Aramoana Parts Rushed To N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 1

Aramoana Parts Rushed To N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 15. Four crankshafts for the rail ferry Aramoana arrived in Wellington today less than a week after they were ordered from England.

A Royal Air Force Hercules landed at Rongotai at 3.43 p.m. after leaving Lyneham, near London, at 6 p.m. on Saturday (New Zealand time). The crankshafts will replace three cracked ones in the Aramoana, which at present is using only three of its six engines. The cracks were noticed a week ago and an order was placed with English Electric for replacements. When it became apparent on Wednesday that the Wahine was seriously damaged. the Minister of Railways (Mr Gordon) approached the Royal Air Force for its help in the prompt delivery of the replacements. The Hercules, captained by

Squadron Leader A. H. Welch, was made available for hire to the New Zealand Railways. Mr Gordon said today the R.N.Z.A.F. could have sent a Hercules to collect the crankshafts, but the earliest they could have been delivered in Wellington would have been tomorrow week. With the Wahine out of action he did not want to take the risk of having the Aramoana also off the interisland run, he said. The assistant general manager of New Zealand Railways (Mr H. S. Purchase) said the replacement would be carried out while the ship was at sea over the next five weeks. He said the cracks were not because of normal wear and tear. One had cracked some time ago and it had been replaced. Engineers would be called in to find the reason.