XLIII

D.—2

The work of installing electric-welding plants has been carrieel out at Newmarket, East Town, Petone, and Hillside. Motor generator sets for charging batteries of electric platform trucks have been installed at Auckland, Lambton, Christchurch, and Dunedin. A motor generator set for train-lighting has been installed at Thorndon. Level-crossing Automatic Alarm-bells. —Eight level crossings have been equipped with automatic warning-bells ; bells only at Mount Albert (Asemith Avenue) and Kaiapoi (Peraki Street), and automatic flag visual signals (" wigwag ") at New Lynn (Titirangi Roael), Mount Albert (Roslyn Terrace and Gladstone Road), Hastings (Lyndon Street), Inglewood (Rate Street), and Mosgiel (Gordon Road). The; present number of level crossings fitted with warning-bells, &c, is 66. Expenditure. —Particulars of expenditure for the Signals Branch, including work for other branches, for the year eneled 31st March, 1924, are as follows:— Ne;w works — £ s . d. Signalling and interlocking .. .. .. .. 7,327 3 1 Electric-tablet working . . .. ... .. .. 794 16 5 Telegraph and telephone facilities .. .. .. 14,911. 13 0 Electric light .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,149 6 0 Electric motors, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 3,034 12 7 Level-crossing alarms .. .. .. .. .. 1,588 18 7 Automatic signalling .. .. .. .. .. 101,313 10 10 Total .. .. .. £134,120 0 6 Maintenance — Signalling and interlocking .. .. .. .. 27,134 010 Signals at level crossings .. .. .. .. 2,343 7 5 Telegraph and telephone facilities .. .. .. 9,149 2 (i Lines, &c, maintained by Post and Telegraph Department .. 1,421 11 1 Electric block and tablet working .. .. .. 11,770 3 0 Electric light .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,17110 3 Electric power signalling .. .. .. .. 10,250 7 10 Electric motors, cranes, fire-alarms, &c. .. .. .. 4,623 3 8 Total .. .. .. .. .. £73,863 6 7 LOCOMOTIVE. Mr. E. E. Gillon, Chief Mechanical Engineer, reports as follows : — The plant, locomotives, tenders, carriages, brake-vans, wagons, machinery, and tools have been maintained in good working-order during the year. Locomotives. —On the Ist April, 1923, there were 639 engines in service, and on the 31st March, 1924, there were 655 engines. Three old engines were condemned and written off stock. Nineteen new engines were added to stock, nine of which were built in the Government railway weirkshops, two being Pacific-type simple superheated tender engines, Class An, and seven heavy-tank engines, 4-6-4 type, Class Ws ; five Pacific-type simple superheated tender engines, Class An, were buiit by Messrs. A. and G. Price (Limited) of Thames ; the balance of engines added to stock, five, completed the contract with the North British Locomotive Company (Limited) of Glasgow. In the Government railway workships to date 209 engines have, been built, and twenty-four old locomotives have been rebuilt. During the year 798 locomotives passed, through the workshops, the details of work done being as follows :—

vii—l). 2.

Number am Type. Particulars. Fourcylinder Balancedcompound Tender Engines. Tender Engines. Tank Engines. Fell Engines. Single Fairlios. Electric Engines. Total. Number passed through shops.. Built new Erected new Re-erected Thoroughly overhauled Heavy repairs Light repairs Painted Paint touched up 75 23 5 47 23 30 354 2 5 64 47 236 64 204 340 7 6 1 74 30 222 82 118 9 7 14 6 2 6 6 8 6 6 798 9 17 1 174 84 513 181 362 2 6 2