Locomotive Engineering.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1886, Page 5

Locomotive Engineering.

Wb oxcept, from tho " Glasgow Herald " of Decembor 26th, in its report on this indue? try in Great Britain for the year of ISBS, a statement which will be of considerable •itorest to the public of New Zealand after V* 3 vigorous attempt, on the part of some of. the members of our Government to influence trado in locomotives in the direction of the Americans. Messrs' Neilson and Co., of Glasgow, have employed daring the year 2,500 men, and their output for the year is 206 engines, and in both cases the figures are considerably in excess of any other firm in the country, and havo never been equalled by any of their competitors in the history of the locomotive trade of this country. Their turnout for the year, touching each.1 othor, would form a line of. locomotives one and a-half mi'.os in length.

"A very determined attack has boen made, and is still being made, by the Americans upon the colonial markets of our locomotive builders. The system adopted, howevor, is not conducted on lines that are' entitled to secure success, and, it is believed, will result in a complete failure to secure ovon the slightest hold upon thoso markets. They adopt the syßtem of publishing condemnatory statements regarding Britishmade engines, emanating from apparently impartial men in no way interested in the trado of either country, but who aro well known to the locomotive firms in this country and to many others to be paid agents or and acting directly in the interest of American firms. They also publish gross' exaggerations of the performances of the American type of engine. When it is remembered that in the case of new railways the promoters and contractors, who aro frequently tho samo individuate, generally edpply the first equipment of the line, and that their interest in the concern ends where tbe company's begins, it will readily be understood that the Americans, with their cheaper specification, which provides for iron or steel' where in this cou_.ft.-y copper and brass only aro used, and cast-iron in many important parts where forged-iron is used here-are occasionally able to pall off an order from buyers of this class. But when the companies who succeed to these engines go into the market for an additional supply it is becoming more and more the rule, so far as South America at all events is concerned, for them to place their orders in this country for engines more of the British type and to tho usual British specification. Recently the seoretary of a South American railway company, which had an original stock of American engines and two British engines of Messrs Neilson and Co.'s make, stated that their experience of American engines had been a .ye'ry Bad one-so sad, indeed, that in future his Board had determined never to order an engine from other than a British maker. -This statement is worth more as -.guide to colonial puichasera than whole volumes of the American puffing which has been so profusely spread over the entire Press of the world during the last twelve months. In connection with American competition it may be as well to add that British makers are quite able to produce the American type of engine, and that our two local firms have secured contracts for such in competition with American makers, notwithstanding that the delivery had to be made on the other side of the Atlantic. Of course this could not have been done if delivery had had to be made in the United States itself, as, in order to protect their own makers from being cut out by British competitors, they have to impose a prohibitive import duty on locomotives."