RAILWAY ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21829, 18 June 1934, Page 10

RAILWAY ACTIVITY

WORKSHOP OPERATIONS MORE MEN BEING EMPLOYED NEW CARRIAGES AND ENGINES MEETING INCREASED DEMANDS [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Sunday Some interesting comment upon the activities, of tho four main railway workshops of the Dominion, Otahuhu (.Auckland), Hutt Valley (Wellington), Addington (Canterbury) and Hillside (Otago), was made by Mr, G. H. Mackley, general manager of railways, in a statement yesterday. Tho effect of the upward trend of traffic in both passengers and freight, said Mr. Mackley, had been to render necessary the replacement of a larger proportion than usual of equipment that had reached the end of its useful life, as well ae to require additional new cars and waggons of various types. All this,. associated with the usual repair programme, which went on in tho ordinary course, irrespective of the volume of traffic, had given an impetus to the workshops' activities, with the result that a number of men had been brought back into the department's employment. In the North Island, particularly, the capacity of the workshops was being heavily taxed. It was, of course, axiomatic that the greater t'he traffic, the greater was the amount of work required in the maintenance of rolling stock, so that the increased demands now being made upon the department's manufacturing plants were a definite index of the general improvement in railway transport. Duke of Gloucester's Visit The projected visit of the Duke of Gloucester this year would come at a time when, even in ordinary circumstances, the department was called upon to carry its maximum traffic. In this' instance, heavy increases in passenger business would undoubtedly occur. Hence, in anticipation of exceptionally heavy demands upon enginepower and rolling stock in the months of December and January, the whole programme of building and repairing locomotives, cars and waggons had been arranged to ensure that tho largest possible number of vehicles would be available. for this summer's traffic. The new type of express locomotive, tho "EL," had proved eminently suitable for working the principal trains, and had proved decidedly economical in operation. Twelve of these were already in service and additional units of this fleet were being turned out of tho Hutt Valley workshops at the rate of one in every six weeks, and this rate woujd be. maintained throughout tho remainder of the current financial year. Strengthening of Bridges Coincident with the provision of larger locomotives there had been a programme of bridge strengthening and rolling stock improvements, -designed to meet the requirements of the expanding traffic and to give still greater service to the users of the railways. This programme had naturally given some additional employment, both within the department and among suppliers of railway material. Among tho improvements in passenger' rolling stock might be mentioned the renovation of internal fittings in the older types of cars in second-class accommodation. To meet the special requirements of passenger traffic on the Stratford main trunk line the workshops were also engaged in converting 1 some of the older types of sleeping cars into cars ; for tho Stratford service, with one end of the car equipped with chair seats for ordinary day travel and the other end fitted with sleeping compartments for thosQ who required thcci. This type of car was designed with a view to reducing haulage costs. Programme of Work The following general programme of rolling stock construction was in hand, and it was expected that most of tho work would be completed before the end of the current financial year:— Otahuhu Workshops.—A total of 22 second-class main line cars are under construction. Ten" of these havo already i been put into traffic. Fifteen suburban cars are being made. Five of these will be released in July and the i balance by November of this year, i There are also under construction five 30ft. vans, six double-bogie frozen meat waggons, 50 four-wheeled insulated . vans and 35 sheep waggons. Addington Workshops.—This workshop will shortly complete the construction of five cars, 42 four-wheeled and 20 double-bogio sheep waggons and 10 box waggons for the transport of perishable freight. A further 60 fourwheeled sheep waggons and "eight large goods vans will also be constructed during the year. Supply of Castings Hutt Valley Workshops.— in addition to the programme of locomotive construction already mentioned, there is much new woHc in the supply of all the castings (brass, iron and steel) required for the Otahuhu workshops, and a considerable manufacture of metal work, tanks and valves required in the general programmo of locomotive and rolling stock improvement. Hillsido Workshops.—These workshops will be occupied during the year with tho ordinary programme of locomotive repairs, supplemented by additional assembly and repair work due to the transfer of a number of locomotives from the North to the South Island as a result of tho construction and placing in traffic in the North Island of tho now "K" class eugines. As the casting production shop for the South Island, Hillside will also participate in tho building programme at Addington. WORK AT OTAHXJHXT STAFF AT FULL STRENGTH While the building programme authorised for the Otahuhu railway workshops is not so comprehensive as that of last year, it is anticipated that the now work, together, with tho carryover from last year, will be more than sufficient to maintain the staff working at full capacity until March, 1935. At March 31. last it was reported that the balance of the 1933-34 programme then outstanding would provide at least four months' steady employment for the staff of 900 men engaged at Otahuhu. Since that date the majority of the 22 second-class maiij lino carriages have been completed, and it is hoped to complete tho balance of work and make way for tho newprogramme in the course of a few weeks- Tho work of remodelling the seating accommodation of old type main lino cars has also been steadily ad- • vanced. It is understood that well over : 100 cars are to be remodelled at tho 5 Otahuhu shops during this year. 1 Tho development of tho chilled meat • industry is reflected in the new programme of construction, there being > another six of the. special insulated i waggons for this trade mentioned in I the schedule of work outlined by the 3 general manager of railways, Mr. G. H. Mackley.