TRAMWAYS ABROAD

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11654, 19 October 1923, Page 7

TRAMWAYS ABROAD

CHIEF ENGINEER’S REPORT DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITAIN AND - X UNITED STATES. INTERESTING DETAILS.

An infed'esting report was present-ed-to the Oily Council last evening by Mr M. Cable, .chief electrical engineer r.nd acting general manager,. in connection with development in tramways and clcv-toral undertakings, abroad."’ “Although ti\V recent- visit to Great Britaip was primarily to arrange contract's for plant in, connection ,-with the T‘l;w. power house and sub-statious, 1 took evc.Ty-opportunity there . and, when pacing throiigly-Anxevica/to mako my-, .self conversant with the latest developments in tho working of tramways and iv. ; the generation - and distribution of electricity-,'-’- said Mr Cable. “In. pie-' puing this report I have divided it into two parts, the* first- dealing Witli * matters' proHaining t 6 tramways and the second relating to electricity supply.” ROLLING STOCK. There had been no .outstanding -ad-., VMsee in tramway rolling stopk .pun- ■ f:in:e.tion in -Great, Britain since bo \\ufc last (hero -16.-years’, igo,..though Ui.inerou.'i minor improvements in .body construction aiid equipment had been etfccted. ’ ’ ...... Practically everywhere in America he found that-steel * was--supplanting timber tor the construction of car bodies. At.Tox.on.fea he ,\yo&. informed *iteel ears had n,lover weight per passenger than the wOodon one« previous ly In use. Although impressed with •the ex ten tLTo Yvhich st-Oel Was' being coopted, he was not convinced from tb©...-inquiries made that.. .the - me,tat b{'dy--TV'ould outlast one bu-d-fe in • wood. Tor-pvodnee a fiteel body pf light construction- a.nd good-'-appearanee it • was • m.trc'ssary. get parts pressed out, and in view of the "sm'all ' amount of construcffeion' carried otit in the Dominion' tho' ihs-MlJatiQh 'of’the plant' would no;fc be : .justified, ' fe))e; American' systems had' adopted.'wh.7;u;>Vac>'knovp./as the. feingfe-' end oi'cxated ,type, of, A-aiv.' whi.ch r was , provided', an enferaiivp-door at ,one end and an exit.-door on <wie side, and -equipped with conti oiler and br-ikes one end only. Il was. claimed, by concerns o}?eratTng'-these' ca-i’s that 'bbtycutting out of cue platform equipment, the reduction in the number of doors and control sear for the ’attor, greatly ieducefe' uplceep. simpjjfied; the woxic’A lug on thp. .part of..the employees ‘ijxd. at the same time provided, a more can-vc-iyent and, .c<xmfai-ta.hle par foi* pas-, sengers.' ‘

’ANhiist. I would ~not .advise.thc m-troauirt:i-n of. the type in Wellington at prr-sVrit,” rdntinuc-d Mr .“I -ui- of the opfnior. tbat whY-m carrying hut- extensinns' to-' tbe track system apd . constr.ue.tipg, -enr. ' ;.-b.e4sv provrsion' .should be Vn-idp -as far.' as p» ssvbL to enable _thcse. oars to be inti educed. ax - souie future. -date r ... linesman operated cars Were much in evidence in America, ,and. I was., informed that over 5000 -of this ty}>e ■ were m PtiSdCe. ’ Althbugh' usually four wheel' -vc-liicle?, J sja*/ majiy, bogie cars with seating-capacity in excess’ of' rhe' single' dtck_ Jbogiecai's jn. AYcl]i.n.gtpn being by one 'man "without '' ;.iho slightest diffi_£ul*y- The’ lines 'on' which I saw these-"cars in service" were com-piiati-vydy .level.” • • • •. .• , 'car sheds;; /.

