RAILWAY RIVALS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 14

RAILWAY RIVALS

SELF-DRIVEN UIIITS

AND ELECTRIC SYSTEMS

British Official "Wireless announces a Government-backed cheap borrowing - scheme to electrify approximately 44 miles of London suburban railway; to double.anil electrify about 12} miles of further, suburban railway; to build about 12 miles of new tube -railway; atid to substitute,- on roads, trolleybuses for tramcars, this substitution covering about 148 route miles. . ~ " It is a London and suburban scheme. On the general question of. main line electrification there are " still' two opinions. The London correspondent o'the "New Zealand Railways Magazine" writes under recent date:— "Probably the biggest problem facin* railways today is that which concern! future methods of faction. Tn?*J?** two main lines of development open to the railways. One covers the Utilisation of autonomous, or self-propelled, traction units,' tike the steam or. Oilfired locomotive; the. other embrace* electrification, depending upon central generating stations and a radiating system of overhead feeder's. * ■ "Which of these arrangements, JS likely to be favoured? It is a'signifl* cant fact that, at the present time, the majority of the big British and American railways are fighting1 Shy • of th« immense initiaKcapital expenditure involved in main-line electrification. There are exceptions to this sltu«U6n, of course, as witness the continued electrification expenditure, of -the Southern. Railway of England, and the Pennsylvania railroad of America. In the main, however, trunk route'-elec* 1 trification is, today, definitely under a 1 cloud, interest everywhere being tum'ed towards the development of more ! powerful. and more, economical; atiitpropelled traction units,' such' as the i steam ' locomotive "and - the •"Diesel

engine. "Prophecy is apt to prove dangerous, but it would certainly seem as if« very promising future lay ; ahead for self-propelled traction. In," particular, one is' impressed by the obvious advantages and economies offered by the internal combustion Diesel -engine. These self-contained motive'units can get along without any elaborate system of'overhead transmission lines,' and usually even, the most severe climatic conditions prove only a~ temporary-.ob* stacle to regular schedules. Improvements and refinements in self-contained units may be at once taken advantage of, without costly alterations to* electrical machinery or transmission lines, and altogether there appears aAvejjr strong case for- self-propelled - tracttfs as against.universal electrification.''