STEAM AND ELECTRICITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11372, 3 September 1908, Page 7

STEAM AND ELECTRICITY.

OLD TRACTION DECLARED TO- BE CHEAPEST.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, 4his day. "The electrification of the ChristchurchLyttelton railvrayis demanded chiefly on account of the smoke nuisance in the tunnel," remarks Mr T. Ronayne, General Manager of , Railways, in a covering letter to the Minister for Railways, accompanying the report on the subject. "This," he adds, Si can bo dealt with by the use of oil fuel. The cost, however, would bo very heavy, although it would be very much less than the increased interest charges tliat would have to be met if the line were electrified." In dealing with the subject Messrs John Coom, cliief .engineer, aaid' A. L. lkmttiD. chief mechanical engineer, first describe the systems in use throughout the world, and apply the same to the Christ-; chuvcli-Lyttdton proposals. The estimated- amount of current required for tho estimated train service provided for the moving, of 31,400,000 tons per annum on a 30 mile per hour passenger and 12 mile per hour -good service would be 1,900,000 imits. The cost of installing electric traction on a double track is estimated a's follows: Power plant, £600,000 ; five electric locomotives, £17,500; three passenger trains, £241,---000; overhead equipment (6£ miles), £32,5C0; contingencies 10 per cent, £13,400; total £147,400. The engineers remark that the cost of power plant appears high, but tli© maximum load which, would probably be required a few times a day has to be provided for. It isi al-j most exclusively for heavy and Tegular suburban passenger traffic, they point out, for which electrification has been adopted, and when all charges are taken into, account the cost per ton .per mile has in most cases been foumd to be higher than for si steam traction. The annual charges on the basis of the existing traffic at Lyttelton. would he £24.900, but if the present carriages, etc., were used it would" reduce these by, £1125. The following comparison of the cost of various systeme is made: Train mile, st«am traction £62 6s 8d ; electric traction, £99 4s ;" alternative proposal, £97 Is Id. Thus the cost- of working electrically will exceed the present cost by almost £18,000 per annum. The electrification of main lines of railway, the engineers conclude, is at present practically only in an -experimental stage, but experts are of opinion that a considerable reduction will be effected both in initial and working costs in the near Mature.