RESTRICTIONS LIKELY IN SOUTH

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15238, 31 December 1942, Page 2

RESTRICTIONS LIKELY IN SOUTH

RAILWAY’S REACHING CAPACITY lb© approach of peak capacity loading on South Island main lilies appeals to foreshadow extension of th© 100 mile lestrictious to the 1800 miles of railway south of Cook Strait. Passenger- traffic is now* very beavv on th© North line out oi Dunedin and. it is th© rule for ail expresses to have three engines, two on the head end and one banking at the rear. A Kb class locomotive is eaj>abl© of taking 15 cars from Dunedin to Oarnaru on express schedule without assistance but the bulk oi fast passenger work over that section is hauled by the English-built J class of slightly lower capacity. Freight trains of 85 wagons are now common on the Duuedin-lnver-cargiil route and they are frequently handied by a single locomotive. The capacity of a single track railway is not unlimited and the lower speeds resulting irom heavy loading reduces it still further.

Three engines of the types common to Otago would deliver a combined tractive foroe approaching 70,000ib» and a train of 26 cars ascending the 1 in 50 grade to Miliiwaka tunnel would require all of that. It is unlikely that any other express servue outside the United States or Canada demands such power yet it is a tribute to southern officials that the famous Boat Express has a lower average of lost time than any other long-distance train in New Zealand. RiUleaxs of the V ulcan type are running on the new Grey mouthWestport line as multiple units -in order to cope with increasing traffic.

If the present ris© in loading continues in the south the department is certain to act if vital war-time traffic is to have the priority it merits.