JACKS ON TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 208, 3 September 1929, Page 3

JACKS ON TRAMS.

EQUIPMENT TO BE CARRIED. TRANSPORT BOARD'S ACTION. PRECAUTION AGAINST ACCIDENTS. . COST OF £750. By a decision of the Auckland Transport Board this morning jacks will be provided on all tram care. In addition a telescopic bar will also be carried, and there will be a rearrangement of the jack stations on all routes. Further, the board will request the various local authorities to assist it in its efforts to safeguard the public against accidents by illuminating the streets on the tram routes until 1 a.m. "I do not know of a single instance where the presence or absence of jacks has had any effect 011 the result of an accident," said the chairman of the board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum. "Delay has been more apparent than real, in cases of accident. The practice adopted in Auckland in the past, of having jacks at various points, is the general one.In fact, we are doing more than most other local authorities." ' Mr. Allum said there was always a jack to be obtained within a quarter of a mile of where an accident happened. However, extra precautions seemed necessary to allay public apprehension. Mr. M. J. Coyle, supporting the chairman, said it was distressing, when an accident occurred, that there was not an implement immediately available. A Difference of Opinion. "By carrying jacks on the cars you by no means provide the cars with an equipment which will immediately free anyone, pinned underneath," said Mr. A. E. Ford, general manager. He added that a jack might be successful in some cases, but at other times, packing gear and auxiliary equipment was necessary. Because of the unsatisfactory resultsfrom jacks in some cases the practice commonly adopted all over the world by tramway undertakings was to have jack stations along the route. On the question of jacks on the trams there was a slight difference of opinion between the board and the management, said Mr, Allum. • The engineer, Sir. F. E. de Guerrier, reported that jacks, to be of any value, must be short, strong and as light as possible. Further, they must be . of simple construction and free from apparatus that could easily get out of order and that would require skilled labour to repair or that would be affccted by weather conditions or long periods of disuse. The board had tried out several hydraulic jacks, which did not come up to requirements, and he did not know of any electrically-operated jack. In any case, if there were such a jack available it would not be safe to use it under emergency conditions, particularly- as power would have to be taken from the trolley wire at a voltage of over 500, which would be unsafe under the circumstances, and might possibly be the means of electrocuting somebody. Only a manually operated jack was of any practical value. Jack Stations. One jack similar to those now in use could be installed. A telescopic bar could also be included with the jack. If this suggestion were adopted, it would still be necessary to have jack stations at all tramway junnctions as at present, and one or two other points, totalling in all 27. ' This entailed the provision of 54 jacks, to which would have to be added one each for all cars except the 24 original ones now coupled in pairs, and the six converted deckers, all of which were only used occasionally and at the busiest traffic period, when plenty of other cars were in their vicinity. The 25 new cars now under construction would also have to be equipped with one jack each. A total of 119 additional jacks would have to be provided, and the cost of these, with the necessary bars, would be approximately £750, including installing them on the cars. The charge would be a capital one. In connection with lighting up till 1 a.m. of the roads along which the tramways run in the suburbs, this matter was dealt with in 192G by the City Council, which communicated with the various local authorities concerned. The reply received was that they could not see their way towards extending the time beyond midnight. Before carrying Mr. Allum's motion motion the board rejected an amendment, that the question be referred to a committee of the whole board for consideration.