Modern Rail-Cars Ordered.

Important Transport Development.

In making this announcement on behalf of the Government Railways Board recently, Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, said that the present decision was regarded by the Board as a very important development in the transport of the Dominion, and he had no doubt that it would be so regarded by the public.

“After very complete investigations,” said Mr. Mackley, “both with the inspection rail-car and also regarding the use of rail-cars in other countries and the possibility of the economic adaptation of these units to the requirements of traffic on certain lines of our own system, the Board has decided to introduce petrol-driven rail-cars on the Wellington - Rimutaka - Palmerston North route for day service, and between]

Artist's impression of the type of petrol-driven rail-car which is to be used on the Wellington-Wairarapa Line, North Island, New Zealand.

Wellington and New Plymouth for night-running.

“Six rail-cars are to be used for the Wellington - Masterton - Palmerston North passenger service,” continued Mr. Mackley. “These cars will be of the most modern type, and will each seat 49 passengers. They will have lavatory accommodation and can each carry 1 ton of small parcels and luggage. The power will be provided by a 130 h.p. Leyland petrol-engine with torque converter driving on to the pair of rear wheels. The cars are of the sixwheeled type built for running in one direction only, with reverse gear for shunting en route and at terminals. They will be fitted with the very latest comfort-giving devices.”

Fast, Frequent, Comfortable Services.

“The manufacture of the cars is now in hand, but, of course, some time will elapse before they will be ready for service. Meantime suitable schedules of running are being worked out to give a fast, comfortable service. The bodies will be built in the Hutt Workshops and Leyland Motors, Ltd., will supply the engines. The new cars are designed to travel at a rate of 50 to 60 miles per hour on the flat. They will negotiate the Rimutaka Incline (with its grade of about 1 in 15) fully loaded at a speed of from 15 to 17 miles per hour. The adhesion and braking-power of the cars is such that no centre rail is required for their operation on the Incline.

“Not only will travel over this section of country be very much faster than at present, but there will be a much more frequent service.

“These new factors are expected to change the whole aspect of travel on the line between Wellington and Palmerston North via the Wairarapa.

“Time is one of the most important factors to consider in modern transport,” said Mr. Mackley. “It is therefore interesting to note that the introduction of these cars will reduce the time between Wellington and Master-ton from about 3 hours 40 minutes to about 2 hours 15 minutes, a saving of 1 hour 25 minutes. Between Masterton and Palmerston North by through service the time will be reduced from about 3 ¼ hours to about 2 hours, a saving of 1 ½ hours.

“The tentative schedule for running the rail-cars provides four passenger services in each direction between Masterton and Wellington (instead of the present two). It also provides three passenger services in each direction between Masterton and Palmers-ton North (instead of the present two).”

Wellington-Upper Hutt.

“Although it has been the Department's desire to improve the time between Wellington and Upper Hutt, the present is the first opportunity to do much in this respect. The time by rail-car on six services in each direction between Wellington and Upper Hutt will average approximately 37 minutes. The time by the principal rail-car services between these stations will be 32 minutes. The fastest present steam service is 48 minutes and the average time by rail is 59 minutes.”

Present Handicaps.

“The working of trains over the Rimutaka Incline between Wellington and Masterton (66 miles) under the present system is very costly and slow, due to the necessity of working by ‘Fell’ engine and special brake-vans. This section of the line is therefore especially suitable, from all points of view, for operation by rail-car.

“At the present time a minimum of four engines is required on each trip—viz., one engine between Wellington and Summit (34 miles), two ‘Fell’ engines between Summit and Cross Creek (3 miles) and one engine between Cross Creek and Masterton (29 miles). A certain amount of ‘light’ or ‘solo’ engine running between the locomotive depots at Upper Hutt and Cross Creek and the Summit, and ‘standing time’ waiting for connections at either Summit or Cross Creek is unavoidable. The time taken in changing over from the ‘Fell’ to the ordinary engines and vice versa at Summit and Cross Creek, also in negotiating the heavy grade on the Incline, makes the over-all time, under present conditions, for the journey between Wellington and Master-ton, very slow.

