RAIL CARS

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1935, Page 5

RAIL CARS

FOR NORTH ISLAND LINES Fast Services WELLINGTON, July 29. Following the successful introduction of an inspection rail-car, the Railways Board has decided to have large ..-■yscngei-caiiy.ng rail-cars built upon sh e same prineip.e, but with special adaptations io meet the most exacting quirenienis* of modern passenger .lansiiort, for use on the Weiiington-airarupa-PMnierstou North route, i. i also fur night services between tuning.on and New Plymouth. Enr.y in 1934 great interest was 1 -u 1 ly an unusual type of vehicle ii’u .-a. 1 way-lines at Wellington, n-type rail-motor with siuei wheels, built to meet the • qa cinuuts ot the General Manager i Railways, Mr G. H. ALaekley, as an .'preziun car by means of which the • •im.uisliutive -.uif might carry out ■ u work of . miway inspection. At;er comp.eting 7000 miles with .au car over a 1 the principal lines of .. Dum.nion, Ali Mavkky found 'that lie car. besides creating the keenest • I ’-'T Uciuvci it went, had more -an ni'-i all < xp nations as an opera*ta unit. It a> proved to be capable . a-eii sp udj with complete safety, : -i ”avi a maximum of comfort to ; "-ungei s. with comparatively low petrol consumption. •*>ix rai -cars me to be used for W • .agt o’ Ala-lerton-Palmerston Xurth passenger service,” said Mr . • ■ kle . “Tiic-su ears will be of the must modern type, and will each seat 49 passengers. They will have lavatory accommodation and can each nail j reels and lugg g t >wer wi 1 be provided by r: 130 h.p. Leyland pet: 01-engine. with torque converted driving on to the pair of rear wheels. cars are of the s£x-wl.eul J type built foi running in one direction only, with reverse :.g en route and at terminn’.-. They will be fitted with the very latest comfort-giving devices.” “The manufacture of the cars is now in hand, but of course, some time wil’ elapse before they will be ready for service. Meantime suitable schedules of running are being worked out to gi v e a fasn. comfortable service. The bodies will be built in the Hutt Workshops and Leyland Alotors Ltd.. v.-ill supply the engines. The new cars art designed to r.avel at a rate of 50 to GO ini es per hour on the flat. They will negotiate the Rimutaka Incline (with its grade of about 1 in 15) fully loaded at a speed of from 15 to 17 miles per hour. The adhesion and brak-ing-power of the car s is such . that no 1 central rail is require.! for their op eration on the Incline. The rail-cars have a most attractive appearance The units io be operated between Wellington, Masterton and Palmerston North are as Large as the cars on the Main Trunk expresses. They . are roomy and designed for a maximum speed of GO m.p.h. Length is o 0 feet and width is 9 feet, at' the waist and the height is lift. Gins. There are 49 seats for passengers in addition to those for the driver and conductor. A special luggage compartment is provided and there is also an extra container for luggage at the rear, under the car. Th.- body is carried on ?ix when’s—one leading four-wheeled bogie and a single pair of driving wheels. The power* is provided by a Leyland 10i litre 6-cvlinder petrol engine, through fluid gear and combined hovel and spur gear drive on to the driving axle. The car is intended for single headed operation, but it is provided reverse near for manoeuvring purposes and it is capable of making the same -♦peed in both directions. The lavatory accommodation and toilet will he ‘of a standard equal to that provided on th e best express trains, and the car will be controlled by Westinghouse air-operated brakes. ‘ On each side of the front of the ear there are driver-controlled doors operated by a^r engines, and the emergency doors are provided at the rear. _ The ear wil’ of course be electncallv lighted, and will have artistic mod-e-n fiftinga Heating is secured by means of the hot air circulated by electric fa” s - and ? P ecial roof venn_lat io n has been arranged. The windows are .- thP h n if-drop tvpe. set » aluminium Ames The seats, of tubular contioll are chromium-p'afed, of bucketed’ form and fitted with able upholstery and footbar rests. The floorins Will be rubber-covered The “colour-scheme on the outside will _j_ e t he Department's standard midland red f° r the sides, and the root will be finished in aluminium The whole car is of steel construction, except the body panelling, which will’be of aluminium.