USE OF RAIL-CARS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 61, 4 December 1937, Page 4

USE OF RAIL-CARS

Proposed Use on Wairoa* Wellington Route PQWERFUL VEHICLES t An intimation that, before long, 60ft, rail-cars will be running between Wellington and Wairoa, via Napier, was given by Mr. G. H. Mackley, generalmanager of the New Zealand Hailwayl Department, during a brief visit to Hawke's Bay last evening. Mr. Mackley and official party left Wellingto* yesterday by rail-car on a visit to Putorino and Wairoa to jnspect the pr»gress made on. the East Coast rajlwaj works. Mr. Mackley was accompanied by • party of six, among them being tbe superintendent of transport, Mr. G. T,. Wilsoa, and other officials of the Railways Department. The party arrived in a Leyland Cub seven-seater rail-cax. They left Wellington at 2.15 p.m. and arrived in Waipukurau at 6.15, tho journey being covered in four houro, They stayed for about an hour at Waipukurau, having ainner before leaving for Napier. The party spent th© night in Napier and continued to Putorino this moroing. The return journey from Napier is scheduled to take place on Monday; morning, and it is expeeted that the rail-car will pass through Hastingi shortly before t.he mail irain. Mr. Mackley mentioned while in Waipukurau that, as soon as the department was able to obtain the ma» terials, it was proposed to construct a number of large rail-cars for longdistance travel. These would be 60 feet in length and would be equipped with an 150 h.p. Diesel engine at each end, giving them a total horse-power of 300. They would have six-cylinder engines. It would be possible. once these cai's began regular running, to cut down considerably the present trareiling time on'long distances.