MOTOR RAIL CARS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3768, 1 June 1926, Page 17

MOTOR RAIL CARS.

TWO FOR SOUTHLAND. (See Illustrations in This Issue.) With the increased cost of labour, coal, and general running expenses, railway companies throughout the world have for some years past been seriously occupied in attempting to devise some means of cheapening the operation of their short branch line services. Lighter engines aud carriages were tried, and were temporarily successful; but as time went on the coat of running these also became unprofitable owing to the general increase in wages and the corresponding rise in the price >f material. Electric trains were experimented with on suburban lines, and were found to be entirely satisfactory, but it was still considered that something more economical and mobile than the heavy electric locomotive, which involved reticuktion, could be brought into use. Heme the advent of the motor rail car. Handy, speedy, powerful, and cheap to run, it has answered all requirements admirably wherever it has been tried, and in the United States and in Great Britain the large railway companies have adopted these machines with a great deal of success as frnfiors r to the main systems. For the extent of its network of railwavs. New Zealand has probably as many small branch lines as any country in the world, and the Railway Department has for some time past been experimenting unobtrusively, with a view to discovering what type of rail car would be most suitable for service on the shorter runs. Judging by the two motor rail cars which were landed at Dunedin wharf from the Kurow, from Wellington, on Wednesday, the department's efforts would appear to have been crowned with success, and if the . short ride which our representative had in one of them could be considered any criterion they should meet the needs of the travelling public admirably. Jhe cars, wHch-aie 1 sin m length and "ft 11 in in breadth, with a height of 9ft Sin, are built on reinforced Ford ton truck chassis, hich reason of their narrow track, -re found to be the onlj ones suitable for our width of gauge. The cars were built ..t Petone, and are eoimnodi us id c fortc.ble. The interior o each is t.i ’lly < -orated, and accommoda ion is provided for 11 passengers and a driver on six comfortably upho! -cred neats placed aero: ' the vehicle. A room’- luggage rack sir la:’ to those on a ordinary railway carriage is available for aggage. Entry o: exit i ■ made by mea of a roor - 100 on each sme and one at the rear, whilst heavy luggage, mails, and ordinary ireight can be accommodated in two large anvas-covered hampers w r hich take the place of the front wings. Power is deiived from the usual Ford unit, which transmits through gx :s in the ratio of five to one on top and 11 to one on second. A vers< gear is also provided. That the cars are speedy and powerful has been amply d-monstrated in a series of trial runs which were held prior to shipping the cars to Dunedin. Mr V. A. Curtis, of the locomotive department, Wellington, informed the reporter that on a run from Woodville to Masterton an average speed of 31 miles per hour was maintained. The same car also took five passengers over the Rimutaka incline without difficulty. A trip from Wellington to Palmerston North, returning by way of the Wairarapa, was also undertaken, and the behaviour o. the machine was in every way satisfactory.

With a reverse gear with a ratio of 16 to one it is obvious that the motor rail car cannot vun backwards with the speed or the facility of i steam locomotive, and the difficulty of turning it has been overcome in a distinctly novel fashion. Underneath the centre if the carriage is mounted a jack on which the body revolves, so that in effect each car carries its own turntable, by which the operation of turning can be carried out in a little less than four minutes. This, however, is only a temporary measure, as, should the carriages prove successful, turntables will be installed a. the termini of the lines on which they are to ruu. Mr S. E. Fay, operation and equipment assistant engineer to the Railways Department, in conversation with the reporter, pointed out a few of the advantages of these motor railway carriages, which would not immediately be apparent to the lay man. The necessity for putting on special trains would be done away with, and m stead of having to bring out a train and its crew, a station master would now be able to put on the line a car which, if the need arose, he could drive himself On the Switzers branch line, on which it is proposed to operate one of these cars it will replace an engine, a carriage, and a van, whilst its driver will easily be a substitute for the train’s personnel of an engine-driver, fireman, and guard, so that the economy in cost of running at onco becomes* evident As yet no time-tatlt for the new servico has been arranged, and it will first be necessary to try out thoroughly the new machines on their respective routes before attempting to frame any running schedules. The two carriages will leave for the south to-day, and on arrival at their respective destination? will be taken over bv the Invercargill traffic branch, which will inaugurate the new service on the Switzers and Glenham branch lines.