NEW WAGGONS FOR RAILWAYS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26211, 7 September 1950, Page 5

NEW WAGGONS FOR RAILWAYS

FIRST BEING DELIVERED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. September 6. The first of 1000 railway waggons recently ordered in Britain were being delivered, and tenders for 3800 more were expected to be received “any day now,” said the general manager of the Railways Department (Mr F. W. Aickin) to-day. In addition, the department would have to buy 50 steam locomotives overseas. So far 120 knocked-down Me waggons had arrived, of which 19 were in service, said Mr Aickin. Thirty of 500 Lc waggons on order had arrived, but had yet to be assembled, and 35 Yb ballast trucks had been landed. The first of 15 dual-purpose Diesel electric shunting engines was expected to arrive at the end of the year. Tenders for the additional 3800 waggons were expecte.d from Britain, France and Australia, continued Mr Aickin. A target of 35 Ja engines had been set for the steam locomotive department, and 19 had already been constructed.

“Because of the pressing need for more steam locomotives, covering the. requirements of the next few years, it will be necessary to buy about 50 overseas,” he said. “For a portion of this requirement, it will be a far more economic proposition for the department, for heavy work in the centre of the Main Trunk, to use partial Diesel electric traction. The department is at present working on propositions to meet this need.”