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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 1 (April 2, 1934.)

Our London Letter

page 11

Our London Letter

Trisanna Viaduct, Arlberg Railway, Austria.

Co-Operation In Britain's Railway Industry.

In recent years one of the most conspicuous features in the Home railway industry has been the increasing growth of pooling policies and co-operative working among the different systems serving the country. At the moment there is considerable speculation regarding the future of the four big group undertakings, and in some quarters it is suggested as likely that ultimately the fusion of these lines will be accomplished, the resultant nation-wide railway system being run as a Government concern with management free from all political interference.

Broadly speaking, there is a great deal to be said for the amalgamation of all the Home lines into one big undertaking. Such a move, indeed, would appear to be the logical sequence to the elaborate grouping programme already carried through. As yet, the time is hardly ripe for a big adventure of this sort, and it is probable that for some years the existing group arrangement will continue. Eventually, however, Britain will have, in all probability, a very similar railway policy to that of New Zealand. There is no suggestion, of course, that the grouping scheme already operative has failed, or that any of the railways concerned have in any way neglected their opportunities. Complete railway unification is inevitable ultimately—a fact to which leading railwaymen like Mr. William Whitelaw, the Chairman of the L. & N.E. line, have frankly given publicity.

In the new era, the Home railways will be much more than railways in the strict sense of the term. They will be comprehensive “transport-ways” engaging in every form of movement by land, sea and air. Already the group railways engage in road, sea and air movement to a considerable degree, and the co-ordination of transport systems thus effected is proving of the greatest value to one and all.

Rail-Road Co-ordination.

In the field of rail-road co-ordination the most interesting and important of recent developments is the taking over by the four group railways of the two famous and old-established road transport undertakings of Carter, Paterson and Co., and Pickfords Ltd. The cost of purchase of these two firms runs into seven figures, and it has been shared equally by the four railway groups. Carter, Patersons specialised in the conveyance of parcels traffic, while Pickfords handled heavier and bulkier transits, furniture removals, and the like. The firm of Pickfords had its origin more than three hundred years ago. In the reign of Charles I. a Mr. Pickford commenced to carry goods from Manchester to nearby towns. Pack-trains were by degrees introduced in other parts of the country, and as more up-to-date forms of transport were devised Pickfords extended their ramifications accordingly. More than 7,000 men are employed by
Sleeping-car comfort on the L. & N.E. Railway.

Sleeping-car comfort on the L. & N.E. Railway.

Pickfords and Carter, Patersons combined, and as a result of the purchase of the two concerns the Home railways have acquired an additional 2,900 motor and horse-drawn road vehicles.

A Diamond Jubilee.

One of the most interesting anniversaries recently celebrated in Britain was the diamond jubilee of the sleeping car on the West Coast route between Euston Station, London, and Scotland, into which service the pioneer car was introduced in October, 1873. Britain's first “sleeper” was constructed in the former London and North Western workshops at Wolverton (where, incidentally, the present-day Royal train of King George and Queen Mary is housed). The vehicle was only 33 feet in length, compared with the 65ft. of the latest L.M. and S. standard sleeping-cars. Sixty years ago the sleeping-car service between Euston and Glasgow was a tri-weekly experiment. To-day, more than 220 luxurious sleeping cars are operated nightly by the L.M. and S. between London and the principal northern centres.

Night travel is on the increase at Home, and to meet the changing demands of passengers, large numbers of new sleeping cars are being introduced on both the L.M. and S. and L. and N.E. systems, these being the two big lines operating long-distance services between London and Scotland. Among the new vehicles are a considerable proportion of third-class cars, the third-class “sleeper” ranking as one of the most important of post-war innovations on the Home lines.

Awards for Suggestions.

Railway employees may help their managements very materially in the march towards prosperity by bringing to the notice of their superior officers any ideas they may have for the page 12 page 13 betterment of working methods. At Home the suggestions schemes run by the different lines are a big success, and every year immense sums of money are saved as a direct result of suggestions for better working put forward by employees of all grades.

On the Southern Railway added interest has just been given the suggestions scheme by the offer of special awards for the best ideas submitted by members of the staff. For the best suggestion made throughout the year the railway offers an award to the value of £25, in the form of a free holiday for two in any European country, including passage to and from England. Leave without loss of pay is to be granted the lucky winner. The second prize takes the form of a £10 holiday for two in any part of Britain. To the six runners-up there is to be presented a crisp £5 note.

Modern Coaling Methods.

Coaling steam locomotives by electricity sounds something of a novelty, yet this is the accomplishment of the L. and N.E. Railway at their big locomotive sheds at Boston, Lincolnshire, and elsewhere. When the L. and N.E. Company was formed, in 1923, there were only two mechanical coaling plants on the system, practically all coaling being done by hand. To-day there are thirty-three electrical coaling plants in operation, and engines may now be coaled in three minutes instead of the thirty minutes required by the old method.

Ostende, Belgium's most popular sea-side resort.

Ostende, Belgium's most popular sea-side resort.

The electrical coaling plants are of three types—the small skip hoist, the large skip hoist, and the wagon hoist. In the first case, wagons of coal are emptied into half-ton skips which run on miniature rails alongside the standard track; the skips are then pushed on to a hoist which lifts them and tips the coal into the engine tender. With the large skip hoist type, wagons of coal are tipped bodily into a hopper at ground level and the coal is then raised in large skips and tipped into a bunker above the rails holding 100 or 150 tons; engines are then run beneath the bunker and the tenders filled. The third, and most used, method is to hoist entire wagon loads of coal to the top of a bunker holding up to 500 tons, and tip the coal in at the top; engines then run beneath and the driver releases the coal he requires. At each release the amount of coal taken is automatically weighed and registered.

Items in Railway Expenditure.

That “new brooms sweep clean” appears to be fully realised by the Home railways. Every year, it is recorded, the four group lines spend over £30,000 on sweeping brooms. The railways are among the nation's biggest purchasers of cleaning materials and general stores. One group line recently spent in one year £44,000 on linen. Another paid £55,000 for sponge-cloths and cotton waste in twelve months. The bill for a year's soap supplies for one line worked out at £10,000. Another spent £38,000 on crockery and glassware.

In providing for the uniform clothing of their employees the Home railways buy something like 3,600,000 yards of cloth annually; 520,000 pairs of trousers; 451,000 jackets; 173,000 overcoats; 250,000 caps; and 90,000 pairs of gloves. Other items in the railway housekeeping bill are £37,000 for carriage upholstery; £35,000 for rope; and £ 19,000 for calico and canvas.

Electrification in Europe.

While no great activity is being recorded in Britain in the field of railway electrification, on the mainland of Europe great progress is being made in this direction in Sweden and Belgium. Recently the Swedish State Railways have completed the electrification of the Stockholm-Malmo mainline, thereby effecting a passenger train journey saving of two hours on the throughout run. On completion of the works in active progress, the Swedish State Railways will operate about 1,700 miles of electrified track, or roughly forty per cent, of the entire railway system.

In Belgium, the State Railways are pushing rapidly ahead with the electrification of the Brussels-Antwerp mainline. Trains composed of four coaches, with a total seating capacity of 350 will make the 21 1/2 miles Brussels-Antwerp trip in thirty minutes.