D.—2

X

The total number of officered stations (including tablet stations) is 485, of which 291 are equipped with fixed signals, 98 are interlocked, and 96 unequipped. Forty-one signal repeaters have been installed during the year, making a total of 289 now in use. Interlocking of Points and Signals. The electric pneumatic installation at Dunedin has again worked satisfactorily during the year. Complete signalling and interlocking has been installed at Ohakune. Tho signalling and interlocking installation at Paekakariki has been reorganized to suit up and down working. Locking alterations have been carried out at Petone Junction, Summit, and Woodville. Complete point-detection has been installed at Balclutha and alterations made to locking. The following flag-station sidings and private sidings have been interlocked with the tablet system during the year: Service siding at 9m. 20 eh. near Mangere; New Zealand Farmers' Fertilizer Company's private siding near Te Papapa; Parker Lamb Timber Company's private siding near Hangatiki; Kakariki Station; ballast-pit siding near Wangaehu; Messrs. Quin Bros, private siding near Otaio; Waitaki Station; Hilderthorpe Station; Richmond Station; Deborah Station; Whitecraig Station; Totara Station ; Teschmaker's Station ; Messrs. Clark Bros, private siding near Maheno; Waimotu Station; Hillgrove Station; ballast-pit siding near Bushey; Owhiro Station; Titri Station; Clarendon Station; Ewing Phosphate Company's private siding at Clarendon; Crichton Station; Benhar Siding; ballast-pit siding near Balclutha; Kakapuaka Station. Special switch-locks (Wood's) interlocking the facing-points with home signals have been installed at Ngatira, Kakariki, and Warrington. Nine switch-out tablet stations have been equipped with special locking arrangements for points and signals—viz., Tarukenga, Wangaehu, Bonny Glen, Kakariki, Herbert, Kartigi, Puketerahi, Warrington, Purakanui. Total stations now interlocked, 98; tramway crossings, 7; sidings and flag stations interlocked with tablet, 131; stations where Wood's locks are installed, 289. The expenditure for the year on signalling and interlocking works was as follows : New works, £11,051 13s. 6d.; maintenance, £15,153 16s. Block Working (Electric Tablet). No additions have been made to tablet working. The total mileage now equipped is 1,657 miles of single line out of 2,950 miles open for traffic. The number of tablet instruments now in use is 908, at 376 stations. The total number of automatic tablet exchangers now in use is 345. Lock and Block. The electric lock-and-block installation has given satisfaction during the year. Four new 4-ohm neutral relays have been installed at Islington and Newmarket to replace oldtype instruments. The total mileage equipped is forty-three miles of double line. There are eighty lock-and-block instruments now in use at thirty-six stations. Telegraph and, Telephone Facilities. Forty-four miles of new line have been brought into use during the year. The Morse line between Palmerston North and Napier has been converted to intermittent. A considerable amount of damage to the railway telegraph-lines in the Christchurch district was caused by heavy snowstorms in July last. The Morse telegraph-wires between Wellington and Paekakariki have been renewed. Twenty-three connections to railway telephone circuits, three new connections to public exchanges, and one extension to existing connections have been made. Five electric bells have been installed. Total now in use : Morse sets, 286; telephones, 1,621; electric bells, 280; miles of wire, 7,121; miles of poles, 2,606. Electric Lighting and Power. Electric-light installations have been made at the following: Newmarket, new car-shops; Huntly, station and signals; New Plymouth, goods-shed; Ohakune, station, yard, signals, orderly-room, and store; Thorndon, sleeping-car shed; Petone, locomotive offices; Te Aro, Defence offices; Christchurch, Transport offices; Ashburton, goods-shed; Kaiapoi, cottages Nos. 27 and 28; Sawyer's Bay, Stationmaster's house; Burkes, station and signals; St. Leonards, station. Additions and alterations to present installations have been made as follows : Frankton, cottage No. 41 and refreshment-rooms; Thorndon, yard, Foreman's office, District Engineer's office, book-stall, and refreshment-room service; Wellington, Goods office, rifle range, and cottage 99; Addington, locomotive workshops. The following work has been done in connection with the electrification of machinery in locomotive workshops: Newmarket—Ten additional motors have been installed and brought into use, making a total of twenty-three, aggregating 267| horse-power, which completes the change from steam into electric drive. Newmarket (new car-shops)— Two additional motors have been installed and brought into use, making the total electric power 194| horse-power; an electricdriven car traverser has also been installed and brought into use. Frankton—An electric motor