Police investigation halts Puffing Billy

By Tania Martin
PASSENGERS on Puffing Billy made an unscheduled stop in Cockatoo yesterday (Tuesday) after an outofcontrol car smashed into a barrier and blocked part of the railway line.
Kooweerup Police Sergeant Steve Lewis said police were investigating some vandalism in Cockatoo when the incident happened.
He said police recovered a stolen car shortly after 11.30am, which was blocking the driveway of the health centre in McBride Street.
“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.
“We 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.
Police are now continuing investigations into the acts of vandalism that occurred on Monday night.