588 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. 



5.— THE END-LOADING OF RAILWAY SHEEP 

 TRUCKS. 



Btj J. 0. B. MO^GklEFF, M. Inst. C.E. 



Plates XYf.A, XVI. k, XVI.c. 



The i>;ro\vth of sheep has always been one of the staple industries 

 of South Australia, and all questions dealing with the economical 

 conduct of the business have therefore a special interest in this 

 country. Among these the cheap and rapid carriage of the 

 animals is particularly important, and has received a very large 

 amount of attention during many years past. In fact, ever since 

 the railway system of the colony began to extend into the interior 

 of the continent the carriage of sheep has grown in importance 

 with the increasing length of the railways. The size of the trade 

 has demanded the expenditure of large sums upon appliances to 

 cope with it, and the problem which it presents to the railway 

 engineer is how best to meet the convenience of the public, and at 

 the same time to secure a fair return upon the outlay. 



DifPerent countries have this problem presented to them under 

 varying aspects. Thus in England the numbers of sheep to be 

 dealt with are comparatively small and the journeys short ; at the 

 same time the animals are valuable, and a considerable amount of 

 care can therefore be given to each iudividvial. In America the sheep 

 are travelled long distances in large numbers to important inland 

 centres, where they are killed, cooked, or frozen, and the carcases 

 are then carried long distances by railway in refrigerator cars. In 

 South Australia the sheep are also travelled in large flocks over 

 long distances to the inland railway stations, there loaded alive and 

 carried long journeys — sometimes amounting to 700 miles. The 

 value of each sheep is small, and this, combined with their num- 

 ber, precludes the possibility of much expense being incurred in 

 handling them. 



The method of trucking and untrucking must therefore be rapid 

 and simple, more especially because in most of the long journeys 

 they have to be transhipjjed once, or it may be twice, owing to 

 the breaks of gauge which occur at Terowie and Wolseley. 



These considerations have led to the adoption of a method 

 known as the end-loading system, which has been eminently 

 siiccessful, and which, so far as the writer knows, is peculiar to the 

 colony of South Australia. It is, therefore, thought worthy of a 

 short description, more especially as the principle seems applicable 

 to all the Australian Colonies and possibly to other parts of the 

 world where the conditions are similar. 



In order that the special features of the end-loading system may 

 be readily imderstood it is necessary to explain the arrangements 

 which ii superseded in the colony, and which are still used in 

 other places. 



