DOMINION RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18664, 21 March 1924, Page 11

DOMINION RAILWAYS.

PRAISE FROM A VISITOR.

MOTOR COMPETITION.

GUARDING LEVEL CROSSINGS

" I think that New Zealand has done remarkably well in connection with its railways during the comparatively short space of time it has had for their development," stated Mr. J. Cowie, general manager of the Irish section of the Great Midland Railway. Mr. and Mrs. Cowie are at present on a tour of New Zealand, and are visiting Christchurch.

Speaking of the New Zealand railways, Mr. Cowie stated that he liked tho style of the carriages used throughout the Dominion. The department had a number of very good engines, and its permanent way was remarkably good— fact which ensured smooth travelling. With reference to the Railway Department's proposal to experiment with petrol-driven trains, Mr. Cowie: stated that he had not seen any cars which relied upon petrol engines as a sole means of locomotion. He had, however, had experience with petrol-electric propelled vehicles and he did not regard them as much of a success. They had been tried in England, he said, on some of the smaller branch lines by the North Eastern Railway* Company, but the conditions in the tJnited Kingdom with its large population were very different to those existing in this Dominion. All these new inventions had developed very rapidly within the last lew years, and there might be some, improvements in this type of car. As was the case in New Zealand, stated Mr. Cowie, motor competition was having r» very severe effect on tho railways in England, and this applied in an aggravated form in Ireland, where the distances by rail from the seaports to the large inland towns were very short. Taken as a whole it was an anxious problem for the railways at Home, and they were forced to considerably reduce their rates in consequence to cope with it; but it looked as if the motor busi • ness had come to stay. "I have, noticed," said Mr. Cowie, " that throughout Australia and New Zealand the Railway Departments of both countries have signs— Look Out for the Engine'— at their public level crossings. There is, of course, a different system' in operation in England, where th© railways are mostly owned by companies. In earlier times the Board of Trade stipulated what sort of danger signals should be erected at publio level crossings, but this duty is, now carried out by , the Minstry of Transport. Before a • company can put in a level crossing at the present time it has to comply, with the Government regulations with regard to signals. In practically all cases gates which close at the approach of a train are used at these public crossings. Some of these operate automatically, and others again work from the signal appliances."