276 Ni:W SOUTH WALES. 



office, audit, telegraph, and other departments, have been reduced, and 

 more work is secured in all departments of the service. The increased 

 power of the rolling stock is also an important consideration. It will 

 be seen from the figures supplied that it does not do merely to count 

 eno-ines and carriages and waggons. On the average, the power per 

 engine has been increased 15^ per cent , and their combined horse 

 power 404 per cent. In the same way with the passenger carriages, 

 there is no increase in numbers, but there is an addition of over 35 

 per cent, in the area for seating passengers. The goods waggons, too, 

 have been increased in numbers by 19j per cent., but their carrying 

 capacity has been augmented by as much as 32 i per cent. ; and these 

 facts must be borne in mind when dealing with the power of these 

 railways to accommodate traffic. 



Another consideration is the extent to which the steepest gradients 

 have already been reduced ; and the sharpest curves, a number of them 

 on the mountains of only 8 chains radius, have been widened. The 

 evidence taken in connection Avitli the Locksley deviation just sanctioned 

 will show the great importance of this question. The Committee 

 reported : — 



Near Locksley, which is situated on the Great Western Railway, between Tarana and 

 Brewongle, at a distance of 15 miles from Bathiirst, there are grades of 1 in 33 and 1 in 

 40 against traffic going westward, and of 1 in 40 against loads conveyed eastward or 

 towards Sydney. These heavy grades materially interfere with an economical and 

 efficient working of the traffic. Train loads which are in excess of what a single goods 

 engine can draw over the grades have to be divided and hauled in sections, or taken over 

 by employing additional engine power. This entails considerable expense and loss of 

 time. If the proposed deviation be carried out, the grades will be improved to 1 in 55 

 in the case of traffic going westward, and to 1 in 80 in that of trains travelling eastward, 

 by which alteration the number of trucks drawn by the ordinary goods engine over this 

 portion of the Great Western Railway will be very largely increased, and traffic opera- 

 tions will proceed without interruption, and with greater economy. The committee are 

 informed that by the improvement of grades on various portions of the railways the Com- 

 missioners have up to the present time effected a saving in working expenses to the 

 estimated extent of £100,000 per annum by an expenditure of £330,000. In the present 

 instance, with an expenditure of £47,500, it is estimated that the saving will be £3,332 

 a year, or 7 per cent, on the outlay. Taking the traffic of last year as a basis, the Out- 

 door Traffic Superintendent states that by means of the deviation 750 trains fewer than 

 now will run between Eskbank and Bathurst in the year, and in connection with these 

 750 trains there will be a saving of 2s. Gd. per train mile in running expenses. The Chief 

 Mechanical Engineer explains that when the Locksley grades are removed the line as far 

 as Dubbo will be practically clear of difficidty. 



Altogether, a very large number of the steepest gradients on the 

 most important sections of the trunk lines have been dealt with, and 

 the carrying capacity of the trains in many instances increased 50 per 

 cent, thereby. All these matters have conduced, and will in the future 

 yet further conduce, to the cheapening of operating charges. 



The Traffic cuid its Accoinmodation. 



It must always be borne in mind that, though the control of the New 

 .South Wales Railways now centres in the Commissioners, they are still 

 Government property, and are not worked solely with a view to profit. 

 The object that they must be a tangible assistance to the people is still 



