NEW ROLLING STOCK

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1920, Page 5

NEW ROLLING STOCK

” “ FOR DOMINION RAILWAYS. BIG CONTRACTS LET, TO BRITISH FIRMS. i (Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON', October 4. In the House this evening Mr. Massey made a statement on the subject of increased rolling stock for the Dominion railways, the lack of which has been giving great inconvenience for some time past. Attempts' have been made from time to time to place orders in America, but until recently there have been no results. However, (said Mr. Massey) he was glad to be able to inform the House that twelve tenders have been received from abroad fqr the manufacture of 25 class “A. 8.” locomotives for the New Zealand Railways. Two tenders were from Canada, one from the United States, one from Germany , one from South Australia, and seven from the United Kingdom, The prices range as high as £17,325. The contract is for delivery within twelve months and all material used in the construction of the locomotives must be up to the British standard specifications. The successful tenderer is the North British Coy., of Glasgow, the contract price being £12,350 per engine. The engine is the. same type as that used on the Main Trunk express trains between Wellington stnd Auckland, and weighs 84 tons 15 cwt. in working trim. ' For the manufacture of 2500 eightton four-wheeled wagons, four tenders were received from British firms, four from the United States, one from Canada and one from Germany, while one British firm tendered for 2*o wagons and another for 1000 wagons. With one exception the tenders were subject to fluctuations in respect ol both wages and material. The; successful tendered is Cammell, Laird and Coy. This is the only tenderer who quoted a firm price, their tender being £325 13s per wagon. The total cost of the 25 locomotives is £308.750, and of the 25,000 wagons £814.125; making a total of £1.122,875 (exclusive of freight and cost of erection in New Zealand). The total estimated of the engines and ymgons on the rails in running order in Lew Zealand will be about £1.700,000. The Railway Denartment's experience of the manufacturers of the North British Company and Cammell, La red and Coy., has been satisfactory. The new rolling stock, when it comes to hand, will heln materially • in overcoming the difficulty the De- ' nartment is experiencing in respect of ■ locomotive power and wagon capacity. Tenders, are now being inv't«d for • the manufacture of 1000 additional wagons within the Dominion and ther-> ( are 40 engines, 40 carriages, 60 , brake-vans and 625 wagons under con- ; struchon in the Dominion at the pres- i ent time. Unless unforseen circum- , stances occur it is honed to have Dp i bull\ °f the new wagons on the rails in time for the next busv season. It is the intention of the Depahtm/mf; to an officer to the United Kingdom to wat"h the construction nethe rolling stock referred to. and ' also to acquire an insght into the Up-to-date methods of vmrV(v,cr irj largo manufacturing establishments : in Great Britain.