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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 3 (June 1, 1935)

Our London Letter —

page 17

Our London Letter

The Future of the Railways.

Corridor tender on L. and N. E. R. “Pacific” Locomotive, employed on long-distance non-stop runs.

Corridor tender on L. and N. E. R. “Pacific” Locomotive, employed on long-distance non-stop runs.

The future of our railways is a topic of first importance, alike for railway managements, employees, and the general public. After a century of service, railways the world over continue the principal means of movement for mankind and mankind's belongings, and it seems certain that, for long years to come, rail transport will hold pride of place as the most convenient, efficient, and economical system of haulage. During the past few years, many perplexing problems have had to be tackled by railway managements and their staffs. Trade depression has been universal, while the rapid development of road transport on both the passenger and freight sides has also come as an obstacle to railway prosperity.

Probably the biggest problem facing railways to-day is that which concerns future methods of traction. There are two main lines of development open to the railways. One covers the utilisation of autonomous, or self-propelled, traction units, like the steam or oil-fired locomotive; the other embraces electrification, depending upon central generating stations and a radiating system of overhead feeders. Which of these arrangements is likely to be favoured? It is a significant fact that, at the present time, the majority of the big British and American railways are fighting shy of the immense initial capital expenditure involved in main-line electrification. There are exceptions to this situation, of course, as witness the continued electrification expenditure of the Southern Railway of England, and the Pennsylvania Railroad of America. In the main, however, trunk route electrification is, to-day, definitely under a cloud, interest everywhere being turned towards the development of more powerful and more economical self-propelled traction units, such as the steam locomotive and the Diesel engine.

Prophecy is apt to prove dangerous, but it would certainly seem as if a very promising future lay ahead for self-propelled traction. In particular, one is impressed by the obvious advantages and economies offered by the internal combustion Diesel engine. These self-contained motive units can get along without any elaborate system of overhead transmission lines, and usually even the most severe climatic conditions prove only a temporary obstacle to regular schedules. Improvements and refinements in self-contained units may be at once taken advantage of, without costly alterations to electrical machinery or transmission lines, and altogether there appears a very strong case for self-propelled traction as against universal electrification.

Improved Locomotive Design.

Steam locomotive design is making marked progress in Europe. In Britain, the London and North Eastern Railway are leaders in the search for more powerful and more economical steam locomotive units, while across the Channel the railways of France are to the fore in this direction.

On the Paris-Orleans, Nord and Est systems, clever design has resulted in an increase in locomotive power of from thirty to forty per cent. The Nord is at present experimenting with steam engines capable of hauling 700 ton trains at 75 m.p.h. High-powered Diesel-electric locomotives are also being turned out in considerable numbers for service on the French lines. One batch of these consists of experimental engines of 800 h.p., capable of drawing trains of 200 tons at 75 m.p.h. Other experiments aim at turning out light engines capable of handling 150 ton trains at speeds up to 95 m.p.h. A good deal of main-line electrification has been tackled in southern and central France, but these latest experi-
Tourist Pullman Train Crossing Gstaad Viaduct, Montreux-Bernese Oberland Railway, Switzerland.

Tourist Pullman Train Crossing Gstaad Viaduct, Montreux-Bernese Oberland Railway, Switzerland.

page 18

page 19
“Superpacific” Express Passenger Locomotive, Northern Railway of France.

“Superpacific” Express Passenger Locomotive, Northern Railway of France.

ments with self-propelled traction units quite overshadow trunk route electrifications.

Utility of Streamlining.

Streamlining of fast passenger trains has definitely come to stay. The most searching of tests under actual working conditions have proved beyond doubt the utility of the idea, and to-day most of the larger European railways are introducing streamlined passenger trains into their main-line services.

Old-established servcies such as the “Flying Scotsman,” the “Royal Scot,” and the “Cornish Riviera Express,” that have brought fame to the Home railways, may shortly be maintained by new streamlined locomotives and carriages. As yet, however, only partial streamlining has been attempted in Britain. Complete streamlining has made exceptional progress in Germany. Because of the success of the “Flying Hamburger” train, Germany is now introducing eleven new streamlined passenger trains in long-haul service. These trains will consist of saloon cars, having two seats on each side of a central gangway. The trains will run at an average speed of 75 m.p.h., and will operate between Berlin and Koenigsberg, Breslau, Dresden, Munich and Cologne.

Hand-in-hand with streamlining, goes the employment of aluminium and aluminium alloys for carriage construction. This results in a great saving of dead weight. The Danish and Norwegian State Railways have recently acquired numbers of aluminium carriages for express service. The latest Danish aluminium cars give accommodation for 235 passengers, as against the 168 passengers accommodated in the older and heavier type of vehicle.

Railway Situation in Europe.

That exceptionally active organisation, the International Railway Congress Association, recently published a comprehensive report on the general railway situation in Europe, and the measures taken by the railways to combat trade depression and road competition. Dr. Cottier, of the Swiss Federal Railways, and Reichsbahn-direktor von Beck, of the German National Railways, are the authors; and they state that in several European lands the economic crisis reached its peak in 1932, and since then it has become less serious. In Britain, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Norway, increased business is now coming to the railways. In other European countries, however, the economic situation and traffic condition show no improvement.

After noting that the bettered conditions in Britain and the other lands named have largely been secured through lowering railway rates and charges, the report remarks that passenger traffic losses are due mainly to the growth in the number of private motor-cars and motor-cycles. The losses the railways suffer through bus competition are regarded as slight. On the freight side, losses have been caused by the modern arrangement for large commercial undertakings to operate their own fleets of collection and delivery motors. As regards road transport contractors, the competition of these organisations is keenest in the long-distance services and for merchandise paying the higher rates.

Unique Swiss Railway.

Certain of the European railways are fortunate in covering territory as yet unconquered by the road carrier and the private motor-car. The Swiss lines present several examples of this character, among which may be named the picturesque Montreux - Bernese Oberland Railway. This remarkable line runs from Montreux, near Lausanne, to Interlaken, with forward connections to beautiful Lucerne. Operated by a private company, the Montreux-Bernese Oberland Railway is electrified throughout. Three-phase current at 8,000 volts, 50 cycles, is generated in the company's power plant, and this is transformed to 750 volts in six sub-stations. Electric locomotives haul trains over the route at speeds up to 45 m.p.h., and some of the most luxurious of passenger stock is employed in the tourist season now in full swing.

Obstacles to fast running everywhere abound on this unique Alpine line. Tunnels, bridges, viaducts and cuttings are constantly met with, while at vulnerable points special protective works have been built to combat the winter danger from falling avalanches. In the summer season, travel over the Montreux-Bernese Oberland line is a sheer delight. Wonderful Alpine panoramas meet the eye on every side, while the tiny roadside stations are a picture of cleanliness and floral beauty.

Station Gardens in Britain.

The railway station of to-day is a very different affair from that of a decade or two ago. Not only has equipment of every kind shown immense improvement, but from the viewpoint of cleanliness and general appearance the modern station is one hundred per cent, better than its nineteenth century counterpart. An attractive railway station can do far more to attract business than at first sight appears to be the case. At Home we have evidence in abundance of the value of an alluring shop-window, such as is presented by a well-kept station.

In Britain the annual competitions for the best-kept railway station have for long been a feature. Some of the smaller stations annually present the most delightful of floral pictures; while in city areas, hanging baskets and platform tubs take the place of the more conventional garden beds.

A typical goods train, Great Western Railway, England.

A typical goods train, Great Western Railway, England.