RAILWAYS’ COOK STRAIT “AIR LIFT” PROVES POPULAR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 53, 14 February 1949, Page 4

RAILWAYS’ COOK STRAIT “AIR LIFT” PROVES POPULAR

During the two years since its iinr ception, the Railways Department’? inter-island air freight service has become increasingly popular with many sections of the community, and in contrast to the light parcels which were first carried, Rail-Air “Dakota” aircraft now regard halfton packages, complete household removals and stud sheep as routine loads. Consignors have always found transport of the latter somewhat difficult, especially on long journeys involving sea transport between the Islands. With their Cook Strait airlink, however, the railways now offer to breeders and farmers a rapid and economical transport service that is without ill effects to valuable livestock. When the carriage of stock by Rail-Air was first undertaken experimentally last year the animals were flown crated, but the present practice is to load them in bulk; jthe interior of the aircraft fuselage being divided into pens with the aid of portable barriers. The load for a' Dakota varies according to the breed of sheep, but generally 35 Romneys or 44 Southdowns can be conveyed each trip. “Operation Ram” for the 1949 season commenced in earnest last month, when in four days more than 100 stud rams were conveyed from North Island fairs at Masterton and Feilding, to points as far south as Invercargill. The value of

this mode of transport to farmers and breeders was proved beyond doubt on January 26, when a load of rams was moved from Feilding to Invercargill by road and air within 12 hours, pasture-to-pasture. In the reverse direction, two days later, . Rail-Air carried 192 rams—consigned to Feilding and Auckland—from Blenheim to Palmerston North in 10 hours. At each end of the air-link the animals are conveyed by train or railways road service, whichever affords the most convenient transport. Freight charges for the transport of stock by Rail-Air vary somewhat, according to the number of animals, carried each trip and the quantity of backloading available. Haying regard to the speed of transport and the fact that stock arrives in better condition than when sent by normal means, farmers consider the charges to be reasonable and well worth while.