RAIL CARS

Wairarapa Daily Times, 1 August 1936, Page 5

RAIL CARS

WAIRARAPA SERVICE. BEFORE END OF AUGUST. During a telephone conversation with a representative of the “Daily Times” this morning, Mr G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, stated that a service with three cars would be commenced on the Wairarapa line before tho end of August. “We are just putting the finishing touches to the third of the seven cars which will be available for the Wairarapa,” said Mr Mackley, . and will be making an announcement very shortly. We expect to start a. service with three cars before the end of August.” SOUTH ISLAND SERVICE. STARTING ON MONDAY. CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. Excellent performances, very gratifying to the department, have been put up by the first rail-car for the South Island service, which begins on Monday. The ear, which is much smaller than those built for the Wairarapa, was designed particularly for a fast, almost non-stop service between Christchurch and the West Coast, and in two days of trial runs it has made good times. Although its first trial in the South' Island yesterday was really a picnic expedition, the journey from Christchurch to Hokitika and back, a distance of 340 miles, was over in nine hours 2 minutes’ running time, this despite the car not yet having been run in.' Another trial was made to-day, and the trip from Timaru to Christchurch was done in two hours eight minutes for a distance of 102 miles. The return daily service to the West Coast- from Christchurch is to start on Monday. —(P.A.)

Commenting on the car. for the Cliristchurch-Hokitika service, .Mr Mackley said that it had been specially built for the carriage of newspapers for the Christchurch Press Co., and was subsidised by the Press Co. The cai was a special four-wheeler built for the purpose, of 7 to 8 tons, with a 95 h.p. Diesel engine. While building the car the Department took the opportunity of putting in nineteen reasonably comfortable passenger seats, although this car was primarily for the purpose of carrying newspapers. “The trial run made on Thursday was very satisfactory,” said Mr Macklev “and again demonstrated the high standard of efficiency of the railcar.”