RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 25

RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK

LARGE BUILDING PROGRAMME. WELLINGTON, April 8. At the present time the it ail way Department has in hand a programme which involves the building in New Zealand of 40 locomotives, 35 cars, 12 brake vans, and 592 wagons. Of this locomotives, 20 are being built under contract by Messrs A. and G. Price, and the balance will be turned out of the department's own workshops, likewise :he cars, vans, and wagons. To further provide for the reqiurements and to meet the shortage of rolJing stock resulting from war conditions tenders are being invited in England for the manufacture of 25 large_ locomotives and iioiK) wagons. It is intended to supplement this by inviting Tenders in New Zealand for the building of 1000 wagons. The plans and specifications are in bourse of preparation, and will be available shortly. In the event .of satisfactory tenders being received the contractors will be required to give the earliest possible delivery of the vagons they contract to deliver. Assuming that satisfactory tenders' are received and delivery of tins bulk of the locomotives and wagons can be given by tho British firms within 12 months the present difficulties regarding the shortage of wagons will be greatly relieved, if not entirely overcome. Summed up, the arrangements that are in hand involve the building of 65 locomotives, 47 cars and brake vans, and 4092 wagons at an expenditure of one and three-quarter million pounds. In connection with the matter it may be of interest to note that at the time when the restrictions imposed under the coal cut time-tablo were removed there was a heavy accumulation of traffic of all classes throughout the system. The accumulation pf timber alone approximated 20,000,000 ft. These accumulation* have been cleaned up, the full time-table restored, and the traffic dealt with has been heavier than at any period in the previous history of the railways.