ONE DAY’S SUPPLY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23315, 26 September 1945, Page 4

ONE DAY’S SUPPLY

Railway Coal Depot In Auckland (N.Z.P.A.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 25. The supply of coal in the Auckland railway depot to-day amounted to about one day’s supply. Only 30 tons of it was West Coast or hard coal, and the remaining stock of about 200 tons was soft coal from the Waikato fields and an open-cast working. The daily issue from the Auckland depot is about 250 tons. Express locomotives require a proportion of hard coal for its quicker heating qualities, and an indication of how far to-day’s supply would go is given by the fact that the tender of a K class engine holds 7’l tons of coal. An engine would use three tons on the journey from Auckland to Frankton. The position at Auckland was expected to be eased to-night with the discharge of West Coast coal from the collier Karepo. It carried 457 tons for the railways, but this amount had to be divided between the Auckland, Frankton and Taumarunui depots. It was stated that the Kartigi was also on the way from the West Coast with about 1700 tons of coal for the railways. Soft coal and dirty coal have been the subject of much bitter comment from railwaymen. It is estimated to have only 80 per cent, of the value of hard coal, and is stated to reduce the efficiency of the service. Coal from open-cast workings is also far from popular with members of the railway service, particularly the men who have to operate locomotives. Comments on It have been made on neve.al oi- isioiis, and the < reneral Manager oi New Zea - land Railways iMr J. S'awersi -oii.l al Newmarket on Saturday night llial I lie best possible service could not be given with It.