RAIL CAR SERVICE.

Wairarapa Age, 4 August 1936, Page 5

RAIL CAR SERVICE.

INAUGURATION SOME TIME THIS MONTH. ON COMPLETION OF FOURTH VEHICLE. STATEMENT BY GENERAL MANAGER. In a telephone interview with an ‘ * Age ’ ’ representative last night, Mr. G. ,H. Mackley, General Manager of the Railways, when questioned about the inauguration of the rail car service on the Wairarapa line, said: “A service will be started as soon as the fourth car is completed, which I expect to be some time this month.” TESTS ON RIMUTAKA. BRAKES GIVE PERFECT CONTROL A final trial of the Maahunui on the three-miles grade of 1 in 14 on the Rimutaka incline was made on Sunday under exceptionally bad conditions. There was plenty of snow, and it was an excellent test of the braking equipment, to test which the run was chiefly made. Three types of brake are fitted to this car, the first of seven for the Wairarapa run, and it was found that each of the three gave the driver perfecf control when running down the snow-covered incline. There are two hand brakes, one consisting of clasp brakes operating with brakeblocks on the driving wheels, the other being applied on the drum brakes of the bogie wheels, being similar to those used on heavy-duty road motor vehicles. . A standard Westinghouse airbrake system is fitted, controlled by a constant lap valve in the driver's cabin. It operates on the drum brakes of the leading bogie as well as on the rear, or driving wheels. The centfe-rail grip brake is for use only on the Rimutaka incline. This is a hydraulic-pressure brake which" applies pressure at 25001 b. to the square inch through cylinders to a pair of cast-iron brake-shoes fitted with vertical arms. These* brake-shoes are applied with equal pressure on each side of the centre rail. This powerful brake was tested for efficiency at the Hutt Valley Workshops at a pressure exceeding SOOOlb.* to the square inch. Each set of wheels is equipped with sanding appliances, supplied by the Westinghouse Brake Co., and the ve-

hicle has available for immediate use, if required, 4cwt. of sand, specially sifted and dried, as ,is customary for locomotives.

The test on Sunday proved that on the Rimutaka incline, any one of the brakes could hold the car, or stop it if desired, at any point on the incline, and that with all brakes on, perfect control in any conditions was assured. The rail-car reduces the time for the run from Cross Creek to the Summit by from 25 to 30 minutes as compered with express train services, taking only 15 minutes for the uphill run, and further gain on the train servJlfr In these the changing to the Fell engine and back to the ordinary locomotive, added to travelling time, takes the times from arrival at Cross Creek to departure from the Summit about an hour. Thus over this .run the ear saves some 45 minutes. On Sunday the rail-car took 47 minutes less for the journey from Cross Creek to Petone than the fastest express on this route.