RAIL-CARS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22003, 29 January 1937, Page 8

RAIL-CARS

TO THE EDITOE OF TIIE PBESS. Sir,—The general manager of railways, in his statement published todav in "The Press," states that in other countries rail-cars of even lighter construction run at higher speeds than the rail-cars running to the West Coast. He does not state that they do not run through unstable mountainous country, where loose stones and slips are often falling; neither do they run over unprotected level crossings, where the same set of circumstances as apparently caused the Arahura accident are liable to occur at any time. Wftat would hat>pen to one of these light vehicles if it struck a slip or large boulder while travelling in darkness through the very rough country on the Midland section? —Yours, etc., * LOCO. West Eyreton. January 22, 1937. "The letter of your correspondent 'Loco' is not helpful either to the public or the Railway Department," said Mr G, H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, when the above communication was referred to him. "It contains no reliable information, and misstates the facts both in regard to the general use to which rail-cars are put, in other countries and also in reference to the West Coast rail-car accident "More than 200 four-wheeled railcars are in operation in the vaiious European countries at the present time, ranging from Norway through the Central European countries to Switzerland and Italy. A number of them operate in country not materially dissimilar, in their railway operating and safety aspects* from that through which the West Coast rail-car service runs.

"In other parts of the world also, good service to the public is being given by rail-cars designed for services in territory even more difficult than that over which our rail-car services operate. On the Kalka-Simla line in India, for instance, there is a 2ft 6in gauge mountain section operated with rail-cars having a lighter axle-load than that of R,M. 2Q and R.M. 21 (the West Coast rail-cars). This 6Q-mile line has a ruling gradient of one in 33 (uncompensated). It is mostly unfenced, • and climbs spurs and .mountains through broken country in rising from 2000 feet to 6000 feet above sea level. The operating conditions on the Christchurch-Greymouth-Hokitika run are very much simpler, and the 60,000 miles of running already performed by the West Coast rail-cars is an indication of their capacity for the work they are intended to undertake. As has already been pointed out, the conditions which resulted in the derailment referred to were quite exceptional. "The public who have indicated by their patronage their high appreciation of the present West Coast rail-car service may be assured that no effort will be spared by the department to maintain the safety of travel by railcar."