STEAM LOCOMOTIVE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19623, 20 May 1929, Page 8

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE.

USE IN OTIRA TUNNEL. The last two railway excursion trains to Otira have been hauled through the tunnel by steam locomotives, while the return trip has been made with an electric engine.

When it became known that a steam engine would be used to draw yesterday's train, there was some dissatisfaction among engine-drivers, who contended that the innovation was a dangerous one, as the constant braking on the run down from Arthur's Pass to Otira, on which the grade is oae in thirty-three, would impose too great a strain on the equipment. The Department decided not to utilise an electric locomotive on the Arthur's Pass-Otira trip in order to save the necessity for bringing the drivers !on duty for the morning shift, but j the gradient on the return journey would have been too much for a steam engine. In support of their objection the drivers pointed out that the excursion train drawn through the tunnel by a steam locomotive a few weeka ago covered the distance in 16 minutes, whereI as trainß hauled by electric engines ocI cupy 22 minutes, according to the timetable. Yesterday's train, however, was I not so heavy as the previous one, and consisted of only seven carriages and a guard's van. The driver said no difficulties were met wi'.h, but he had to keep the pump in operation all the way to maintain the supplv of air for the brakes. The time taken on the trip waß 21 minutes. The Bteam locomotives weTe merely "coasted" through the tunnel on the mn to Otira, and were drawn back by electric engines, there being thus no need to stoke the fires constantly to keep up steam and in so doing impregnate the tunnel atmosphere with smoke.