Railway Electrical Engineering

Railway Electrical Engineers are employed in both the civil and mechanical engineering branches.

In the former branch the electrical engineer is mainly engaged in signal and communications work. The great extension in recent years of electric colour-light signalling, interlocking, and Centralised Traffic Control has made the electrical engineer's role of increasing importance.

Apart from the national Post Office telegraph service, the Railways Department owns, operated and maintains the largest telecommunication network in New Zealand. For engineers whose interests lie in the realm of electricity and electronics and its application to communications, this branch offers first-class career prospects.

In the mechanical engineering branch, the electrical engineer deals with railway traction and power. His responsibilities include electric and diesel-electric locomotives, the bulk supply of power to electrified sections of railway and to the larger station yards in electric traction areas, and all the electrical work associated with the four main workshops.

The electrical engineer working on diesel-electric locomotives prepares specifications for new locomotives, checks and tests them when they arrive and solves any problems that may arise when they are first put into service.

The steadily increasing use of diesel-electric locomotives, which has already resulted in more than 50 per cent of all the goods traffic in the North Island being handled by diesel traction, continues to widen the scope offering to electrical engineers in search of a rewarding career.