Capital Costs Per Mile.

Although the early Railway Acts contemplated in no case a cost of more than £5,000. per mile, at the end of the first decade the cost of open lines had risen to approximately £7,000. This discrepancy was due to a number of factors:

(1) In response to pressure, politicians had caused too many stations to be constructed.

(2) The stations and sidings that were provided on the main lines nearly all proved inadequate for the traffic; and as early as 1878 new stations were being planned at Lyttelton, Christ-church, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and Bluff, as well as at other less important places. The Auckland-Drury line cost 6 per cent. in excess of the estimate—solely on account of the traffic offering requiring an amount of rolling stock greatly above the estimate; and a new station in Auckland was found essential as early as 1883.

(3) The original 40 lb. rails proved too light for the traffic, and had to be replaced in the very early ‘eighties by at least 53 lb. rails on the main lines. Now 70 lb. rails are in general use on main lines.

(4) Certain materials and labour rose in cost.

(5) Contrary to original anticipations, many lines had to be fenced and tunnels lined.

(6) There was much faulty selection of materials—in some cases as a result of political interference with the engineer's recommendations. Thus many lines had to be reballasted because of the use of unsuitable metal. Rimu soon proved itself an undesirable material for bridges, and various local timbers used for sleepers had, as early as 1882, to be replaced by jarrah.

(7) There was failure to make sufficient allowance for flood conditions, with the result that many culverts had to be replaced by bridges, and many low-lying lines by embankments.

(8) Occasionally the engineers made bad mistakes; e.g., several furlongs of track near Moeraki had to be abandoned, both the Government and the contractors’ overseers being replaced.

(9) Owing to the bush-covered nature of much of the country (e.g., between Foxton and Wanganui) accurate estimates were difficult to make.

Operating costs were also unduly raised by the early skimping in capital costs:—

(1) The light equipment and track quickly wore out or required repairs—so that there were excessive maintenance charges.

(2) The engine power on some sections was so small that time-tables had to be slowed up as traffic increased; e.g., on the Auckland Section in 1883. This state of affairs was remedied by ordering six J locomotives in the following year, the most powerful engines previously operating on this section having been of the L and Fairlie types.

(3) Lack of adequate equipment (e.g., water tanks) led to excessive shunting.

The fatal accident wherein part of a train consisting of one H (Fell) engine, two four-wheeled cars, one ordinary van, one Fell van, and two loaded covered goods wagons was blown over a precipitous bank on the Rimutaka Incline (1 in 15 grade) on 13th September, 1880, was also partly due to the light construction of the vehicles and the absence of any provision of breakwinds—later provided—at points such as Horse Shoe Valley that were subject to exceptionally heavy gales.

On 24th October, 1884, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. Richardson, was able to say:—

“By reason of … additions to the opened railways during the past few years we have now got 1,400 miles of railway complete and equipped—not of a description such as was proposed in 1870 when the Scheme of Public Works was inaugurated by my colleague, Sir Julius Vogel, but lines of a much higher class, and of such a nature that high speeds can be run and much greater traffic than was anticipated can be carried.”