464 EEPOET — 1891. 



of 130,000 passengers and 200,000 tons of goods. The line has 

 been equally successful financially. 



There are objections to rope-haulage, as it necessitates a 

 line with curves of large radius, and when these are obligatory 

 in a hilly country considerable additional cost is incurred in 

 construction. Again, the ropes can only haul a given number 

 of trucks in a given time, and the stationary engines are a 

 fixed power, limiting the amount of traffic which can be carried 

 over such a road ; and, if development of future trafiic is pro- 

 vided for, it means an increased first outlay in the plant put 

 down, without an equivalent return until the anticipated de- 

 velopment is attained. 



The Fell system of engine to work on steep grades was in- 

 troduced some years ago, and in a measure overcomes the 

 objections of the rope-traction system in so far that the de- 

 velopment of traffic can be met by additional rolling-stock ; 

 and, moreover, the curves employed need not widely differ 

 from those of the ordinary adhesion lines. These engines have 

 been at work some years on the Eimutaka incline, in the 

 North Island of New Zealand, being a part of the Wellington 

 and Masterton railway. This incline has done good service, 

 although subjected to much adverse criticism by many not 

 fully conversant with the theory and practice of the system of 

 traction. The Fell engine has, as aii auxiliary power, two 

 cylinders w^iich work horizontal driving-wheels fixed under 

 the engines. These wheels are held in contact with a sj)ecial 

 centre-rail by the adjustable pressure of springs. The engines 

 have their haulage-power augmented by this further adhesion 

 due to the pressure of these horizontal driving-wheels, and are 

 thus enabled to take a greater load up the steep gradient of 

 1 in 15 than they could otherwise do. The Eimutaka incline 

 has been called by some a costly toy, but this statement is re- 

 futed by the actual cost of working the section. 



On referring to a report made by the author — then Joint 

 Consulting Engineer to the Government of New Zealand in 

 London — on the proposed Abt system for Arthur's Pass, on the 

 New Zealand Midland Eailway, it is therein shown that by 

 the Public Works Statement of 1888, Eeturn 44, the cost of 

 working the Wellington and Masterton section, with the 

 Eimutaka incline included, was 49-37d. per train-mile ; and 

 the average cost per train-mile throughout the colony, by 

 Eeturn No. 8, was 56-02d. per train-mile ; 13-02d. being the 

 locomotive-cost, as against 44-14d. the locomotive-cost on the 

 incline. To get a fair comparison, the height surmounted by 

 the different grades in a given length must be taken into ac- 

 count ; so that, if a l-in-60 grade had been adopted instead of 

 the l-in-15 on the incline, the development, or increased length, 

 required to reach the same height would be four times as great. 



