NEW RAIL-CARS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 10

NEW RAIL-CARS

— <► First Trial Runs at the Week-end ONE VEHICLE FINISHED Preliminary “running-in” trials of Hie first of the new rail-ears which are to be used on the Welliiiglou-Masterton-Pulmerston North service will be made over the week-end. The machine, which has been constructed at the Hutt Railway Workshops, will be driven to Upper Hutt on Saturday and to Palmerston North ou Sunday. These runs, however, will be simply “shop trials” and not in any way speed trials. Only oue rail-car Is finished so far, though others are m various stages of construction. Two more will probably be ready in four or five weeks. When three cars have been tested the department will probably open a skeleton rail-ear service between Wellington and Mastertom Three more are to be constructed and when the six are completed the full Palmerston North-Masterton- Wellington service will be opened, with a special service by a composite car between Cross Creek and Woodville for school children and <;oods going to Masterton. It nil! probably be three months before the ful* service is running.

The rail-cars for use on the Palmerston North-Masiterton-Welllngton run «re> as big as the cars on the express train to Auckland. They are designed for a maximum speed of 60 miles an hour and carry 49 passengers, in addi tion to the driver and conductor. The power unit is a 130 h.p. petrol engine, with a torque converter driving on to a pair of rear wheels. There is accommodation for a ton of luggage, and toilet facilities are equal to those on the best express trains. Airoperated brakes are provided and there are driver-controlled doors on each side with au emergency door at the rear.

The cars are electrically lighted and have artistic modern fittings. Heating is secured by hot air circulated by electric fans and special roof ventilation has been arranged. The windows are of half-drop type, set in aluminium frames The seats, of tubular construction, are chromium-plated, of bucketed form, and fitted with comfortable upholstery and footbar rests. The flooring is rubber-covered. On the outside the colour scheme is the standard midland red of the department, and the roof is finished in aluminium. The whole car is of steel construction, excepting the body panelling, which is of aluminium. The rail-cars will cut the time of travelling between Wellington and Masterton from 3 hours 40 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, and between Masterton and Palmerston North from about 3 hours 45 minutes to about two hours. Between Wellington and Upper Hutt the running time will be under 40 minutes.

The new cars will take the Rimutaka Hill at from 15 to 17 miles an hour fully loaded, and the cohesion and braking power is such that no centre-rail will be required for operation on the incline.

The tentative schedule of running provides for four passenger services in each direction between Wellington and Masterton, and three in each direction between Masterton and Palmerston North.