STATION FACILITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1938, Page 6

STATION FACILITIES

HANDICAPS AT MASTERTON LOCAL CARRIER’S SUGGESTIONS WAYS OF CHEAPENING HANDLING COSTS “If goods traffic comes back to the railways again this station has not the facilities to handle it,” observed Mr Alex Young yesterday, when referring to the position at the Masterton Railway Station. Mr Young, who has had many years’ experience as a member of a well-known Masterton carrying firm, added: “We still have the samesized goods shed, and the same old crane as we had thirty years ago. When we get a bit of a rush, the place is blocked up. If we want to get the transport of goods back on to the railways, we must have the facilities for handling the goods.” Mr Young was particularly strong in his condemnation of the crane at the station. The present crane, he said, added considerably to the costs of handling certain goods. He cited several instances of the severe handicap it imposed on carriers using the station.

“Only about two months ago,” said Mr Young, “three big cases of furniture came to hand from London. We had to unpack the cases on the trucks, because we have not got a crane capable ,of lifting them. The furniture had then to be carted to the house, and we had to go back and crane the empty cases from the trucks. Only the other day,” Mr Young continued, “a big case of furniture arrived from the South Island. We had to open the case on the truck, and put the furniture on to our lorry. If we had a decent crane, we could have swung the case straight on to our lorry and taken it to the house for unpacking and would have done the job in much less time.” Mr Young said a crane capable of lifting at least three tons was urgently wanted at the station. . “Another thing we want here very badly is a small tractor for shunting, like the one in use at Feilding,” said Mr Young, who a*dded that a lot of time was lost in unloading or loading operations, at the sidings on account of an engine coming along to shunt while the goods were being handled. The men had to cease work while the shunting was carried out. The trouble was owing to there being no shunting engine in Masterton, and the trucks had to be shifted whenever an engine was in the yards. In Wanganui, he pointed out, all shunting was carried out between 2 and 8 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., and after 5 p.m., so that there was no interference with loading operations. If a shunting engine could not be provided a tractor would'meet the case admirably.