New railway cars urged

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 9

New railway cars urged

New coaches were last ordered for the Railways before World War 11, and the Treasury has not approved finance for replacement coaches.

A recent issue of “Rails,” the New Zealand rail transport journal, says that some of the cars ordered before the war were still under construction in 1939 and were completed as ambulance carriages. After the war they were rebuilt as day cars, and became the last to enter service.

Since then, 35 articulated rail-cars had entered service, although many had been written off. The new Silver Star sleeper trains had been put on the North Island main trunk run. The Silver Fem rail-cars provided the daylight service. “A large number of electric multiple-unit cars have also entered service, but the fact remains that it is decades since the last day car was built for the N.Z.R.,” said “Rails.”

The problem was that trains cost more to buy than buses. The country was trying to save fuel, and one way to do this was to entice motorists from their cars. "Available evidence suggests

that a good quality tram can do this more effectively than a bus,” the journal says. . “Buses probably use less fuel than rail-cars or short trains, but once a train gets over a certain size the balance is very much in favour of trains,” the journal said.

If new rail-cars or trains were ordered tomorrow it was unlikely that they would enter service before casualties among existing stock had forced more services to be abandoned in favour of buses.

To prevent this, “Rails” suggests that instead of having replacement stock specially designed and manufactured. it be bought “off the shelf.” borne standard European stock could meet the New Zealand gauge and specifications. The Japanese 3ft 6in gauge design could be adapted, and only slight amendments were needed to the General Motors Da class diesel electric export fleet to make it suitable for the N.Z.R.. the journal said.