USE OF SOFT COAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17228, 7 April 1930, Page 6

USE OF SOFT COAL

PROMISING EXPERIMENT 30 ENGINES TO PE EQUIPPED (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Railway Department has greatly increased its consumption of New Zealand coal during recent years, and has been constantly conducting experiments with a view to overcoming certain disabilities with the use of semibituminous coals, so that further extensions can be made of the policy of utilising local product. Some recent developments in this direction were spoken of hopefully by the Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of Railways, in an interview. Trials have been made under traffic conditions with a standard type of main line locomotive. using what is known in the United States as the “rosebud” type of grate, instead of the familiar firebars. The grate is composed of a series of cast iron slabs, closely perforated. the holes being J,in. in diameter at the top, and gin. at the bottom, this variation, being of advantage in making the casting. It has been found that the plate type of grate will enable an efficient thin fire to be maintained under traffic conditions, and it is a thin fire which is needed for the best utilisation of semi-bituminous coals of the Waikato and the South Island. There is less tendency for a fire to Ijecome blocked by clinker, and in practice it lias been found than an engine can run about 100 miles without the necessity for cleaning tho fires.

“The experiment is not yet regarded as final.” added the Minister, “but it is sufficiently encouraging to warrant equipping 30 locomotives with plate grates. Fifteen will be run in the onth Island, and 15 in the North Island. The original equipment has been carefully watched under working conditions for six months. The department is also trying, in conjunction with the nlate grates, a steam spray introduced above the fire door, which, in conjunction with baffle plates, appears to he more effective as a spark arrester than devices hitherto in use.”