RAILWAY PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 171, 17 April 1934, Page 10

RAILWAY PROGRESS

Activity at Hutt Workshops OVER 1000 MEN EMPLOYED ? ’ "The Increased public interest in the railways, as indicated in the improvement in the passenger and freight business which has been a marked feature during the last financial year, is reflected in the operative sections of the , railways,” said the general manager of New Zealand Railways. Mr. G. H. Mackley, to “The Dominion” yesterday. “In particular.” he continued, “the Hutt Valley workshops have been fully occupied with the regular-replacement of obsolescent locomotive stock, which hijS enabled a more efficient distribu tipn of engine power to be made. As is generally known, these workshops were specially designed to modernise the methods of renewal and replacement of the locomotive requirements for the whole of the North Island, and the general improvement in the stnn-’ dard of locomotive power which has been effected in the.last few years has been facilitated by the more ample facilities and more modern methods which the new workshops provide. The Hntt Valley workshops are at present giving employment to over 1000 men who, besides doing repairs to locomotives and wagons, carry through a building programme in connection with new locomotives, and the programme of work upon which the workshops are engaged is likely to require continuous employment at much th' same standard as at present. “The new ’K’ class locomotives, which have given so ranch satisfaction since the first of this type was put on the road, now number 12, and a fur ther eight are planneck to be completed during the current financial year. The workshops are able to turn out one of these locoffiotives ’complete every six weeks, i. accordance with the regular schedule planned for this construction. At t,be Hutt workshops all the cast metal and fabricated steel press- > ings required for the new cars and wagons under construction at the Otaliultu workshops are made, as the special equipment here meets the iron and steel manufacturing requirements of the department throughout New Zealand generally. “Another feature which is giving new work to the Wellington district workshops is the Wellington new stnlion yard, where points and crossings are required in connection with t'n comprehensive layout arranged there The provision of these points and cross ings is giving extra employment to the manufacturing department of the Hu f t Valley workshops accordingly, and this work is likely to continue throughout the next year’or two."