A N.Z. LOCO.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1916, Page 3

A N.Z. LOCO.

DESIGNED BY AN AUCKLANDER. DRAWS MOKE AND BURNS LESS. Mr. G. Bowles, locomotive inspector for New Zealand railways, is in Otago, supervising the trials on the Dunedin section (which is from Oamaru to Clinton) of the Dominion type of engine, class AB (says the Star). Tlie make of engine was designed by Mr. H. H. Jackson, of Auckland, chief mechanical engineer on the New Zealand railways. Examples have been built at the Addington workshops. ' They were intended for use with the fast express service between Christchurch and Oamaru. On that section they have been running for four or five months, drawing much heavier loads than were previously drawn by the ordinary Glen compound type. ' The full load for the Glen engine is 10 vehicles. The Dominion engine has Hern pulling 20 vehicles, and keeping time, notwithstanding the recent speeding up by giving the public n faster service. A further advantage about the Dominion locomotive is that, owing to its being a superheater, the consumption of fuel is appreciably economised. The Dominion is what is termed x 6-4-2 superheated simple engine. Railwaymen will understand the term 0-4-2. It means a six-wheel engine coupled with a four-wheel loading bogie and a two-wheel trailing bogie. The diameter of the cylinder is 17in, with a 26iu stroke. The modern tubular tank has a carrying capacity of S2OO gallons of water, and the coal capacity is five tens.

It is exceedingly gratifying to know iliac such ii fast, economical, and reliable engine has been designed in our own country by une of our own men. It is also a matter for congratulation that a New Zealand shop can turn out such c.\vc!lent and faithful work. The compound locomotives previously built in New Zealand were equal to, if not better than, the imported ones of the same type, and the quality of our workmanship is now further proved by the construction of the Dominion engine. We understand that in the matter of coat, too, the Dominion locomotive compares favorably with the best of the imported locomotives.