ELECTRIC TRAINS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23542, 4 July 1938, Page 5

ELECTRIC TRAINS

MULTIPLE-UNIT SERVICE INAUGURATION AT WELLINGTON MODERN SUBURBAN TRANSPORT (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 3. By cutting a ribbon stretched across ithe track in front of the first set of coaches. Mrs D. G. Sullivan, the wife of the Minister of Railways, officially opened the multiple-unit electric train service between Wellington and John sonyille yesterday afternoon. The inaugural ceremony, at which the Minister of Railways presided, was held at the Wellington railway station and was attended by ' the .Ministei of Finance (Mr W. Nash) and the Ministei of Health (Mr P Fraser). The speakers emphasised the importance of electric traction on the suburban line, and said the introduction of a .modern, fast, and regular train service would greatly increase the prosperity of the areas served. A few minutes after the cutting oi the ribbon the first scheduled train, consisting of two power coaches and two driving trailers, with the official party .and visitors as passengers, departed for. Johnsonville. The departure of the train and its. arrival at the intermediate stations,. Ngaio and Khandallah, were marked by consid erable enthusiasm. Hundreds of people lined every vantage point'at the Wellington station and watched the long train 0 f blue and silver glide smoothly and quickly away. ;; . The Minister of Railways operated the controlling lever until the train was clear of the platform, when he handed over to the regular driver. The stations on the route to Johnsonvillt were decorated with flags and bunting and the platforms were thronged with people. At Johnsonville, 17J minutes after leaving Wellington, the first train was cheered by the crowd, and an official welcome was extended by the chairman (Mr G. A. Lawrence) anti the members of the Johnsonville Town Board. Though several trips were made yesterday afternoon and again to-day, the new passenger time table will not come into operation until to-morrow. | KEEN PUBLIC INTEREST .... CROWDS INSPECT TRAINS (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON. July 3. , Described by the Minister of Railways (Mr D. G, Sullivan) as an event of national significance, the official opening ceremony at the Wellington station was attended by hundreds of people. Long before 2,30 p.m., the time appointed for the beginning of the ceremony, a big crowd had gathered on the platform adjacent to that where the ceremony was held. The weather remained fine, though dull and overcast, with a keen northwesterly wind. Invitation holders only were admitted for the opening ceremony. but after the departure of the first train the platform barriers were opened and many people were taken for trips in the subsequent trains. The new railcar Aotea, an electric locomotive for the Wellington-Paekakanki line, passenger coaches of improved design and equipment, and other power units indicating the rapid progress now being -made in railway construction generally, were on view at the station. Mr S. Cory-Wright, of Cory-Wright arid Salmon. Ltd., New Zealand repretentative of the English Electric Company, presented Mrs'Sullivan with a pair or golden scissors' Withßwhich to sever the blue and white ribbon in front of the first multiple-unit to be despatched for Johnsonville, He also presented the Minister of Railways with a starter handle with which the fhotor unit was driven. Mr CoryWright said the English Electric Company had also supplied the electric rolling stock for the Lyttelton-Christ-church section and the Otira tunnel route. Children Make Trips i School children who greeted the first multipie-unit at the various stations between Wellington and Johnsonville were delighted when the second and subsequent trains... arrived during the afternoon-'; A full quota of multipleunits, consisting of six power coaches artfi six trailers, were opereated as three trains. Several trips were mode frond Wellington to Ngaio and from Wellington to Johnsonville. The children, who for many weeks past had enviously watched the electric trains climbing the grade to Johnsonville in the, course of their trials, were thrilled when invited to make the trips in the new coaches. Souvenir tickets issued by the Railways Department were greatly in. demand by the children When the first, train reached Johnao'nville there was scarcely standing room available on the. station platform. .The crowd thronged and packed its way to the leading car, from which the Minister of Railways and other members of Cabinet'stepped out Mr G A. Lawrence, the chairman of the Johnsonville Town Board, congratulated the Government and the Railways', Department on the introduction of electric traction to the Johnsonville line.. V"; ;■ -A ■ . “A Wonderful Occasion.” Cabinet Ministers and the general manager of railways (Mr G. H Mackley) replied to the welcome, and expressed appreciation of the enthusiasm already shown for the new service. It was a wonderful occasion, said Mr Mackley. He would take the oppor-' tunity of expressing his appreciation of the courtesy he had received when the preliminary discussions were carried out with the representatives of the district. At one time. Mr Macklev said the Railways Department was carrying two-thirds of the people and re ceiving only one-third of the revenue while private transport was conveying one-third of the people in the district and receiving two-thirds of the revenue. Multiple units were the most modern electric trains in the World They were not only the same as the trains used on the London underground systems, but contained modernimprovements of more recent construction. fIISTORY OF THE ROUTE OLD ORDER CHANGES (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON/ July 3. l Shortly before the new Wellington Railway Station was opened in June, 1937, the suburban residents of Ngaio and Khandallah saw for the last time the thrilling sight of long express and freight trains labouring on the steep gradient of 1 in 40 to Johnsonville hauled by two and often three powerful locomotives the roar of their exhaust echoing among the hills and volumes of black smoke pouring from their stacks. The long trains followed winding ribbons of steel, and often took 30 minutes and even longer to reach the top of the grade Once more the old order has given place to the new For the past 12 months suburban trains, hauled by “ W.A.B. ’* class locomotives, have used the old west coast outlet by rail and since the through trains were diverted to the Tawa Flat route much of the romance associated with the Johnsonvillq' line has gone. Multiple-unit, four-motor electric trains, the latest to be. produced in England have now replaced steam haulage, and steam trains on the suburban li"e exist in memory only. 1 The First Proposal “The history of transport from Wellington over or through the hills to Johnsonville is wrapped up with the whole story of the North Island transport,” said the Minister of Railways (Mr D. G. Sullivan) speaking at the opening. “The first proposal for a railway connection from Wellington to

the west coast was put forward in the Provincial Council in 1874, and it envisaged a route through Johnsonville, but the project did not attract much interest. In 1877 interest was renewed, and, after the consideration of several alternative proposals, the route was decided upon to connect Wellington with Foxton. and a contract was let by the Government for the first six miles, via Kaiwarra Gorge, from Wellington to Johnsonville. The work was carried on until 1880 when a Royal Commission, which was appointed to report on the railway construction throughout the Colony at that time, condemned the proposal and the work was stopped after approximately £43,000 had been spent. “The people of Wellington were indignant, and a public meeting was held in September 1880, at which about 30 citizens were present. Following this meeting a company, entitled the Manawatu Railway Company, was formed in 1881 with' a capital of £500,000, afterwards increased to £850,000. The Railways Construction and Land Act was passed the same year and a contract was entered into between the Government and the company In 1882 the Government, in addition to making a land grant to,the company under the Act, handed over to the company the works which had oeen abandoned. The company’s line was opened through to Longburn in 1885. In genera] it followed the route surveyed by the Government between Wellington and Johnsonville. An Easier Route “The company successfully operated the railway until it was taken over by the Government in December, 1908,” Mr Sullivan continued “The through railway connection to Auckland was completed in 1909, when the Welling-ton-Johnsonville section became an important but difficult terminal portion of the North Island main line and branches. It was only following the completion of the Tawa Flat deviation and the opening of the Wellington station in June of last year that an easier route than that via Ngaio. Khandallah and Johnsonville became available for through traffic. The steep grades and sharp curves ol the Wellington-John-sonville section have always made operations by steam traction difficult, and the number of tunnels has made the smoke nuisance a constant cause of complaint for suburban travellers on this run.”