Referring, to ear - sheds .and' works, Mr Cable said:— '

“Although it i? t-ho practice evoryv.hcro in Great Brit Win to.'provide riied accommodation for all cars in stock, this practice. is -not followed- to auv extent, by the larger systems in 'America. - In Toronto and Mont real- 1 found that not more* thaW -iO per' cent: of tho cars', were kept* under cover at j i'ight. Although-this practice citrtaiW t.capital on 'carslied ' cbnstructior., and rcs.ults .in lower insurar.ee rates, it''has the disadvantage of higher car maintenance^'a-jid -in feho case, of ;:ystems operating ou hiljv roiites, the .objection that'the undergeax. cannot be.-inspected and.adjusted -nightly..' ’ -.......-- • . Regarding- track Work, lie declared that in Great Britain train' track co'nstruction' and means for''extending' ifs life had been receiving a great deal of attention during recent- years. AVjth the change from horjsc.juuilagc to heavv motor traffic . . realised Abah a rail-bed : whidh' 'ivas 'of aibple strengtli To or 20 years ago will not meet tho Severe/ conditions itpou if "today. In several of the busy traffic •centres -in 'and -atound Jjondon 'he'saa r old_ concrete brils-Gin or ; Bin in depth Ixhng replaced by beds nearly double - the thickness. Tho tendency in the leading English systems- was to adopt rails heavier .section than'those pre-*. viously in use, and many undertakings do. not. use rails less than 100 pounds per yard. ' It wfis-ho-Tv realised that when laying rails every care should be taken Ip prevent - water finding its way under the base of tho rails. The running of ai bituminous; mixture between the base of • tho- rails -amt the boneffefe bed for the purpose of holding the rail dmvn to-the. foundation.'and als»o for ii l £. the joint watertight., was 'superseding the use of .dry- cement, and fine f? r o. v rl .grquting aln\ost ■ universally qiloptcd. in’-the past. •. . • r . To it certain extent, porcelain : insulation bad superseded the use of moulded 'insulation, for. trolley span wife**; in'* .Groat Britain, as il. was elhhned ihat. the fonben \v:a« nibrc tollable and had a longer life. -- ! ' . TRAKFIC. AIRpAN.GK.AIENTS.. • The London Comity, ]fad in stalled a number of special shelters bloncr tlie Victoria .Embankment, xomo ■oi •which 'arc designed 'to hamlle eight Jiidenondent .queues Waiting-.for , i-ar.i on the/sarnO; number,.of routes.. Th<v-ci - i Arrangements... completely .. .eliminated , the rusliing of intending passengers- to wards approaching - cars. At Birming fiam and elsewhere in tlm .Midlands. [ Handrail barriers Wrr«T fli’ov-idod at. im | Ijortant so tljat firm i airrivals at these locations obtain pro | ffirence -when tffeTr* panicalar caid- arI rlv».

! Jn .tlie Turn services* in London,, important oentree long quoucs‘ of pcrsoiis .were lined up .along the kerbing every .evening 'between 5 and 6jUm.' waitmgMor and quo. could not but be impressed with the amenability of the Londoners towards regulations. In. Baris the necessity for Oio queue system is ofirrnnnlcd In the use of a novel tiekel system. The uni vepafa re yystmii which l.s in'force ttirrjiighoufe America, .with the exception of inter-urban services, where some modification of the some system is . adojited, ■ could not but- iniJpresn a tramway opcrntoi- IK-’d lt» our section system, i'€*duced clerii'ni work to a miniihinu. dud pennitd the •int'rodurtiqn of .the ‘'pay-ns-you-enter” cr .“pay-as-ymi-leave'; type of car, wh’ieh undoubtedly ,gaye the. maximum, efficiency, in .faj-c .collcetiuu, acceku atcd ■ service, aird greater convenience to - both passengers am), employees. For short riders, however; fares varying

from fivfc to tmi cents in different tifids were adniittodly hijrfi: “ ■ ; Tlie Mityor (Air f?- A-’ Wriglife.. M .l].) said .the . report . was n particularly, fine' ohcvanrl wpuld make .very rua'diug; for councillors. • 1 Mr Cable t, O mUlress the <oim<-iI op trnmwnv mat tern <m Tlmixiay night.-; 11 1 x li’okure to bo illustrated by Ihntern.'filidcs; iCdriPciHors expressed pleasure at the opportunity of hearing Mr Cable dive tile add fees.