D.—2

XXIX

LOCOMOTIVE-POWER. During the year eighteen new locomotives were added to stock : - 4 Class Ab 4-6-2 Pacific type from the Department's workshops at Addington. 8 Class Wab 4-6-4 Heavy Tank from Department's workshops at Hillside. 3 Class Ws 4-6-4 Heavy Tank from Messrs. Price Bros., Thames. 3 Class Wab 4-6-4 Heavy Tank from Messrs. Price Bros., Thames. Three Class F engines (taken over with the Cape Foulwind line) were also added to stock. Twentythree old engines were written off, and four engines were sold. One Clayton steam-car and one Edison battery electric car were placed in service during the year. The following additional locomotives were under construction on the 31st March : — 2 Class Ws 4-6-4 Heavy Tank at Messrs. Price Bros., Thames. 2 Class Wab 4-6-4 Heavy Tank at Hillside Workshops. The question of providing a standard-type high-powered shunting-engine has been further considered during the year. A special committee has now been set up to investigate the shunting-engine requirements, and when these are finalized drawings will be put in hand. • As mentioned in our last report, designs were obtained of articulated locomotives for service on the heavy grades of the North Island, and tenders are being called for three engines of either the Garrett or Modified Fairlie type. CARRIAGES. Six carriages and six brake-vans were built in the Department's workshops during the year. One brake-van was sold, and four cars and four brake-vans were written off. The cars built included one specially fitted for use by Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York as a combined day and sleeping car during their journeys in the North Island, and one with observation end, which was used for day journeys in the South Island. These cars, which reflected great credit on the Department's workshops staff, were the subject of very gratifying comment by the Royal party. Further progress was made with the installation of electric lighting in carriages, there being 173 cars now fitted. It is anticipated that 160 additional cars will be fitted during the current year. WAGON STOCK. The following wagons were built in the Department's workshops and placed in traffic during the year 26 Class H four-wheeled cattle-wagons. 38 Class La four-wheeled (12 tons) high-side goods-wagons. 99 Class M four-wheeled (8 tons) low-side goods-wagons. 29 Class W four-wheeled refrigerator-vans. 9 Class U double-bogie goods-wagons. 15 Class Ub double-bogie goods-wagons. Total, 192 four-wheeled, and twenty-four bogie-wagons. Seventeen four-wheeled wagons were sold and three were written off during the year. The workshops are at present engaged on the following building programme : — 7 Class G horse-boxes. 40 Class J sheep-wagons. 57 Class La high-side goods-wagons. 4 Class M low-side goods-wagons. 6 Class R bogie goods-wagons. 5 Class Ug bogie horse-boxes. 91 Class Xa 1 , i 41 Class Xb / ventllated goods-vans. 50 Class Yb hopper wagons. 2 Class Z \ j j 3 Class Zp goods-vans. Three tank-wagons were built for private firms for the carriage of bulk petrol, and thirteen underframes and bogies were made to have the petrol-tanks fitted by Messrs. A. and G. Price, Ltd, Thames. Fifteen additional tank-wagons are on order for construction during the current year. NEW WORKS. The expenditure during the year on works authorized under the Railways Improvement Authorization Acts and charged to capital was £692,042, making a total expenditure to the 31st March, 1927, on the various schemes authorized by these acts of £2,401,487. The principal works in hand were : — Auckland Station-yard. —During the year steady progress has been made with the new yard. The contractor for the new goods-shed and offices was delayed somewhat on account of the non-delivery of steelwork due to the coal strike in Great Britain. It is probable that tenders for the new station .will be called during the current year. Helensville. —The new station-yard was brought into use last March. Auckland-Westland Deviation.—Good progress with this deviation was made during the year. Penrose-Papakura Duplication. —The double track between Westfield and Otahuhu was brought into use during the year, and work is now in hand between Otahuhu and Papatoetoe.