COAL ECONOMY

Hawera Star, Volume L, 16 January 1931, Page 9

COAL ECONOMY

BRITISH DEVICE FOR. RAILWAYS. (Special to "The Star.”) WELLINGTON, Jan. 13. With the double object of economising in tlie consumption of coal on locomotives and enabling a larger vari-j ety of grades of New Zealand coal to! be used, the Railway Department is} embarking on a large-scale experiment j in the use of a British invention knowni as the Latiger, which is claimed to greatly improve combustion. Hon. W. A. Veitch (Minister of Railways] stated to your correspondent that the principal feature of the invention is a steam jet which plays into the firebox of the locomotive. Tlie i device was tried out in New Zealand some months ago, and appeared to fulfill the claims that it will eliminate sparks, and so greatly improve the combustion of the coal that it is possible to use a lower grade in the locomotives, while at the same time obtain a lower consumption. “As the trials on a limited scale proved so successful,” added Mr. Veiteh, “the department has been authorised to equip twenty locomotives with the Lange l* device, which will shortly arrive from Britain. The engines so fitted will be employed on tlie most important trains, so as to give the system a more comprehensive trial under service conditions, and if the results are equal to, our preliminary trials, all locomotives will be equipped.* The test is to last for three months, and there is every probability of substantial economies resulting. If a higher proportion of low-grade coals can be used, the haulage expenses on our coal supplies will he greatly ieduced and a larger range of New Zealand coal used in the department’s services.”