Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 4608x6656 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

NEW RAILWAY LINES
BROADENING OF THE
GAUGES.
The Hallways Standing Committee, com
prising Messrs. Robinson, (chairman). Carry
Cooke, Birrell, Reidy, and NichoJls met
at Parliament House on June 5. Evi
dence waa given by the Chief Commissioner
of Railways (Mr. W. A. Webb).
Dealing with the Pas&evtille to Maitland
railway, -which had been considered by
? the oommittee. the chairman ruiketi the
witness if he favored the line, or if he
could suggest how the estimates whkh had
been furnished could be reduced. Mr.
Webb said he had gone over the figures,
and while they might be reduced by a
Bmall amount he did not see how there
could be any material reduction. It would
be found in actual practice that the cot
tages for the repairing gang mentioned
in the estimates would not be required
at the outset. The reasonable way to main
tain a line for light traffic would be by
means of a flying gang. However, it
would have to . be borne in miind that the
cottages would probably be required later
on. He. estimated that a flying gang
Would be capable of taking charge of
from 15 -t-o 40 miles.
The Chairman— In view of the fact that
the passenger traffio -would be catered
for by rail motor cars, would it foe neces-.
eary to have two repairing gangs?— I
think one would be sufficient.
In reply to a question, Mr. JVebb said
he thought it -would be expedient, if it
Waa proposed to haul heavy loads, to
make the connection at Thrington instead
of hauling the trains 162 ft. higher to
Paakevtlle. However, that would not be
conclusive as there might be other con
siderations.
The Chairman— Seeing it is only a goods
service that is proposed — the passenger
traffio will be maintained by the rail
motors— «an your working 'expenses be re
duced from 8/ a train mile? You are de
biting the line with that amount per train
pasle, which was the mileage cost last year.
The Witness— The cost per train mile
is probably going to increase, but
the cost per ton mile will
probably decrease. The broadening oE
6h0 gauge between Gladstone .and Brink
Worth ? would probably, have a general
effect, on train mileage on the whole of
.. the 'western system.
It is a highly reproductive piece
of ?? country, and the committee wish
to do their best for the set
tlers. Is it right to apply the average
working expenses over the whole of the
State - to a short spur line in proximity
to a port -where coal is available?— You
have no other alternative but to apply a
general basis. Too, would be getting the
cheaper rates on your main lines. If there
1b any change in the cost of operations I
ehoujjl say it 'Would be against the spur
line.
Will 2/ a train mile cover the cost of
running rail motor cars? — Yes, that would
be ample. The figure' is arrived at by
computing the actual cost of running, plus
thrt interest on .tiie cost oj the car and
the maintenance and operating cost of the
line.
The Chairman— It is a wonderful inno
vation.
Mr. Webb— W&geg. and fuel costs for tha
cars now in service average 8§d. a mile.
The department recently carried out a
test with one of the cars under service
conditions. Over 600 miles were covered
at an average speed of 31 miles an hour.
The average speed of passenger trains is
In the neighborhood of 21 mi'es an hour.
Mr. Reidy— About 12 in the South East.
The Chairman— The people in the dis
trict have a large number of motor cars.
Do you think the railway could compete
With motor road traffic?— Where the high
ways aTe in fairly good condition, and the
weather is favorable, people will travel by
motor, but in bad weather they wil pat
ronise the trains. The tendency is for
motor traffic to increase.
Do you know there is a daily motor
service from Port Pirie to Adelaide com
peting with your trains? — Yes.
Would you use the new locomotives and
/the larger capacity trucks on the new
line? — I would use the trucks, but not the
locomotives. I think it would' be a small
engine proposition. There are on order
600 40-ton trucks and the same number
of 30-ton trucks.
Why will these new trucks be more
economical than the l&ton. trucks already
Jn use?— It would be ilnpossible to draw
the same load with the smaller freight
cars, owing to the number of units which
would be necessary and because of the
.sagging and ' expansion that would take
place between each truck.
Mr. Cooke— The less the . number of
units the greater the efficiency?— Yes. We
will not use' any of the five-ton ^trucks
when the 40-ton trucks come into service.
We will use nothing - below the all-steel
'YY' and 'Y' waggons.
? The Chairman— The estimated cost of
the rolling stock for this 27 miles of rail
way would be £50,000, and the interest
yearly against revenue £2^786?— I do not
think new equipment should be charged
against a new line, in units. The mileage
cost Bhould be charged in proportion to
the whole of the rolling stock of the State.
Mr, Kicholis— Can you say if the prac
tice in the past has been when new lines
have been opened to traffic, that the esti
mated amount of rolling stock has not
been built for them?— I think you will find
that as new rolling stock has been bought
it has been charged to the vote provided
for the new line.'
