RAILWAY EFFICIENCY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9933, 23 August 1910, Page 1

RAILWAY EFFICIENCY.

EVIDENCE OF ENGINE FAILUKES. [From OUR CoItR Esro_Y:nKXT. ] WELLINGTON, August. 22. An excellent testimonial to "the care taken in keeping rolling-stock in good order on New Zealand. I'flihvays is provided in a return of engine failures quoted by the Minister of Railways in his annual statement. With some railivtys an engine run of 5000 miles without failure is considered satisfactory, while others set up 16,000 miles per failure as the standard for passenger engines. New Zealand railway ongines have given the following excellent results for the year 3908-9: —- Twenty-four thousand four hundred and sixty-two engine miles wore run for each failure on the Auckland .section, 46.897 engine miles for each failure oil the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth line and 69,594 engine miles for each failure on the Hnnumi-Blnff section. During the year 1909-10 there were no on the Kaihu section, 26,766 miles were run for each failure on Ivawakawa section, 15,3>>2 miles for each failure* on Whangarei section, 27,274 miles for each failure on Gisborne section, 35,344 miles for each failure on. North Island Main Trunk Line, 127,272 miles for each failure on Soutli Island Main Trunk Line and branches, 18,168 miles for each failure on Picton section, ' 38j673 miles for each failure on Nelson section, 209,882 miles for each failure on Westport section, and 26,545 miles for each failure on the Westland 'section. Taking. the whole railway .system, 48,990 miles were run for every engine failure that occurred. Judged on'the basis adopted by American roads, it must be conceded that New Zealand results, which include every failure occurring to engines employed in running train services, irrespective of the period of train delay, constitute a very good record.