Monster—or Monstrosity ?

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8450, 15 May 1906, Page 6

Monster—or Monstrosity ?

"'£. 66."

{From Our Cross Creek Correspondent.)

"E. G6 " is the official designation and "number of the Beast"; but it does not convey to the popular mind any idea of what it actually is. It is probably tho ugliest product of mechanical contrivance that ever ran on wheels, Therefore, dear reader, send your asthetic faculty to sleep before you make acquaintance with the monster. The English language is 100 poor to express the scorn and hatred with which it is regarded by tho locos. This, in itself, points to something radically wrong; and the history of the Behemoth must be worth publishing. Will the Department take the public into its confidence, and frankly tell them that "E. G6 " is merely a costly experiment, that it has already cost about £7000, that its original design has had to be altered, and that it is absolutely useless for the special work for .which it was intended ? The idea (uo doubt a brilliant one, considered as an idea) emanated from the idea of a huge engine that should pull as much as two or three Fells up the Incline-a compound engine at that! But when the monster was put into action it failed ignominiously. The best that her apologist could say about her (and did say with a semblance of pride) was that she was " the biggest tank engine south of the line !" She took about two hours and a-half to go up the Incline by herself. Her compound action was a failure, ancl she had to go into dock. Then, having been altered at great expense, she was put on to run between Summit and Upper Hutt, with what success Ido not know. Now she has come down to the level of a shunting engine and "banker," and has become a familiar feature of the Creek railway yard. Surely this is a descent ! Experimental locomotive building is a costly pursuit, and a few more failures like " E. 66." will surely make a hole in the revenue of the New Zealand Railways.