Meeting the Public Requirements.

“The demand to-day,” said Mr. Mackley, “is undoubtedly for fast, light, and comfortable services at frequent intervals, rather than for trains of large capacity running infrequently, and probably, to a large number of people, at inconvenient times. The Board feels that light rail-units will do a great deal to meet this demand, and very careful calculation shows that this can be done, on the route chosen, at a cost substantially less than the cost of steam services worked by costly and heavy engines.

“The rail-car services have been planned to give comfort, cleanliness, frequency and speed. The accommodation will be equal to the best of the present first-class railway carriages, yet only second-class fares are to be charged for travel by these rail-cars which will be all of one class.”

Other Benefits.

“Besides giving faster and more frequent services, the rail-cars will make better connections between the Wairarapa and the Main Trunk services at both Palmerston North and Wellington.

“There will be a prompt connection in the morning at Palmerston North for the Wairarapa passengers ex the Limited from Auckland. Passengers from North of Masterton will be able to visit Wellington and after spending over 4 hours there return home by rail-car the same evening. Connections for passengers ex the New Plymouth line to the Wairarapa will also be improved. Wellington passengers for Masterton will be able to travel out in the morning and have over 6 hours at Masterton before returning in the afternoon.

“Another rail-car service has been arranged which will enable Woodville residents to spend the evening in Palmerston North and return home the same night.

“The Palmerston North residents will have rail-car services available which they may use for spending the day or the afternoon in the Wairarapa.

“On special occasions (for holidays, race-meetings, etc.) the rail-car services will be supplemented as required by steam trains.”

Rail-Car Goods Services.

“A petrol-driven rail-unit with a body designed for goods traffic will be run on a special schedule between Cross Creek and Woodville. This service will also convey about 20 school children to and from Masterton, for whom collapsible or removable seats will be provided.”

Important Economy Factor.

“The whole of the costs in connection with the rail-car service and the steam service which it replaces have been very carefully analysed, and a balance is shown in favour of rail-car operation.

“The use of rail-car units will ultimately have some influence on the locomotive construction programme and will enable a more profitable use to be made of the steam locomotives at present in service. The ‘Fell’ engines due for replacement will, with the introduction of petrol rail-cars, probably be reduced in numbers.”

Wellington-New Plymouth Night Service.

“The Board has also decided,” said Mr. Mackley, “to use rail-cars for a night service between Wellington and New Plymouth. Three cars are required for this service. They will be heavier and of greater capacity than the rail-cars on the Wairarapa line, as their construction is not subject to factors which have to be considered in operating traffic over the Rimutaka Incline

“Each car will weigh 28 tons, fully loaded (as compared with the 15 tons of the Rimutaka type rail-car), and will carry 56 passengers and up to 1 ton of luggage. Worked by two 10-litre engines the car will be capable of 70 miles per hour.

“These cars will have smoking and non-smoking compartments, but otherwise, so far as the passengers are concerned, the equipment will be similar to that arranged for the Wairarapa rail-cars. The cars for the Wellington-New Plymouth run will, however, have four-wheeled bogies at each end, and two pairs of driving wheels.

“When a tri-weekly express-train service was tried out between Wellington and New Plymouth for a few months in 1930, although the service had to be discontinued (along with many other services) owing to the financial position, the trains had been fairly well patronized and it was considered that the service might well be reinstated when the general position improved.

“With the general advantages in the quality of service and economy of operation to be secured by rail-cars, of the type described, in the matter of comfort, speed, cleanliness, and general attractiveness, the Board feels confident that the service will be popular and quite self-supporting. It has therefore been decided to run rail-cars page 53 six nights a week (Sunday to Friday inclusive) in both directions, as soon as the vehicles, now on order, are available.

“The rail-cars will run to leave Wellington at 11 p.m. and arrive New Plymouth at 6.32 a.m. (a total of 7 ½ hours for the journey), and from New Plymouth leaving at 10.48 p.m. and arriving Wellington 6.30 a.m. (approximately 7 ¾ hours for the journey). The present time by the day expresses averages 9 3/4 hours.”

