MORE TRAMCARS SOON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 15

MORE TRAMCARS SOON.

TWENTY-FIVE JO BE BUILT.

CLOSED TYPE FAVOURED.

OPEN DESIGN HAS DRAWBACKS.

The new tramcars which arc to be added to Auckland's transport system as a result of the adoption of the loan proposals last week are to be of similar design to the latest typo of vehicle now in service in Auckland. The principal apparent difference will be an additional six inches in width, an inch being added to the seats and four inches to the passage way. Twenty bodies aro to be constructed by contract and another five in the board's workshop. The cars are expected to be ready within a year, and represent the first instalment of 50 authorised.

The merits of open and closed cars were discussed by the board yesterday when it approved the construction of the new vehicles.

Mr. E. H. Potter suggested that quicker, loading and unloading might be obtained by having open cars of tho type used in Wellington, tho cars being divided into three, with saloons at each end and open seals in the centre. If they were a success in the South, they should be suitable for Auckland's milder climate.

Mr. F. E. cle Guerricr, the board's engineer, said the only lime when all the windows could be kept open was when an embargo against closing them was enforced during the influenza epidemic. In Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington the latest types were closed cars.

Mr. A. J. Entrican said tho loading difficulty might be got over by speeding up the service. It might be worth while if the board experimented with an open car, which it could make in its workshop.

The manager, Mr. A. E. Ford, said 16 tons was the weight favoured by most operators, but open cars would weigh about 22 tons, 011 account of the special girders required. In Adelaide the opposition to open cars had been so great that 50 such vehicles had to be closed. Hie step along the side was handy in loading and unloading, but in Sydney, where they had the world's heaviest head way and could unload 80 passengers in eight seconds, there was strong opposition from the public and the employees against the open car. The new cars which the board was obtaining were well ventilated and had double doors and a wide passage. Mr. Ford considered that loading and unloading could be facilitated if the public formed in queues and used separate entrances for getting on and off the cars. A double door in the centre would take the space of four seats. " We might have some open cars for summer service, but for general utility I do not think we can improve 011 the cars proposed," said Mr. L. E. Rhodes. It was mentioned that Auckland now had the longest cars in the world.