RACE TEAM TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18635, 29 April 1924, Page 9

RACE TEAM TRAFFIC.

RECENT FAILURE OF POWER. EPSOM STATION INCIDENT. EXTRA' PROVISION NEEDED. QUESTION OF LOADING. The delay to tramway race traffic at Ellerslie, which occurred on Easter Saturday, was the subject of much discussion by the Electric Power Board yesterday. The •. manager and engineer, Mr. A. Wyllie, reported that on the evening in question there was an interruption to the supply at the Epsom tramway sub-station. The suggestion that the interruption was in any way due to the power station or to its arrangements was unfounded and incorrect. The interruption occurred after the race traffic had started back to town. The sub-station was fully loaded with occasional overload swings. Shortly after 5.30 p.m. tho main circuit breaker to the sub-station opened: on its overload trip. The board was cleared and a restart was made. After a few minutes the feeder cable switches opened on their overload trips. The board was again cleared and another start was made, after which there was no trouble. The overload trips had been carefully set so as to stand heavy overload swings. The load on the Epsom sub-station on Easter Saturday evening was apparently heavier than it was at the corresponding time on Easter Monday evening, which was also a race day. The protecting limits arranged for the switches were, he considered, fully sufficient for the capacity of the substation. In future, however, he had decided for race days only to alter the trips to a special higher limit. With so many cars at Ellerslie at five o'clock it was also essential that care should .be taken by the tramway department to regulate the traffic in such a way as not to cause an unreasonable load on the sub-station and its feeders by moving too many cars together.

' Trams Like Huge Train. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holds-worth, said that what had happened was intended to happep. The board's machinery had to bo protected. He chanced to be in the district concerned at the time, and was simply surprised at the number of cars which were piled one behind another like a huge train. The tramway department should see that a certain number got away earlier, instead of all switching on at once. _It was overloading beyond all reason. Mr. J. Rowe asked what was going to happen when( double the number of people would be returning. They could not arrange for the loading of people at different times when the races were over. The Ellerslie. racecourse provided for COO to 50,000 people, who all remained for the last race. The cars had to be moved away quickly and there would be no end of difficulty if there was waiting. " You say you expected trouble." continued Mr. Rowe. "I «wty wo have no right to expect trouble. This is only the beginning, and at every meeting you will get an increase of people." A criticism of the report was made by Mr. S. I. Crookes, who said there was a definite contradiction of terms. The engineer stated that the interruption was not due to the power station or its arrangements, but yet said he had decided for future race days to alter the trips to a special higher limitMr. T. Bloodworth said it was a fact that six times previously the race traffic had been carried without any breaks whatever, and, on the last timej the Christmas traffic was heavier than op either'of the Easter days. The trouble did not lie there. The board had a monopoly, but the tramways were subjected to two competitors, the railway and the motor-cars. There would have been no reason for the trouble if the people in charge had acted in the same way as they had done before.

Weaknesses Should be Remedied. The chairman remarked that the trouble had nothing to do with the generator at King's Wharf, while the same precautions had been taken as in the past. Mr. J. Dempsey said there was plenty of power at the station, but they wanted to make it availablo for all times. The hoard had to supply what the council required, and if there were weaknesses at Epsom it should be practicable to strengthen the weaknesses. Mr. WylHe said he was sorry there were a few misunderstandings, while every word of his report had been carefully made out. The circumstance did not arise through trouble at the power station. The tramway department furnished him with notification of all exceptional traffic, and provision was made to meet that traffic. The race traffic was always difficult, but after the 1000-kilowatt converter had been put in at Newmarket, the traffic had been carricd quite comfortably. The carrying of race traffic would always present a great difficulty. Chi Easter Monday he was at Epsom; the loads that day were perfectly easy, and there was no difficulty. Mr. Eowe: There was quite a different crowd on Monday. Mr. Wyllie added that if the race traffic was going to increase to any great extent something more would have to be done. The report -was referred to the Works Committee. The chairman remarked that it looked as if extra provision might have to be made.

Mr. Potter said that if additional power was to bo given for races,' additional power should be given for radiators. Mr. Bloodworth: Mr. Potter should be educated on' the question of insufficient power. The present question has no parallel with the radiator problem. Mr.' Potter: It is a question of' power in the long run. Mr. Totter does not need educating.