NEW SHUNTING LOCOMOTIVES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26967, 17 February 1953, Page 8

NEW SHUNTING LOCOMOTIVES

FIRST OF ORDER NOW AT WELLINGTON DIESELS TO BE SENT TO LYTTELTON YARD (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. February 16. The first four diesel mechanical shunting locomotives, part of a £1,400,000 order placed by the New Zealand Railways Department in England. are awaiting discharge from a ship in Wellington harbour. All four units will be sent to Lyttelton. The General Manager of Railways (Mr H. C. Lusty) said today that the shunting engines in Lyttelton yard were overdue for replacement. Because of this the first seven of the complete order of 82 diesel locomotives will be sent to Lyttelton. The eighth unit would be held in reserve in Wei lington, after which all major goods yards in New Zealand would be equipped. . The contract provides for the complete order of 82 diesels to be delivered by the end of 1954. Apart from the first four now awaiting discharge in Wellington, another four have alreadv been shipped from England. The re mainder of the delivery programme provides for two units to be shipped each month up to June, and thereafter four a month until the order is complete. Four of these diesel locomotives have been used as shunters in the Wel--1949t0n railway Soods yards since July. Two types of new diesel units have been ordered from British firms. The larger- is of 250 horsenower and will cost about £lB,OOO landed. The smaller unit, with a horsenower rating of shght’y more than 200. will cost about £17,000 each. The cost of the complete order is £1.398,000. Engineers of the Railways Department estimate that the units will save about £500,000 annually in operating T^ ose who have driven them at the Wellington yards say that they are ideal for shunting since when they are not working at full capacity they can reduce tb*>ir fuel consumption considerably whit- the motor i« idling. A steam locomotive uses much the same quantity of fuel whether standing by or working. Drivers say they can almost wear white collars while working these new

diesel locomotives. They are cleaner, less noisy, and create no smoke nuisance. Crews also are more effectively protected from the weather.