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FAST RAILCAR TRIP TO NEW PLYMOUTH

Trial Run On Proposed

Schedule

AOTEA’S PERFORMANCE ON

STEEP GRADES

Negotiating steep gradients and sharp curves with comparative ease, Aotea, one of the new standard railcars the Railways Department intends operating on the service between Wellington and New Plymouth, to be inaugurated on April 16, made a trial run from Wellington to New Plymouth on Wednesday and returned to Wellington late last night. On the outward journey the ear covered the 251 miles between the two centres in six hours and a half, actual running time. With stops included, the time taken was seven hours. 33 minutes. On the return journey Aotea covered the distance between New Plymouth and Wellington in six hours and 44 minutes, actual running time. At stations en route the car attracted considerable interest. On both outward and inward journeys the railcar ran to the schedule which is to be adopted when the new service is inaugurated on April 16. Scheduled stops were also made at officered stations on the return journey to Wellington. With the General Manager, Mr. G. H. Mackley, and a number of administrative officials of the department, the car left Wellington at 5.14 p.m. on M ednesday and ran to a schedule proposed bv the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, In New Plymouth yesterday Mr. Mackley and his officers met representatives of business interests and local bodies in the Wanganui and Taranaki districts and discussed with them proposed alternative timetables for the new service. At Aramoho, Hawera and other stations business men on their way to the conference boarded the railcar and travelled with it to New Plymouth. Passengers’ Praise. Features of the trip commented - on bv the passengers were the smoothriding qualities of the railcar, the absence of smoke and dust, the cleanliness of its appointments, and the comfortable seating arrangements. At no time, even when the ear was travelling at 65 miles an hour, was there a sensation of high speed. Streaming along the metals, the blare of its horn warning motorists at level crossings and its long silvery body gleaming in the late afternoon sun, Aotea made good time between stations and covered the 87 miles separating Wellington from Palmerston North in two hours, actual running time. The running time of the Limited express over this section is 2 hours 20 minutes. The test was conducted under service conditions and stops were made at all officered stations. These stops were calculated on the average time which will be taken when the new service starts. The running time to Marton, 136 miles from the starting point, was 2 hours 48 minutes, and Aramoho, 147 miles from Wellington, was reached in 3 hours 42 minutes. The time taken between Palmerston North and Aramoho was considerably less than the average performance of the New Plymouth express. The Wangaehu “bank,” which has a rise in parts of one foot in every 35 travelled, was negotiated at an average speed of slightly more than 20 miles an hour. The Wangaehu “bank” has several curves of five chains radius, and others of five chains and a half. It is one of several stiff climbs between Marton and Waitotara. Speed On Heavy Grade. The Westmere “bank,” just north of Aramoho, is the longest sustained grade on the section, and with the exception of the Rimutakas, is one of the most difficult “banks” in the North Island. For the greater portion of the climb the grade is 1 in 36 and 1 and 35, and in one part has a pinch of 1 in 32. Aotea had no difficulty in climbing this grade, and at no time did the - speed drop below 20 miles an hour. The sharpest curves on the Westmere “bank” are of seven chains rajlius. Mr. Mackley, in an interview after the trip, said the railcar’s performance had proved that it could run to the proposed schedule without difficulty, but the running of the car would be improved when an alteration was made in the gearing of Aotea. “Trials have shown that the present gear actions are not completely suited to the grades and curves encountered on the run,” he added. “Fresh sets of reduced gears, supplied by the contractors in replacements are at present on their way to New Zealand.

“These gears will provide improved acceleration and an increased capacity for climbing bills without detrimentally affecting the speed on flat sections.”

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19390317.2.99

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 147, 17 March 1939, Page 11

Word count
Tapeke kupu
733

FAST RAILCAR TRIP TO NEW PLYMOUTH Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 147, 17 March 1939, Page 11

FAST RAILCAR TRIP TO NEW PLYMOUTH Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 147, 17 March 1939, Page 11

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