d.—a

XV

Six hundred and seventy-five locomotives passed through the workshops during the year, the details of work done being as follows : —

Included in the above are two engines for private lines and five engines for the Public Works Department. At the close of the year there were under construction in the railway workshops twenty engines, consisting of nine Pacific type simple superheated tender engines, Class Ab, one heavy suburban tank engine, 4-6-4 type, Class Ws, and ten heavy tank engines, 4-6-4 type, Class Ww. Under contract with Messrs. A. and G. Price (Limited), of Thames, there were seven 4-8-0 typo simple superheated tender engines to complete. Thus at the end of the year there were altogether in hand twenty-seven locomotive-engines. The new locomotives added, together with boiler renewals, increased the total tractive power by 479,301 lb., or equal to , r )'7o per cent. The new engines being built and the boilers under construction will when completed still further materially increase the tractive power. Boilers. —The work on new boilers, renewals, and repairs has been kept well up to date. The following statement shows details of the boiler-work done: —

Twenty new boilers were under construction at close of year, and comprised nine Class Ab, one Class Ws, and ten Class Ww. Carriages. —The stock on the Ist April, 1916, was 1,452 cars, and on the 31st March, 1917, the number was 1,480. Two cars were sold and written off. Twenty-nine new bogie cars were built, and one rail motor-car was added to stock. The following table shows details of car-work done during the year : —

Forty-six cars were under construction in the railway workshops at close of the year. Brake-vans. —The number of brake-vans on the line on the Ist April, 1916, was 440, and the number on the 31st March, 1917, was 440. Two new bogie vans were built to replace one old four-wheeled van sold and one old four-wheel van written off,

Number and Typ9. Partioular.-i. Number passed through shops . . Built new Re-erected Converted Thoroughly overhauled Heavy repairs Light repairs Painted Paint touched up Fourcyiinder Tender compound . Engines. Tender Ei.ginef. i .. j 75 229 .. ! .. 7 :: :: , 11 12 81 60 33 117 26 66 19 93 I I Total. Tank Fell Single Engines. Engines. Fainies. 349 6 16 675 10 .. .. 17 11 .. 13 I 1 32 .. 2 87 106 0 6 208 191 I 8 349 52 4 3 151 58 1 4 175 I 1 i I

Description, toilers .. -nt i '■ Tubes Number XT . • „ j „ i j ii .1.. u ,. u i iNew pieced and passed Built Heavy Light ! l S ,. cond . through new. Repairs. Repairs. | s han(| feh °P S - | ! (Sets). 375 18 143 214 64 49 I i I New New Smokebox New Firebox Boilers Tube- Firebox. Tube- patched plate. plate. 3 16 9 114

Particulars. Number and Type of Carriages. Bogie. Six-wheel. Four-wheel. Total. Number passed through shops . . Built new Converted Heavy repairs Light repairs Painted Touched up .. 1,941 29 3, 1,198 711 534 805 j 87 8 79 9 7 23 "a 21 2 1 2,051 29 3 1,208 811 545 813 L_._ '