THE LAUNCH OF "77."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 9

THE LAUNCH OF "77."

A LIVE LOCAL INDUSTRY. THE BEST TYPE OF CAR, Somo time after most people had gone vo bod on Friday ovoning the palp glow of tlio street electric lights was reflected on tlio brood glistening noso of car No. 77. Experience has taught expedition in car bodybuilding in Wellington, and whore a body used to take tlirce to four months to build the samo mimbor of weeks is now a nearer estimate. Tho massive steel frame is laid down, ar.d is covered with tho main deck or floor of tho car; tho framo then arises, and is arched with tho roof. Before fitting up tho interior the electrical experts at the carshed are sent for to "wire" the car. The windows, doors, and seats aro adjusted, tho intorior is finished off, and the car is pushed into the paint-shop to receive the''halfdozen coats of paint that aro necessary to produce tho sheen that lends sueli an air of splendid distinction to a new car — to "77," for instance.' After tho final touch of gold, tho last rub to tho brass-worl; (thero aro £30 worth* of brass-work on a single Palace car), she only needs her imder-truck, trolley arm, and controlling gear to become tho living thing that moyes rapidly through the busy streots with its complement of get-there-quick" people. To.tho car-shed it must go for its mechanical fittings. A car body is a big lumbering box to shift, and it must bo handled so as not to scratch tho paint, which made tho launch of "77" interesting to a representative of the .Dominion as well as to half a hundred other people who do not consider pro-midnight sleep an essential. It used to be .considered a vory awkward job to shift a oar-body from Rouse and' Hurrell's paintshop to tho track between twenty and thirty yards away. The job used to begin at 7 p.m., and finish about 1.20 o'clock the next morning,' in tho callow days of car-building. On Friday night'"77" was removed from the paint-shop, and was gaily on its way to Nowtov. ii within tho hour. How is it done? "Lend a hand hero I" and half a dozen strapping young follows, grimy-handed and sweaty, , shove out the heavy planks which arc to form,the track down which the enr must travel. At tho street end of tho planks iron spikes aro driven through the hard macadam of tlio road to keep the timbers from moving when they tako tho weight. ' " 'Ere, 'old this while I strike," said one of the men who was giving the ground the spike, but the little man with tho acetclyne lamp was taking no risks in the dim/light, so tho spike-drivor did his work alono. After tho spikes were adjusted the track was continued to the earth with i long wodgc-3haped pieces of timber. " All : right i?" questioned the man with tho lamp. " All right," came tho answer from within. "Tail on there!" and half-a-dozen mcii grabbed a huge ropo tug-o'-war fashion that was attached -to tho steel work under the car. Four others inserted pinchbars under the sturdy littlo wheels of tho running truck and slowly the gleaming body of "77" emerged into the open air. "Hero she comes; tako two hands to it!" shouted the boss to-a pinch-bar man as ho sweated at, his work. She took the timber track beautifully, and ran steadily to earth. After tho last car had gone to stable, " 77" was towed on to'the track. With i ridiculous' caso sho was raised with four powerful jacks; a detached undor-truck was, run underneath her waist, the jacks wero unscrewed'and taken away, she was lashed .with ropes to a ear in waiting, and amidst the cheers of tho builders and tho little knot of people who had watched the operation, sho left for Newtown. .It used to cost from £8' to £9 to move a car body from tho factory to the track—now it runs into 325. Car No. "*77" is tho typo best 1 adapted fpr Wellington's traffic.' It seats sixty.ipassengers, and carries a hundred at a pinch.' There: arc smoking apartmonts fore' and' aft, which is a kindness to busy lovers of. the' v/eod,.- and. being :single-declicd can travel through tho tunnels." There aro'd few little improvements specified with every order for oar-bodies now givon. No. 77 is the fifth of an order for eight single-deck Palacocars. They aro fitted with doors of Indian teakwood (in t-lia obtaining of . which - some difficulty was experienced); instead of tho panel behind tho motorhian, being of painted glass it is made of solid wood, and tho glass door of the motorman's shield slides sideways on easy-running rollers instead, of opening outwards. Another feature of this type of' car is tho Wunderlicbt pressed moulding ceiling which is at once attractive to tho oyo and serviceable. , , ' ' So far, Messrs. Rouso and. Hurrcll haro built fiftoen cars in all for tlio city—threo combinations, ono small box, two' Hong Ivoiigs, and nine singlo Palace (including five of the last order of eight). Another will be moved into the paint-shop- to-day; and will be ready for launching at the end of the week, and still another is being fitted electrically before. being placed in ; the finishers' hands. . " Why should they send out of the country for cars when they can turn out such beautiful work ?" .'asked a voic,o in the dark on .Friday. night. Why should they ? It will perhaps. interest that person to learn that tho City Council—do not ! '