Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 4 (August 24, 1926)

Current Comments

page 17

Current Comments

Helpful To Passengers.
The Railway Saves You Spending Money.

A convenience which the Railway Department has to offer, and one which is not generally thought of, is the payment at a station of fares on behalf of passengers travelling from or between any other railway stations.

Supposing an employer at Auckland, having interests in the southern centres, desired to send an employee from Dunedin to Christchurch. The fare could be paid at Auckland station and the Booking Clerk would then issue a receipt giving particulars. On presentation of this at Dunedin station the employee could obtain the necessary ticket from Dunedin to Christchurch. The need for transmitting money for the purpose is thus obviated.

This system can be availed of at Christmas time for family gatherings, making the railway ticket a kind of Christmas present. Anyone desirous of paying the fare of anyone else between any two railway stations may do so, simply by depositing with the Stationmaster in his own town a sum sufficient to cover the required fare.

A Wellington resident who wanted his friend to come say from Invercargill to Trentham for the Easter meeting, could send a railway receipt (or coupon) for the ticket with his letter of invitation. That coupon would buy the ticket,—and, probably, ensure the visit.

It is difficult to realise to how great an extent these conveniences may help traffic if properly understood by the public and carefully pushed by the staff.

According to a writer in “Machinery,” it has been found that leaving a pair of wheels standing on sand in tropical parts for a few weeks causes the portion in contact with the earth quickly to corrode, and this portion has caused flats on the tires within as little as a month of service. Removing the flats, by turning, means a loss of wearing surface, and, after turning, it has been found that the metal at the flat portion is spongy, and flats will again occur. It has also been found that tires stored in a damp or dusty shed do not give the same service as tires of the same make fitted direct on the wheel centres by the makers. Tires should not be left in the open or exposed to the salinity and inclement weather found at most shipping ports, and if not directly put into use on arrival should be stored on rails in a dry place.

* * *

Applications for enrolment in the Correspondence and Training School at Wellington are arriving at the rate of a hundred a day. The whole scheme promises to be an unqualified success. Although examination will not be necessary for officers above grade seven, members who are in the higher grade may, if they so desire, brush up their knowledge by taking the courses.

* * *

On the Fort Wayne division of the Pennsylvania Railways during the month of January of this year there were 44 cases of level crossing gates being run into by motorists. The figures for the whole of 1925 reveal 224 such accidents, and for 1924 the figures stand at 249 accidents directly due to this cause.

* * *

The section of our line between Rolleston Junction and Stillwater Junction—a distance of 122 miles—comprises the largest installation of single line automatic signalling equipped with light signals in the British Empire.

From A Satisfied Putaruru Farmer.

The following letter bearing on the “Farmers' Excursion” was received by Mr. H. Welsh, Business Agent for the Auckland district:—

Having taken advantage of the cheap fare afforded by the Farmers' Excursion to Taranaki, I thought I would let you know that I for one appreciated it and consider it a great innovation, deserving much better patronage than it received this year. Should you decide to run another next season, I shall do my best to persuade others to travel by it.—I am, yours faithfully,

An Appreciative Farmer.