Public Support Essential.

“The decision of the Railways Board to adopt this modern method of transport in the localities mentioned,” continued Mr. Mackley, “is based on a very strong belief that public support will be given in full measure to the new services provided. The Board therefore asks that the public interested in the Wellington - Wairarapa-Palmerston North area and in the Wellington-New Plymouth route will make the fullest possible use of the new services now being introduced for their benefit. Upon such support the success of the undertaking is dependent.”

Rail-Cars in Other Countries.

Asked regarding the latest rail-car developments in other countries, Mr. Mackley said that he found in Queensland petrol rail-units in service all over that State, there being in use at the time of his visit 54 power units and 94 trailers, ranging in passenger-carrying capacity from 26 to 57 passengers, and with from 45 to 150 horse-power. Several additional units were also under construction in the railway shops at Ipswich.

“It was the experience of the Queensland railway administration,” said Mr. Mackley, “that in every district where these rail-cars were installed they became most popular with the travelling public, who were enthusiastic in their appreciation of the quick, clean, and comfortable transit provided. More particularly was this so on the branch lines on which the passenger traffic had of necessity been catered for previously by slow mixed trains, due to the business being insufficient to warrant the provisions of a steam passenger service.

“As a result of experience with the Department's own rail-car and from the appeal this unit made to the large body of railwaymen and outside people who inspected it, the Board is convinced that the same satisfactory results will be obtained by the introduction of petrol rail-units into this country as has been experienced in Queens-land, and that the bulk of the passenger business will be encouraged to utilize the more comfortable, cleaner, faster, and more frequent passenger services offered by this latest method of transport by rail-car.”

Mr. Mackley also referred to the success of rail-cars in other countries, mentioning particularly Great Britain and Italy.

What of the Future?

Asked whether the Government Railways Board had in mind the extension of rail-car services to other districts, Mr. Mackley said that the Board had certain other lines under consideration, more particularly in the South Island, and was awaiting with interest the public reaction to the operation of the new rail-car services on the Wairarapa and New Plymouth routes. Judged by the experience of other countries and the special advantages this particular type of vehicle would appear to have as a passenger unit in this country, the Board has good reason to anticipate a substantial increase in its passenger business.

The Rail-cars Described.

As will be seen by the illustrations, the new rail-cars have a most attractive appearance. The units to be operated between Wellington, Masterton, and Palmerston North are as large as the cars on the Main Trunk expresses. They are roomy and designed for a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. The length is 50 ft., the width is 9 ft. at the waist, and the height is 11 ft. 6 in. There are 49 seats for passengers in addition to those for the driver and conductor. A special luggage

Artist's impression of the type of petrol-driven rail-car to be used for the night services on the Wellington-New Plymouth Line.

compartment is provided, and there is also an extra container for luggage at the rear, under the car.

The body is carried on six wheels—one leading four-wheeled bogie and a single pair of driving wheels. The power is provided by a Leyland 10-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine, through fluid gear and combined bevel and spur gear drive on to the driving axle. The car is intended for single headed operation, but it is provided with reverse gear for manoeuvring purposes, and it is capable of making the same speed in both directions.

The lavatory accommodation and toilet will be of a standard equal to that provided on the best express trains, and the car will be controlled by Westinghouse air-operated brakes.

On each side of the front of the car there are driver-controlled doors operated by air engines, and the emergency doors are provided at the rear.

The car will, of course, be electrically lighted, and will have artistic modern fittings. Heating is secured by means of the hot air circulated by electric fans, and special roof ventilation has been arranged. The windows are of the half-drop type, set in aluminium frames. The seats, of tubular construction, are chromium-plated, of bucketed form and fitted with comfortable upholstery and footbar rests. The flooring will be rubber-covered.

The colour-scheme on the outside will give the Department's standard midland red for the sides, and the roof will be finished in aluminium.

The whole car is of steel construction, excepting the body panelling, which will be of aluminium.