TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION J. 457 



Some years since the author introduced in New Zealand 

 the practice of recording the ton- and passenger-mileage and 

 the average distances and loads on the five chief sections of 

 the New Zealand railways for professional purposes, and, as 

 the accounts and other operations are conducted upon the 

 same basis, fairly accurate comparisons may be made, and the 

 results explained. 



The character of the rolling-stock is now tolerably uniform. 

 The carriages, for the most part, in use are of American type. 

 The goods -stock is mostly four-wheeled, that being best 

 adapted generally to the light traffic. A certain proportion is 

 of American type. A capacity of 6 tons to a non-paying 

 load of 3|- tons is general, and in the American types a 

 capacity of 16 tons to a non-paying load of 7 tons. i\.ll the 

 stock has oil-boxes. 



The locomotives, for the most part, are small types of 

 engines, fit for light traffic on steep gradients, with sharp 

 curves from 5 chains radius upwards. As a rule, they have 

 under 20 tons on the coupled wheels. The heavier types are 

 eight-wheel coupled tender-engines, with as high as 27 tons on 

 the coupled wheels, suitable for minimum curves of 7i chains 

 radius. The use of bogies, compensating levers, balanced slide- 

 valves, and sight -feed lubricators has been generally intro- 

 duced. American or Eussian oils are chiefly used for lubricants. 

 The average mileage per ^engine is about 14,000 miles per 

 annum — a very low result, due to short services and long-stand- 

 ing hours. The average cost per engine-mile for all locomotive 

 expenses is 9-55d. This average includes the Fell engine 

 services on the Eimutaka incline of 1 in 15, which has a centre 

 rail for about two miles and a half. The Fell engines weigh 

 36 tons, and draw a gross load, exclusive of their own weight, 

 of 70 tons up 1 in 15 at about five miles an hour. These 

 engines ran 17,900 miles in one year, being 624 days in steam, 

 .and costing 3s. lOd. per engine-mile. 



Methods of working are uniform throughout the colony. 

 Unskilled wages cost 6s. 6d. and skilled wages 8s. to 10s. 6d. 

 per day of eight working hours. 



The extreme speed of trains between stations is fixed at 

 thirty-six miles per hour. 



The "Winter block-system is in use on certain parts of the 

 lines where the traffic and other circumstances make it neces- 

 sary. 



The rails are, for the most part, of 401b. iron and 531b. 

 steel. Some 801b. rails have been used on branch lines. All 

 renewals are made in 531b. steel. 



Structures and buildings are chiefly of wood. Combined 

 wood and iron bridge-trusses are largely used. The bridging 



