D.—2

XVII

LOCOMOTIVE. Mr. E. E. Gillon, Chief Mechanical Engineer, reports as follows :— Locomotives. —On the Ist April, 1920, there were 616 engines in service, and on the 31st March, 1921, there were 608 engines. Eight second-hand tank engines were sold and written off stock. In the Government railway workshops to date 191 engines have been built, and twenty-four old locomotives have been rebuilt. During the year 577 locomotives passed through the workshops, the details of work done being as follows :■ —

Included in the above are two engines for private lines and one engine for Public Works Department. In addition to the engines repaired in the railway workshops, two engines were thoroughly overhauled by Messrs. A. and G. Price (Limited). During the year a contract was entered into with the North British Locomotive Company (Limited), of Glasgow, for forty-five superheated tender engines, Pacific type, Class Ab. The engines being built by Messrs. A. and G. Price, of Thames (referred to in last year's report), are now in hand. At the close of the year there were on order in the railway workshops twenty engines, consisting of ten simple-superheated tender engines, Pacific type, Class Ab, and ten heavy tank engines, 4-6-4 type, Class Wab. Altogether there were on order on the 31st March, 1921, eighty-five engines. The tractive power of locomotives decreased by 36,9381b., equal to 0 42 per ::ent. Boilers. —The work on renewals and repairs has been kept well up to date. The following statement shows details of boiler-work done :—

Thirty-eight new boilers were in hand at the close of the yea-, consisting of ten Class Ab, five Class F, one Class Fa, two Class H, three Class J, two Class R, five Class U, and ten Class Wab. Carriages. —The stock on the Ist April, 1920, was 1,492, and on the 31st March, 1921, the number was 1,492. One new bogie car was built and added to stock. One four-wheel car was written off stock. The following table shows details of car-work done during the year : —

Forty cars were under construction at the close of the year in the railway workshops.

iii—D. 2.

Number and Type, Particulars. Pourcylinder Balancedcompound Tender Engines. Tender Tank Engines. Engines. Pell Single Engines. PairUes. Total. Number passed through shops Re-erected Thoroughly overhauled Heavy repairs Light repairs Painted Paint touched up 72 20 15 31 19 43 225 60 51 114 58 130 264 1 58 50 155 62 86 7 i 2 I 1 5 9 3 3 3 2 7 577 1 151 121 304 142 271

Description. Number passed through Shops. Built new. Heavy Light Repairs. Repairs. ,o t * Tubes pieced and Secondhand (Sets). New Smoke- XT , New box th. , Tube- Firebox - plate. New Pirebox Boilers Tube- patched, plate. ioilers 339 3 130 206 64 02 5 21 124

Number and Type of Carriages. Particulars. Total. Bogie. Six-wheel. Four-wheel. Number passed through shops .. Built new Rebuilt 2,117 1 1 91 18 2,226 1 1 2 1 347 808 1,066 632 895 Re-erected Converted Thoroughly overhauled Heavy repairs Light repairs Painted Paint touched up 1 346 791 977 622 884 2 1 15 73 8 11 2 10 2