A SIGNALS EXPERT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 15

A SIGNALS EXPERT

RAILWAY OFFICER RETIRES

A well-known officer who is retiring from the railway service at the end of this month is Mr. W. H. H. Grapes, chief inspector of the signals and electrical branch. , ■

•Mr. Grapes joined tHe Railway pejpartment in October, 1902, as a line erector, and was appointed to the perr manent staff at Wellington in June, 1903. He was transferred to Palmerston North in 1904, and to Auckland in 1914. After five years at Auckland, he was promoted to the position of inspector of electric lines,, with headquarters at Aramoho, and in 1921 he was transferred to Wellington,in a I similar capacity. Since then he has been continuously stationed in Wellington, being promoted to automatic signal inspector in 1926, and to chief inspector in 1933. During his 37 years of service, Mr. Grapes has been associated with many important developments in connection with signal. and electrical.. works. He was the inspector in charge of construction of the first automatic signalling system in New Zealand —the installation between Wellington and Upper Hutt in 1922.

To mark their appreciation of his long and faithful service, members of the head office signal and electrical staff assembled on Thursday and presented Mr. Grapes with a silver tea and coffee service. The presentation was made in a felicitous speech by the chief signal and electrical engineer, Mr. G. Wl Wyles, who was supported by Mr. G. T. Wilson (retired transportation superintendent), and Messrs. Lovatt, Venimore, Walsh, Gallagher, Welch, and Marklew, of the signals and electrical branch. 1