NEW LOCOMOTIVES

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 171, 21 July 1922, Page 3

NEW LOCOMOTIVES

FOR GOVERNMENT BAH.WAYS. • A POiVERFUL TYPE. PLACED ON" SUBURBAN; SECTIOX. '' Four of the large AB class of locomotive enemies arrived in Auckland this week from Scotland by the Kaikoura to the order of the New Zealand Government for work on the Main Trunk and i other heavy lines. It. was anticipated that one of these j wouM be landed at Auckland and. the others unloaded at Southern ports, but I ts two engines of a similar type 'were ; lost on tne Wiltshire, and as they raav not. be salvaged, it is not deiintelv ! known where they will be placed in use I Probably two will btf placed in use in the. Auckland section and two in the - Wellington section. These arc of the most powerful type woijking nn the Government railways, and are the last ..f the forty-five ordered from the Jsorth British Co.. of Scotland, beino- I dispatched from Glasgow in May. The ' engines, and in fact the whole" of the order, have been constructed to the design of the Chief Mechanical Office, Wellington, who designed the eioht or ten engines of the same class which were constructed in Xew Zealand before the ' order was placed abroad, as it was impossible to build them i n this country. ; owing to war and other conditions. The ! New Zealand-built and designed engine ; is considered to b e the equal of '"any I locomotive constructed abroad. This I type of engine has given entire satisfac- I tion. and is considered to be most suit- ; eble for New Zealand conditions, particularly the steep grades and other ! difficulties that have to be surmounted J In this country. j The Department is at present usin" at Auckland a new type of engine expre'sslv designed for heavy suburban traffic and manufactured at Addingron. This ! engine, belonging to what is known as I ihe \\ .A.B. class, was used for a time ' between Taumarunui and Taihape, and '■ gave entire satisfaction. With a view to strengthening the suburban services it ! lias been placed on the Auckland lines, I and is doing particularly good work, j The Auckland suburban service is rapidly ! increasing, and the indications arc that j it will still further increase during the I next few years. It is with this in%iew ' that the Department is doing all possible ' to strengthen the service.