NEW RAILWAY COACHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21277, 2 September 1932, Page 12

NEW RAILWAY COACHES

CONSTRUCTION AT OTAHUHU FIFTEEN TO BE PROVIDED IMPROVEMENTS IN DESIGN The constr-uction of 15 railway coaches has been authorised under tho amended building programme of. the Railway Department and work on several of tho coaches, which are all being built at the Otahuhu workshops, is now woll advanced. Tho schedule of work provides for tho construction of five first-class coaches for use on the Main Trunk lines, five secondclass Main Trunk coaches, and five de luxe sleeping cars. Tho first class coaches are being constructed first, and they aro expected to be ready for use early in December. Of a similar length to other coaches, the new cars are of an improved type. An improvement which will most concern travellers is a new type of pedestal seat, which can be adjusted to three different positions from straight sitting to a reclining posture, according to tho desires of tho occupant. Tho windows are to be of tho drop recess typo. A structural alteration is also being carried out by tho introduction of steel uprights on the coach ends 'to reinforce tho coaches against excessive damage through collision.

Three of tho coaches aro almost completed, only the interior fittings requiring to bo carried out. Work on tho other two coaches is also well advanced.

The preliminary work has been commenced on tho five do luxo sleeping coaches,-which are to have similar fittings and appointments to the coaches of this typo constructed at Petone in 1927. Tho new coaches, however, will be 50ft. in length instead of the 56ft. of tho original type. This has resulted from tho elimination of the kitchenettes at tho end of the coaches. According to present instructions the sleeping coaches will not bo completed until about March, 1933. The five second-class coaches are also to bo completed early in 1933. The steel under-structure of theso coaches is now in Band, and it is expected that the construction will bo expedited within the uext few weeks. All the new coaches are to bo fitted with a new type of ventilator, which will permit of the maximum degree of ventilation without allowing dust and cinders to enter the cars. Another new feature will bo an improved system of atmospheric steam heating apparatus.