monday, 22 January.
Vandals caused thousands of dollars damage to the unused Childcare Centre in McBride Street when they smashed 32 windows.
Sgt Ken Martin of Emerald Police said the primary school also had some windows smashed, and an off road buggy was stolen but later recovered.
He said police are now appealing for witnesses to the acts of vandalism.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything should contact Emerald Police on 5968 4422.