VICE-REGAL CAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23428, 18 August 1939, Page 14

VICE-REGAL CAR

FINE WORKMANSHIP PRODUCT OF OTAHUHU SHOPS ELABORATE APPOINTMENTS READY FOR USE TO-NIGHT

A high standard of craft and workmanship are to be found in the new Vice-Regal staff and dining car which lias boon constructed at the Otahuhu railway workshops. The first public appearance of the car yesterday as it completed its running trials on the main line and the waterfront deviation aroused considerable interest. Designed and constructed entirely by the department, the 1 , car is 56ft. m length and weighs just over 28 tons. Built on an all-steel welded underframe, the body-wood frame is metal sheathed throughout and the welded panels present a uniform and unbroken surfacq. Asbestos spraying behind the panels to prevent temperature changes and eliminate noise, and tho filling of the space between the floor and counter-floor with insulating material to subdue track noises, are features in tho construction. The car contains seven compartments, a 15ft. dining saloon, _ threo two-berth sleeping cabins, a kitchen, shower, and a luggage room. Steam heating and electric fans are provided in the dining room and tho special lighting fittings include recessed ceiling lamps and smaller lights of similar pattern set in the panels above the windows with diffused shades of opal colour. Tho kitchen equipment includes a gas stove, a water heater over the sink, and a large refrigerator. Tho two-berth cabins are similar to the new standard semi-sleeping car design which permits the top bunk being secured against tho wall during the daytime. Electric fans, ceiling, reading and night lamps are installed and hot and cold ivatcr are laid on to the wash basin in each cabin. A corridor extends the full length of tho car from the dining room end and makes access easy to all compartments. The now car was delivered at Auckland last evening and will be brought into commission to-night, when Lord Galway and staff return to Wellington.