AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1929, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS

MAGNITUDE OK SYSTEM. Three officers of the New /calami Hallways Dep.ii nieiit have just returned from the Australian and New Zealand Railway Officers’ Conference in Adelaide, which occupied a week. Some days were also spent in visiting railway activities in various centres of the great continent. They are Mr G. W. Wyles, wlu> has just been appointed chief signals and electrical engineer, Air JO;. .J. Guiness, stores controller, and Air 1\ *lt. Angus, assistant chief mechanical engineer. Mr Guiness said lie was quite sure that the people of New Zealand did not realise the magnitude of the railways in Australia, and the fact that the distance from Brisbane to Perth was much greater than from Wellington or Auckland to Sydney. In fact, the Australians themselves did not all realise the magnitude of the railway system in their own country, and the vast organisation that was. required to keep it operating. ELECTBIFiCATION AND SIGNALS. ALr Wyles, who was mainly interested in electrification and signalling, said that the most interesting development at the present time was the electrification of the suburban lines in Sydney, which handled passenger traffic equal to double the population of Wellington every day. This electrification would finally pass over the new Sydney Harbour bridge to the North Shore, and thus link up tin whole of the suburban areas in Sydney. Generally electrification was proceeding very satisfactorily in Australia. providing speedy and wonderful facilities and frequent service foi a vast population. The conference took place in Adelaide, and tlie New Zealand reprexen tatives had the opportunity of seeing the new Adelaide station, a very fun building offering complete- ifsicilitie for the travelling pubic. The journey from Alclibounie to Adeaide gave them the opportunity of travelling in one of the new all-steel coaches, a somewhat new departure .in carriage 1 construction in Australia and New Zealand, Although exceedingly heavy—-aHi'd somewhat costly—the carriages fide very comfortably. TOO AI ANY GAUGES. ’ Air Aligns was particularly interested in l.be mechanical side, but said the various gauges on the lines in different States was a matter which was receiving some consideration with a view to unification of the tracks. In Queensland tlie gauge was 3ft Gin. in New South "Wales 4ft Biin, Victorin, oft Bin, -South Australia sft 3in and 3ft Gin, Commonwealth 4ft 84in ancl 3ft Gin, Western Australia 3ft Gin. There was no interchange except between South Australia and Victoria. In travelling from Brisbane to -Perth it was necessary to change at Wollnngnrra.* Albany, Torowie. Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie. Without doubt it would be a tremendous advantage to have a uniform gauge in Australia. The question of the unificaion of railway gauges in Australia was before a commission recently, when the cost was estimated.at from £20.000,000 to £30.000.000.