NIGHT TRAIN CARS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4992, 25 June 1926, Page 2

NIGHT TRAIN CARS.

SUGGESTED FOR LOCAL SERVICE.

DESCRIPTION OF VEHICLES,

In connection with the proposed night train service between Frankton and Thames, the following information of a railway steam car which has recently been constructed at Home to the order ,and specification of the New Zealand Government will be of interest: —

The Clayton railway steam car is specially intended to provide a means of handling passenger traffic on main lines during "non-rush” periods, and to act as an instrument for the exploitation of branch line services in districts where competition with road passenger transport on, economical lines is called for. In the car sitting accommodation for 57 persons is provided in the passenger compartment. The seats, which are sprung and padded, are upholstered Un dark green buffalo hide. The floor of the passenger compartment is covered with dark brown linoleum, while the ceiling is white enamelled, and the body sides, doors, and partitions are finished in dark polished mahogany. A luggage rack is fitted on each side of the passenger compartment, above the windows, and 'runs the full length of the compartment. The top portion of each window is hinged to open outwards for ventilation, a,nd curtains, a ; re provided to all the. windows. The car is equipped with electric lighting. The power unit consists of the firm’s standard engine (and boiler, as fitted to the Clayton .undertype steam road waggon, but is modified in detail for application to the railway steam car. The boiler is of the vertical water tube type, constructed to* withstand a working pressure of 2301 b per square inch, and tested to 400 lb. The heating surface of the boiler is) 51 square feet, and the firergrate area 3.27 square feet. With the engine running at 350 revolutions per minute the car speed is 35 miles an hour, and with 4'50 revolutions a minute it is 45 miles an hour. The. weight of the car unloaded is 20 tons 10cwt., and when fully provisioned wltn water, a.nd coal its weight is l about 23 tons lOcwt.

It is probable, that one of these cars will operate on the ThamesFrankton line in connection with the proposed naw night tralin service.