Mr. Nicholls— A line such as this might
be overtaxed, because it would be neces
sary to build that rolling stock for re
newals in any case?— The construction of
new rolling stock has not kept pace with
the increase in the mileage, and in the
business, notwithstanding the provision in
new construction Bills for the addi
tional equipment.- You are building rail
ways of convenience and railways of neces
sity, and find it expedient to build them
piecemeal. If you had not railways at all
you would be laying them all down at
once. Why should you consider a spur
line of this kind as, being, on its own?
Mr. Reidy — It must be debited with its
proportion of the cost?— Yes, you cannot
do other than conskfer it as a part of the
whole railway system. It is simply an
accident that you are building it piecemeal.
The Chairman— We are called upon to pre
pare a balance-sheet for this line. If it. will
not pay, it should not be built. Should
«re not take into consideration the fact
that facilities have already, been provided,
and should we not debit it with the ex~
Sense consequent on its construction?— 1
o not think you can describe this line
as nnythinn; but a Hue of convenience. It
will not add a single soul to the popular
tion. If there were a loss on this tine
the people over the whole of the State
would be taxed to provide settlers in that
locality with what is merely a convenience.
The Chairman— Would you prefer a spur
line from Paskeville to Maitland, or a
continuation of the line from Moonta?—
The, present is a good time, to defer lines
of convenience, and build lines of neces
sity, to develop the State fully. When
that is done you can go back ovet the
country, and build lines of convenience.
These people have been getting along all
right without the line for about 50 years,
and even if it were constructed it is doubt
ful if it would add to their material
prosperity. Irrespective of the question
?whether a profit or loss would be made
on the line, it would absorb a large amount
of capital, which might be more profitably
used by the State in other directions. 1
Bng-?est that it sTiould be deferred for the
time. Yon have not enough railways now
in proportion to the population, and the
mileage Per capita is less than that in New
South Wales and Victoria, and very much
below that in Canada and the United
State*.
Mr. Webb was questioned concerning
the project of broadening the gauge from,
Brinkworth to Gladstone. He said the
object of converting the line to' the broad
gauge waa to reduce the cost of handling
the traffic. The figures which he would
quote were based on averages over the last
five years- He estimates the cost of
widening the gauge between Brinkworth
and Gladstone at £&i9fiOQ, and the in
terest on the- capital outlay at 5J per cent,
per annum, would be £15.750 a year. Ac
tually, the rate paid'ln the past waa 4|
per cent. Tfae estimated working cost,
?srith lar&er locomotives, was £29,373 per
annum, and the average distance run was
20,000 passenger miles and 13,000 train
miles a year. The cost of operating the
line, ir it remained on a narrow gauge
basis, was £42,343 per annum, so that the
conversion to broad gauee would represent
a saving of £12,870. The figures em
braced interest and charges of all descrip
tions, i. Baving of £12,870 a year would
extinguish the cost of conversion in 19 or
20 years, and if the' money required was
obtained at 4| per cent, the saving would
be *14,475 a year. and. the sinking fnnd
would overtake the original outlay in even
less time.
Mr. Reidy — Have you considered any
means of reducing expenditure if the nar
row gauge is retained?— It could not be
done without incurring a large proportion
of the cost which would be involved by
conversion. It would be necessary to have
heavier and more powerful locomotives,
heavier raite, and stronger bridges.
The Chairman— Do you propose to alter
the grading?— No.
The Chairman Baid the committee had
never been requested to report on the
advisability of constructing a line beyond
Redhill: all tihey were asked to do was to
find a direct route. Subsequently, a3 the
result of an ? agitation, they had been
asked to a-dyise whether a line should go,
as was originally intended, through Crys
tal Broolc to Port -iugueta, or by way of
.Wandearah to Port Pirie. The line would
be a convenience to a few inter-State
travellers, but the question was whether
the State should proceed any further with
the lino, or whether it should be continued
and coupled vp with the other system
somewhere. .
!Mr- Webb said, apart from any question
of expediency, if the line were constructed,
he was of the opinion it should f*o
through Wandearah to Port Pirie. He did
not think there. could be any 'argument
about .that, regardless of the ultimate des
tination. No inconvenience or disability
would be imposed upon anyone if Redhill
remained the terminus of the line for the
present. He urged upon the committee
the advisability of deferring any immediate
construction of the line beyond RedhilL
The question was -one of those bound up
with more pressing needs, and it could,
very well be deferred.
The Chairman said the Commonwealth
Railways Commissioner very stxovr^y ad
vocated th ecompletion of the line from
Salisbury to Port Augusta. He asked
Mr. Weob if he had any idea of broaden
ing the gauge from Peterborough to
Quorn.
? Mr. Webb — I am making a recommenda
tion to the Government to broaden the
gauge from Terowie to Quorn. It is my
aim to do away with the narrow gauge in
this State, at any rate south. of Quorn.
$