RAIL TRAIN TRIALS

Wairarapa Daily Times, 17 August 1936, Page 5

RAIL TRAIN TRIALS

THREE CARS PARTICIPATE. i Jt,

f .SATISFACTION EXPRESSED,

Great interest was again taken in the trial runs of the Railway Department’s rail cars, wliicli are to be put into operation on the Wairarapa route within a fortnight. Yesterday three cars made a trip through the Wairarapa as far as Woodville, when local body representatives and other citizens from towns cn route, at the invitation of the Department, made the trip to WoodviLo wh* re they were entertained to lunch. All three cars behaved splendidly, and Mr G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Kailways, stated that the final .service trials were “absolutely satisfac-

tory.” It was hoped, lie added, to have the Wairarapa cars in commission within a fortnight. Practically all that now to be completed was the pre- / paration of time-tables. Mr W. Schierning, District Traffic Manager, stated that in tlieir trials the cars had more than fulfilled expectations. He stressed the point that the cars were equipped with three different braking systems, any one of which was sufficient to stop the cars. Three systems were really not necessary, but the department wanted to be absolutely sure that the brakes 'would meet any contingency. The Maahunui, which carried residents of Masterton, made a non-stop run to Woodville in nine minutes over the hour. The return journey occupied approximately the same time. The other two ears, the Mahuhu and the Mamari, arrived at Woodville at intervals after the Maahunui. There was a large gathering at the Masterton railway station to view the cars in the morning, and an even bigger crowd when they returned in the afternoon. All along the line, stations and crossings were thronged with interested

spectators. When the Maahunui arrived back at Masterton, Mr Mackley thanked the passengers for accepting ?Pthe invitation to make the trip, and ’"trusted that they had enjoyed themselves. He also expressed the hope that Wairarapa people would not forget the railways when the cars were put into commission.