POST OF LOCOMOTIVES. AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 66

POST OF LOCOMOTIVES. AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

, In the course of its report on the condition of affairs at the Addington Railway Workshops, the Board of Inquiry made the following comparison of the costs of constructing- locomotives : — The cost of the first batch of A dass locomotives built at Addington, and on which it is statsd alterations and improvements were made, has not been considered. The cost .of the second batch of three engines, 33 1-3 per cent, instead of 15 per cent, being added to cover fixed-work-shop charges," averages. £5747 per engine, or £100 6s per ton. The cost of 20 similar engines building by Messrs Price Bros., completely equipped for the road, will average £422S per- engine, or £73 16s 4d per ton. An engine of somewhat similar si^e, the Q class, built in "America, cost ou the rails in New Zealand £2891 per engine, or £57 18s 5d per ton. The average cost per engino of each of six class ti engines built at Addington, "•fixed charges" bo-ing allotted on the basis of 33 1-3 per cent., was £5553 17s 3d, or £111 6s per ton. tour clas3 B locomotives obtained from Messrs Sharp, Stewart, and Co. were placed on the rails for £3578 per engine, or at the rate of £67 12s 7d per ton. Class U Locomotives. — The average cost of nine engines built at Addington Workshops was £4938 per engine, or £104- 7s per ton. Engines of practically the sarce class obtained from Sharp, Stewart, and Co. have been>placed on the rails in New Zealand in 1900 for £3199 13s 4d, or £67 12s 7<? per ton; and in 1901 for £3396 each, °l 71 15s 7d per ton ; and U class engines obtained from America, averaged £2655 each, or £59 16s 7d per ton. WF Locomotives.— The cost of 10 WF locomotives built at Addington has b*en £35C0' each, or £103 13s jd per ton. That of six similar engines built at Hillside was £3048 each, or £90 3s 4d ocr ton; and that of 10 engines built by Price Bros, was £2940 each, or £87 per ton. From the foregoing it will be evident that the cost of locomotive© built at Addington is, in all cases, greater than that of similar engines constructed elsewhere. The cost of the Addington-built Ciass A engine exceeds by 36 per cent, that of the class A engine supplied -by Prioa Bro3. The Addington class B engine cost 64£ per cent, more than the class B engines" imported from England. The class U engines made' at Addington cost 54 per cent, more than the imported English, and 74" per ,cent. more than the American ' engines of this class. The Addington-built class W3? engines are 14$ per cent.- dearer than similar engines built at Hillside, aiid-19 psr cent, dearer than engines of this type constructed by Messrs* Price Bros., of Auckland.