BIG ENGINES

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1929, Page 7

BIG ENGINES

USE ON NEW ZEALAND

RAILWAYS

ECONOMY IN TRANSPORT

Tlie trial of the newly imported “Garrett” articulated locomotives on our lines draws attention anew to the scale and scope o'f transport developments in recent years, states the “New Zealand Railways Magazine.” In 1924 we had G 55 locomotives in operation, built in forty-seven classes. The tractive effort of the largest ol these was 20,6201 b, and there were only eighteen locomotives of this type. At that time only one-third of our locomotives had a tractive effort of 20,0001 b or over.

Last year our total locomotive stock was 078, the proportion of high-pow-ered engines had been increased, an additional seventy-four being capable of 20.<)001b or over of tractive effort, and the number of classes had been reduced to forty—but still we had no unit capable of higher tractive effort than, the “X" class (26,6201 b) engine, weighing, in working trim, ninetyfour tons. The new “Garratts,” just introduced, with their 51,5801 bof tractive power and a working weight of 146 tons, really constitute the commencement of a revolution in locomotive practice in New Zealand, and bring the general question of transport under review once more. To carry locomotives of this type, it became necessary that the whole peimament way should be considered anew, and the strengthening oi bridges and other track structures undertaken before bringing these monsters of the iron road into operation. Their capacity, however, was so well related to the needs of our traffic that the additional expenditure on permanent way strengthening would he fullv warranted.

A somewhat similar position has arisen upon the main highways of Now Zealand. Commercial motor veil ides of greater power and weight have been put into use, and the Government and local .bodies responsible for the upkeep of the roads have found it necessary to greatly strengthen the roads to enable them to stand up to the traffic. It is all simply a question of engineering—a certain class of road (whether a highway or a railway track) can only carry vehicles of a certain weight. Tts character and strength must he changed according to the weight of the v(> hides it is required to carry. Bui the railway, the user, has to find tin* money for any expenditure upon its tracks, whereas the users of commercial motor vehicles do not hear the cost of road improvements—that cosl is borne by the Government or the local body concerned; and some local bodies are becoming seriously concerned because of the loads which the heavier types of road vehicles are putting on their rates. They find that roads built for light traffic have to he reconstructed and expensively maintained, and they cannot see the value for their money.

If the railways could take advantage of heavier transport units and shoulder on to some third party the expense of the additionally strong tracks needed, no doubt there would be a strong desire to move steadily along in the direction of still heavier and more powerful locomotives, and the economic advantage to the railways would ho great indeed. But, as the railways and their road competitors arc not nearly on a parity in regard to the charges for maintenance and service they kave to meet, the task of providing that the most eeon omical transport service may lie secured for the country is decidedly difficult. In the meantime, experimentation in big engine transport is fully justified. The principal ground for thi belief is that it oilers scope for operating economies more promising than that to lie found in almost any otliiv field, and its initiation in New Zealand has already indicated a solution to some of our most pressing problems.