RAILWAY TRANSPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 15

RAILWAY TRANSPORT

HANDLING OF GOODS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Now that we have a wonderful new and up-to-date railway station for the handling of passengers and parcels shortly to be opened in our city. 1 would like to draw attention to another side of Wellington's railway activities, a most important, it not the most important, branch of the Department, namely, the goods station. We find at Thorndon a most imposing modern building oearing the name "Thorndon Goods Station." On exarri; ining the interior of this building we. find the most out-of-date methods of handling goods in existence Firstly, one overhead crane serving a portion of the building, which/to say the least of it, was obsolete when' erected. Secondly, we find one mobile crane, which. I understand, cannot operate unless on a concrete floor or a similarly firni foundation, leaving a large portion of the goods yard unserved by a crane ot any description In the outward goods portion o£ this tine building a major portion has been handed over for the use of private transport companies, without. charge for such use, while the Railway De< partmenl is compelled to load from three-quarters to seven-eighths of its goods, .according to tile quantity offer ing out in the open, unserviced yard, a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, particularly in wet weather. ' to the out-of-date methods It )s quite a common occurrence for.a carrier to be compelled to wait in a queue -up to an hour, more or less, towards the latter part of the day before he receives attention, necessitating higher carriers fees when goods are sent by rail. The Government has indicated US intention of purchasing Hhe existing road transport services arid diverting, the goods from road to our railways., but 1 am quite conversant with the conditions prevailing; at Thorndoft goods', station between 3 p.m. and a p m and realise the impossibility of handling additional goods with the present facilities. A shed on the^ same lines containing the same number oi cranes as shed 37, Pipitea Wharf, would make our goods station in keeping with , our wonderful new Wellington Railway Station. The method of dispatch (rail or road) is invariably left to the discretion of the carrier, who will, natur ally take the goods where the best ana quickest-handling facilities preva.l.-J am> etC-- FORWARDING AGEN'I. In reply to the foregoing the Railway Department states that when the goods shed was opened the appliances and accommodation available were more than ample to meet the business offering. The cranes provided were modern and could easily cope with the work required. "Forwarding Agent" is in error when he states that the' 30cwt crane was obsolete when erected. On the contrary it was of modern design. The 2-ton mobile crane is'in use continuously and -satisfactorily performs the work required of it. Another point on which the correspondent ■. Is' -under : a tmisapprehertsion is that relating to the goods yard "being unserved by : a' crane of any description." Actually .there is a 5-ton capacity steam mobile crane continuously at "work in the-yard. .This, crane dan load direct from road Vehicles aj rake1 of .44''single trucks without anyj movement whatever of the wagons.! The private transport' companies mentioned are road operators working with the Department under a scheme of coordination. The arrangement whereby a 'portion of the shed is allocated to these concerns works satisfactorily. In the earlier part of the day no dif* flculty is found In effecting quick clearance of lorry-borne goods. There is, however, a congestion of carriers between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. (although not to the extent the correspondent suggests)..but no matter what facilities the (Department .provided, this could only, be avoided if carrying concerns arranged a more equal delivery of goods throughout the day. Any assistance they can give in this direction would'be appt-ediated by the Department and of real advantage to themselves. ;■ . ['

; The Department is fully, alive to the rapid and sustained increase in Its freight business since the Wellington goods shed was, built, and a plan for still further improving the accommodation and handling facilities at Weir lington has been'finalised |