THE RAIL-CAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 194, 30 May 1934, Page 6

THE RAIL-CAR.

VISIT TO ASHBURTON.

REMARKABLY COMPACT UNIT,

The rail-car, the latest bid of the General Manager of Railways (Mr G. H. Mackley) for economy in liis- tours of the railway systems in the Dominion, made its first call at Ashburton this morning, when Mr Mackley paid an inspection visit, completing liis tour of the Canterbury and West Coast districts.

The car is a marvel of compactness, and Mr Mackley stated that he was well satisfied, with the work it was doing. At his invitation a “Guardian” reported went for a short run in the car, and it was demonstrated that it is remarkably easy runniitg. There was an almost total absence of jolting. There are seats for eight people, and the upholstery is excellent. ■ Deeply-padded seats in brown leather, with .arm-rests and a special head-rest device, tend to give a maximum comfort. The body is built-after the stylo of a service car, and the engine is a Leyland Cub, which drives the car at a speed of over 50 miles an horn with the greatest ease. On the journey from Christchurch to Ashburton today it used only 2% gallons of petrol. There are small luggage nets above the passengers’ heads and a compartment at the fear can take suitcases and the like, while containers on either side of this receptacle hold extra petrol and oil, lamps, a seven-ton jack, fog signals and a variety of small equipment. In front the bumper bar is hollow, and inside there is a box holding all manner of spare parts. An ingenious device permits of the car being swung round on the line on a turn-table which is carried under the cen.tie of the floor. This is let down, clamped to the rails, and, the car turned round. So easy is this latter operation that a seven-year-old hoy swung the ear when it was turned in the Ashburton yards this morning. The car can be used for road work by the simple process of changing the wheels. The car was built at the railway workshops at Loburn. . It is equally handy on the hill country, and goes over, the Rimutaka Incline in eight minutes, compared with the steam train’s 3C minutes. The car left Ashburton about 12.25 o’clock on its way back to Christchurch, hut will pass through Ashburton to-morrow morning when the General Manager is on his way to Dunedin.