RAILWAYS ABROAD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 15 January 1931, Page 6

RAILWAYS ABROAD

NEW ZEALAND OFFICER’S TOUR

OE MOTOR TRANSPORT

An interesting account of modern railway practice overseas was given to tho Christchurch “Press” by Mr P. R. Angus, Assistant Chief Mechanical Engineer of New Zealand Railways, who has recently returned from a tour of 'Great Britain, Europe, Canada, the United States, Chile and the Argentine. Investigating railway conditions overseas, Mr Angus has gatherqd much valuable information for his Department, particularly on traction problems. The chief personal impression of his tour is of the excellent fellowship which has been restored between Englishmen and Germans. The hatreds of war have so far been forgotten that Mr Angus was able to exchange reminiscences with officials of the German State Railways who were on the same front as himself. In almost every country of the world the railways were faced with relatively the same problems as in New Zealand, chiefly problems of motor competition, said Mr Angus. In America, for instance, motor transport was cutting seriously into railway operation. Cars and petrol were cheap, and roads were good. Because of the decreased trade and traffic, many of the largest workshops were working short time. Ah' Angus was particularly well received in Canada and the United States, for on his visit five years ago he had made the acquaintance of most of the leading railwaymen there.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS

Since his last trip he remarked particularly the rise of the Canadian National Railways which, under the management of a non-political Board of Control, had become a thorn in the side of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The National Railways had reached a high stage of efficiency. Their rolling-stock had been markedly improved and was now quite the equal of that on the Canadian Pacific Railway. “I’ve come to the conclusion that it is a mistake to judge the Americans by the tourists you meet,” said Air Angus. “By this time, on my third trip, I’ve got to know the people well and I’ve found the pukka American an openhearted man, very decent to the visitor, and willing to give all the information he can.” FELLOWSHIP IN EUROPE In England, he continued, the situation was very serious, both in the railway business and in almost every other. Travelling in Sweden, Germany and Austria, he felt far more at home than in France and Belgium. In those countries he was looked upon as a foreigner, and made use of; but the Scandinavian, the German, and the Austrian treated him as a friend. Especially in Germany he had a wonderful reception, and talked over old times with men who had been on tho same front. They were most willing to give him every assistance with his work, whether personally or by correspondence. The German method of railway design and operation was very different from the American. The Amerimans went in for speed with heavy freight, while the Germans kept more to tho system used in England and New Zealand, of short haul and small tonnage. There was a big variation in the standards of stock in Germany. An attempt was now being made to standardise stock in the interests of efficiiency, but the work would take years. SWEDEN’S ELECTRIC TRAINS One peculiarity of the Swedish railways was the high voltage, A.C. current, single phase electrification schemes with long distances between substations. Power costs there were very low, and the practice seemed to have proved successful. At present, the line trom Stockholm to Gothenburg was electrified, and preparations were being made to continue the electrification from Stockholm to Trelleborg, the southern port from which the trains were ferried across to Sassnitz, ill northern Germany. “Because of the cutting up of Austria and Hungary, Austria seems to have been left like a little island without any natural resources of coal or metals. It is in an. almost helpless condition,” continued Mr Angus. It was evident that the country had received great help from Britain and America, because there was a pronounced feeling of good fellowship with the Englishspeaking peoples. The railways in Austria were modelled oil the German plan. There seemed to be some liaison between the railways of the two countries, for German locomotives were to be found on loan niAustria. German coal was also purchased. ARGENTINE’S RAILWAYS In Argentine the railways were British-owned and staffed, in the higher positions by British people. Because of its flatness the country lent itself admirably to railroading. With a gauge on some lilies of sft. 6in the locomotives and coaching stock were not subject to the same limitations as in mountainous countries where the structures' would not 'give a sufficient clearance. Argentine was a network of railways, which were largely used for the transportation of cattle. The total mileage was exceptionally great lor a , country of only about 6,000,000 people. CROSSING THE ANDES • Mr Angus had an interesting experience in the truns-Andean crossing. Ihe Andes are crossed through a saddle about the same height as Mount Cook, with Mount Aconcagua, one of the highest peaks in the world, standing nearby. The first part of the trip ironi Mendoza is worked by steam _ locomotives with a rack of cogs, and the final stage by electric locomotives with a rack. From Los Andes, on the other side, the Chilean State Railways to Valparaiso were all electrified.