MOTORS ON RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18481, 18 August 1923, Page 10

MOTORS ON RAILWAYS.

USE ON BRANCH LINES. TRIAL BY DEPARTMENT. [BT telegraph.—special reporter.} WELLINGTON. Friday. "I am of the opinion that if a suitable rail motor-vehicle can be devised it should go far to solve the traffic problem on some of our suburban ' lines and non-paying branch lines," says the Hon.'J. G. Coates, Minister for Railways, in the annual statement of the Railways Department. "Newspapers have reported a certain amount of success in some of the Australian States with motor trains. I hae arranged for the - department to purchase two or three ' first-class motors for conversion into suitable railway motor trains for trial on some of our branch lines. The experiments will be very closely watched, and the service will be extended if satisfactory." The General Manager, Mr. R. W. MoVilly, also refers to the matter in his report. He says the department has conducted experiments with .two .types oi motor carriages, but neither proved suitable for the work required of it. "Experiments in other countries"; have "been carefully watched, and evidence is now available which indicates that a vehicle which may prove, satisfactory for work in New Zealand has been evolved in Australia. The department is in communication with the Australian railway authorities regarding the matter, and it is proposed, if the information received is sufficiently encouraging, to obtain one or more ,of the motor trucks and try v them out ■< on the Now Zealand lines.