TRAMS HELD UP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1937, Page 15

TRAMS HELD UP

EVANS BAY FAULT

HOMEWARD RUSH IMPEDED

Tramway passengers had an unenviable experience yesterday afternoon when the power was cut off intermittently between 4,48 p.m. and 3.33 pjn,, due to trouble at the Evans Bay power-house. The power was not off entirely between the times mentioned, but trams started, only to be stopped again just at the time when mo§t people were going home, and in one case a parked car in WUlis Street held up a string of other motor-cars behind it, as there was not room for them to pass between tlie parked car and the tram. In such cages, when the power is off, car drivers are signalled to move on, The automobile blockage in this case was another instance of trouble caused by parking, the car having to be pushed out Of the way. When the trouble occurred, the SOOO k.w. steam-turbo generator at Evans Bay, which was installed in 1923, waa carrying a load of 6000 k.w., and supplying the peak load .required at that time with the assistance of one of the older machine?.

The fault could not be located for some time, because the generator was seriously overheated, and it became essential for the safety of the machine to cut it out. The new machine, which had only been on a trial run shortly before that time, was immediately put into service, and had to be operated under hand control under the heavy loading conditions; Surging difficulties occurred with the Government supply, which caused the feeders from Evans Bay on two occasions to trip out. These feeders were restored immediately, and the machine put back on to its load, From ther. onwards the supply was normally maintained. The trams were cut off on four occasions, for three, five, four, and seven minutes respectively, power being put on again between these breaks, and. the traffic running Intermittently, City lighting and power, apart from the D.C, supply, was not interrupted. The staff at Evans Bay had to give the whole of their time to the operation of the new machine, as the major load of the1 evening was on. until the 5000 k.w, machine had cooled down. Then the cause of the trouble was immediately located, and the machine was restored to Its load about £(,30 p.m, Some of the material for use with the Velox boilers has not yet arrived, and it was necessary to run the turbine from the old boilers,