N.Z. RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION INQUIRIES

Grey River Argus, 28 September 1949, Page 4

N.Z. RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION INQUIRIES

General Manager Returns From Tour

p.A. AUCKLAND, Sept 27. The General Manager of Railways, Mr F. W. Aicken, arrived back in Auckland by flying boat to-day, after spending 16 weeks investigating railway electrification in rnahy parts of the world. While away from New Zealand, he joined a technical mission inquiring into electrification. He was to have sought the negotiation of a contract for this work in the North Island. Mr Aickin said to-day that before the results of his investigations could

be made public, he would have to make a report to the Minister of Railways, Hon. R>. Semp’e. During his visit abroad, Mr Aickin said that he had had discussions with representatives of the Railway Departments in Australia, America and Britain and railway companies in Europe. He had ridden iw all sorts of trains. He tried out as much of the railway seating as he could. He slept in four different kinds of sleepsens and had found spirals with which that of the Main Trunk could not be compared. On Weaving the Dominion in June he flew to England, iva the United States and Canada, and completed a round trip by flying home through the Middle East and Australia. £n the course of his investigations, he also flew to Sweden and Switzerland, travelled to Italy ,and returned to Britain through France. “I spent time with at least 12 railway administrations operating electric services, in addition to the British railways and the New South Wales railways,” said Mr Aitkin. “1 rode in steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, and discussed specific aspects of electrification and diesel operation with some 20 or more manufacturers of modern railway equipment in the different countries visited. “Where the operating conditions approximated those in New Zealand—notably in Sweden. Switzerland, and parts of tlaly—several days were devoted to full-scale discussions. In those countries, he had been able to travel on several different kinds cf electric trains, both in carriages and on locomotives. Speaking of the electrification systems on the Continent, Mr Aickin said taht it appeared that each railway was satisfied with its own system, The Swiss and the Swedes, for example, were very keen on their alternating current system, while the Italians would have none other than a 3000-VOlt ;direct current system. The very keenness displayed by the various countries for their own particular systems of electrification had been one ’of the things that had had to be guarded against in the investigation such as he had made, where it had been necessary to retain an open mind, until a complete picture had been obtained.