ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 19805, 2 March 1928, Page 2

ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

ENCIiNEER'S OPINION WITHIN ECONOMIC REACH That hydro-electric power development has brought within _ economic reach the possible electrification of our railway system was a striking ' statement made by Air C. J. APKenzio (assistant cnginecr-in-chief to the Public Works Department) in his presidential address to the Now Zealand Society of Civil Engineers. “As you all know,” ho said, "a start in this direction has been made in tbc case of the railway between Lyttelton and Christchurch, ami this will undoubtedly bo the forerunner of many lengths of electrified rhilways near our centres of population. “ We have, of course, a noteworthy example of electrified railway in this country at Otira. But. this was a necessity on account of the impracticability of'using steam trains on the steep grade in the Arthur’s Pass tunnel; it was not brought about by the presence of cheap power nor by the. density of the traffic in the locality. As a matter of fact, Ibe electrification of the Lyt-telton.-Cliristcliurcb railway was duomainly to the presence of n, tunnel and the inconvenience duo to smoke from steam locomotives; but still i think it may bo cited as an example of electrification due to dense trafic near a city and the possibility of obtaining cheap hydro-electric power. “ Another hydro-electric plant for the supplv of electric energy to a largo area of the South Island is shortly to be put in hand on the Waitaki River near Kurow.”