DIESEL ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27643, 27 April 1955, Page 12

DIESEL ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

NO PLANS FOR USE IN CANTERBURY

OPERA’riON FROM OAMARU

TO DUNEDIN In the meantime there is no proposal to put diesel-electric locomotives into operation ta Canterbury, and because oi the availability of ooal on the West Coast it is thought that that district and Canterbury may be among the last area* to see the new locotnotives. - The new locomotives will, however, be used on th* 78 mile OamaruDunedin section ef the main line, where there are grades a* steep as on the central part of the North Island main trunk—notably the climb* from Port Chalmers to Mihiwaka and both north and south of Seacliff. The new Minister of Railways. Mr J. K. McAlpine, announced ta February that wme Of the 42 750 horsepower diesel-electric locomotive* now on order in England would come into operation on this route next year, but a later report from Dunedin indicates that if shipping delivery is maintained as has been promised some of the new unit* could b* ready to go into service by November- of this year. Work is now reported to be well forward on a servicing depot in Dunedin for th* new- locomotives and by the time they arrive there will be two diesel .road* each 150 feet long with well-illuminated inspection pits. According to the Dunedin report the introduction of th* diesels will not alter thepresent passenger transport system, 'the large steam JA locomotives will continue to handle the normal express services through Dunedin, both north and south, until such time a* til* new rail-cars arrive. The diesel locomotives will be assigned to good* services between Oamaru and Dunedin, a stretch of line which has always been regarded as a major bottleneck ta the South Island railway system, because of the steep grades. At present every goods train arriving at Oamaru from the north and at Dunedin from the outh has to be split into at least two trains for the bottleneck section. The introduction of the diesels will remedy this situation. Using the same number of men they will be able to continue straight through, thus reducing handling at the Oamaru and Dunedin terminals and easing the staff shortage ta the railways. In addition to speeding up movement of goods they will greatly improve working conditions with no handling of coal The Dunedin report add* that the last five JA locomotives on order are now under construction at the Hillside workshop*. These, it says, may be the last JA locomotives to be built ta New Zealand.

In addition to the 42 750 horsepower diesel-electric locomotives being built in Britain the Government has also decided to buy 30 main line dieselelectric locomotives of Canadian and American make at a cost of £1,795,000. These American and Canadian engines, rated as 1425 horsepower, ta pairs will be able to haul a 600 tons train over some of the steepest grades in New Zealand at 20 miles an hour and maintain much higher average speeds over level country. The first of these locomotives is expected to go into service in September.