BROADCASTS KEEP BAY RAIL FREIGHT ROLLING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 46, 19 May 1950, Page 5

BROADCASTS KEEP BAY RAIL FREIGHT ROLLING

All inward and outward rail traffic handled in the Bay of Plenty passes through the Frankton Junction marshalling yards. Already installations in the yards are beginning to feel the strain and to assist in bringing a greater degree <--f efficiency to shunting operations, which include much freight destined for the Bay of Plenty, a broadcast system, something unique in railway communication, has been installed.

The broadcast system with loudspeakers located at strategic points in the yards enables the yards master to get into instant communication with the shunting crews. A member of the shunting crew liceci come only within 20 feet of die microphone itself for his voice to be heard clearly in the control room. It would be possible for a member of a shunting crew to stay in the engine cab and speak througn the microphone, but the noise of the shunting engine usually makes this impracticable. The shunters in the yards can initiate a call to the control room by operating a switch that enables a two-way conversation to be carried. out.

The new system has been found to be of great advantage to the Frankton yards, which, apart from Wellington and Auckland are the busiest marshalling and shunting yards in the North Island. The system has noticeably speeded up operations in a number of instances and it is expected that with further use the new method of communication will be found to be even more effective.