MAIN TRUNK LINE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 115, 14 December 1908, Page 2

MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Railway Improvements.

In view cf the opening of the Main | Trunk line for traffic between Auckland and Wellington, special efforts wore required to be made by the Railway Department in all its branches in order to make complete the necessary arrangements for the extra traffic. In order to provide the public with the through service at as early a date as possible, the special two-days service at present existing was established prior to the taking over of the whole line from the Public Works Department. It was also realised that a heavy passenger traffic would ensue between the two cities during the holiday season, and extra services at excursion rates have been instituted to meet the anticipated demand. It is satisfactory to learn that the tablet system is being established on the line as fast as the work can be accomplished. Previous to the opening of the through service the system was only in use on the Auckland section as far as Frank ton, and on the Southefn enl up to Taihape, except on the Manawatu's Company's line. The tablet has now been set up as far as Taumarunui, and the work of completing the system to Taihape is being pushed ahead. A considerable amount of work has to be undertaken on the newly acquired Manawatu line by the Government, including the installation of the tablet sysem which is now being undertaken. Throuhgout the King Country the system lias meant the placing of officials in charge of a number of smaller stations, including Otorohanga, Pukelulu, Poro-o-tarao, and Ongaruo, and douiulcss in the rfcar future a much larger staff will he required at sucli stations as Otorohanga. The working of the tablet is extremely simple, and the system ensures perfect safety,'as the driver in possession of a tablet has absolute conrol of that section of the line to which his tablet applies. Only one tablet at a time can be released from the receptacle, and until the tablet, which has been issued by the Sta ion master to the driver, is delivered at the next station, and placed in the machine, no other tablet can be released, as the machines at each stations are electrically connected, and work automatically. Hitherto the only danger connected with the system has been the risk taken by the Stationmaster when exchanging tablets with the driver of an incoming train. Acci ■ dents have occurred in this respect, and a contrivance to obviate the danger has been invented by a railway official. The invention, which is called the Automatic Tablet Exchanger, consists of arms projecting from a post, place d on the railway platform, and fixed at a standard height so that corresponding gear on the train automatically picks up a tablet from one of the arms, and places another on the receiving arm. An exchanger has been placed on Te Kuiti station, and the invention is to be adopted throughout the service of the Dominion. At present it is to be Uded for non-stop-ping trains only, but obviously such a useful, and danger-saving apparatus will only be filling its proper function when it is made to apply to the whole service. Needless to say the invention is hailed with delight by all slationinasters who have experienced the difficulty of tablet exchanging under the old system.