LOW FUEL COST

Evening Star, Issue 19276, 15 June 1926, Page 4

LOW FUEL COST

CLAIHI FOR OIL-ELECTRIC ENGINE [Pee United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 14. To Invercargill and back by rail at a fuel cost of Is per passenger was the claim made for a Diesel oil-olectric engine by a deputation which this morning mot the Canterbury members of Parliament. The deputation consisted of Messrs A. L. AiacFarlane, H. AI. .Chrystall, and L. C. Walker, representing business and engineering interests. The speakers claimed that the Diesel oil-electric engine represented a much better and far more complete method of electrification than the system that it was proposed to apply to the Christchnrch-Lyttelton railway section. Under the system that was proposed there would bo a mixture between steam and electric traction, hut tho adoption of the method which tho deputation suggested ivould give complete electric traction. The haulage capacity of the type of electric engine advocated was two and a-half times that of a steam AB engine of the same horsepower, at a cost of approximately onefifth of that of tho steam AB locomotive. The use of crude oil for driving the engine that operated the generating motor made tho fuel cost very low. So perfect had the power units been made that it was now possible to secure a generating unit of 2,000 h.p. that had a weight of only nine tons. Such engines would be capable of use over all tho lines in the South Island.

The chairman (Air D. G. Sullivan) thanked the deputation for tho information it had supplied.