TRAMWAY SERVICE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13700, 2 June 1915, Page 5

TRAMWAY SERVICE.

COUNCIL CONSIDERING OTHER TRACTION. TO REPLACE THE EDISON-BEACH CARS. For some time past the running of tho local tramway service has occasioned considerable anxiety to the Borough Council's staff, and it is quite within the bounds of possibility that circumstances may necessitate tho cancellation of the service and the laying up of the cars -m the tramway barn. Only recently some of the batteries wore put out of action and as there are no more spare ones available m the Dominion the failure of further batteries will jeopardise the service. the Council is evidently disappointed with the Beach battery system — the first "of its' kind m Australasia — is evident from the following report placed be£ore last night's meeting. The report of the tramway manager, Mr W. H. Cross, was as follows : —

"In answer to your request for a statement jc the best method of traction, I desire to submit the following for your perusal. The different systems tried vtu date are : — Horse cars, steam, cable, electric, petrol, petrolelectric and electro-mechanical. Under the heading electric there are conduit system, surface contact and overhead, ■srlf-contained systems being storage battery, petrol, pkrol-eketric and electromechanical.

"All the above, with the exception of electro-mechanical have been thoroughly tested, the overhead trolly system having proved beyond question" to b« the best under all circumstances, if installed, m a correct manner. Granted that the overhead system is' the best m existence, it only remains to ilsekle if it i s the best for the borough of Gisborne under the present circumstances and taking- even-thing into consideration, vails m slock, powor-house, etc. "If a tramway engineer was about to iiistal an overhead system he would no* entertain the idea of buying 'a 631bs rail, this being the weight of the rails m stock, the 'average weight of rail used in' New Zealand being 901bs per yard. , If the rails m stock can be used with success is a question a constructing., engineer to decide.

"Tt is impossible "to run overhead cars off the present generating set, a separate unil bein<r- required for tramway purposes. The trn*lc at present laid would huve to be reconstructed, bonded, etc. Personally, while T consider there is no system to eompav«. with the overhead for use ful ness, etc.. [ realise that itwould lie installed here under a heavy handicap at its initiation, owing to the gear m stock not being to standard, also the class of engine used for generating power being doubtful for tramway purposes. "As ,an alternative. -an efficient selfcontained system must be considered owing to the fact that if you secure this you have no Cxtra expense with rails or power supply. ' ; " Of the self-contained systems there are only two worth considering, petrolelectric and electro-mechanical, Thomas transmission. The petrol -electric has given excellent results m railway work, it has not giv"eu such results m tramways, the objection to it being the great loss m .efficiency owing to the difficulty m regulating the engine power to overcome the pull or strain "of the frequent starting and stopping necessary m running a tramway passenger service.

"The electro-mechanical or Thomas transmission system appeals to me as being easily the best of the self-contain-ed types to date. It is a new idea and has tlie support of tramway engineers who have investigated it, being controlled by Armstrong-Whitworth, Limited, on the one hand, and the Thomas Transmission people. During my recent visit to Auckland F. had an opportunity of discussing it with tramway officials, who were also greatly impressed with its possibilities. T also had the chance of m opting the engineer of the above firm, who kindly gave me, every possible infnrmalidti concernitig it. The New Zealand Rnilwav« have smm» on order to arrivu shortly, also the Wellington Tramways Department. Unfortunately vdiiv experience with the present new system of (motion will have the tendency to make you approach any other now idea with reluctance, but I confidently state that this system must ho eartf fully considurod before passing on to the overhead.

"The question of most suitable Wstoin of traction fur (risbnrno is one- for vci'v serious consideration."

it was deckled, to recommend that iiiquiriet* should be made us to the possibility of installing the Thomas tr.-MiMiiission syatenj, and also to ascertain it English-made storage batteiks could be procured from Home. Questioned on the subject to-day the Mayor, Mr VV. G. tShcratK, said that the two lulison llcach cars luul not como up. to expectations. The cars, ho said, .verc decidedly weak -m construction, and allowed the wet to come' through, with Lin: result that the water got into the cells and caused a ijtdw-out. He could nut say if the batteries were powerful enoifgh to run on grades, because they had not been tried, but th«j main fault was .. the liimsy nature of the construction .of 'the carnages. It had been decided to out-ain further information aud an estimate of the cost of the Thomas transmission system with , a

view to future extension of the service