MOTOR RAILWAY CARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 230, 27 September 1911, Page 7

MOTOR RAILWAY CARS.

DEPARTMENT EXPERIMENTING.

(By Telegraph.—rarliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

The much discussed and considerably deferred railway motor car services came in for a word or so during the debate on the Estimates last night. Mr Massey, in putt/ing in a word for Auckland's claims for the good services of the department in this respect, expressed the opinion that there were many suburban trains which carried no more than about fifty .passengers that could -be well and profitably replaced 'by motor carriages. •lii answer to this invitation the Hon. Mr Millar poiinted out that the department would only be able to get three or four motor carriages out at a time, and, as every place would of course immediately cry out for one, a good many places would be disappointed. It wiis intended, however, to spread them about as much as possible. Mr Massey: "Use them for branch lines."

Mr Miliars "We cannot do that; our intention is to use them for improving the suburban services during the slack hours." , . ~, The Minister went on. to explain that at present the department were experimenting with tnvo or three different kinds with the view of adopting that which Was considered to be most suitable for our lines. What the department aimed at iwas the construction of the carriages out here., 'but, as an instance of the difficulty experienced in getting motors, life could assure, the House that nine mont.is orders were sent for some Thorneycroft motors and they had not been received yet. Meanwhile, the department were getting cars out from diflere.it firms for experimental purposes.