DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE
B. S. CUTLER. Chief
SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 156
RAILWAY MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT
AND SUPPLIES
IN
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
BY
FRANK RHEA
Commercial Agent
PRICE. 25 CERTS
Sold b; tba Supexlntendent ol Documents. OovemmentPitntlng Ofilce.
Waataington. D. C.
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1»IS
s
. IRAN
HD
' ! 9712.A8
I R469
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIG. 1.—FLINDERS STREET RAILWAY STATION, MELBOURNE. VICTORIA.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE
B. S. CUTLER, Chief
SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 156
RAILWAY MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT
AND SUPPLIES
IN
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
BY
FRANK RHEA
Commercial Agent
PRICE, 25 CENTS
Sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Governmen tPdntlng Office,
Westilngton, D. C.
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1918
CONT
ENTS.
Page.
Letter of submittal 7
I. Introduction; Description
of Australia 9
Colonization and federa¬
tion 9
Topography and climate. 10
Fauna 11
Timber and grasses 12
Population 12
Pastoral resources 12
Agriculture 13
Mineral resources 14
Manufacturing lO
Interstate trade 17
Foreign commerce 18
General transportation
conditions 19
Railway ownership and
policy 22
Coastal water carriers.. 22
II. Australian railways: Gen¬
eral information 24
Historical development... 24
Traffic 25
Australian Railway Com¬
missioners' Association. 26
Roadway and structural
standards 26
Variations of gauge 28
Railway finances 33
Passenger fares and goods
rates 35
Accounts 35
Rolling stock 36
Workshops 37
Signaling and safety ap¬
pliances 37
Operating organization... 38
Stores and purchases. ... 39
III. Commonwealth of Australia
railways 40
Extent of lines 40
Rolling stock and shops.. 42
Organization and direc¬
tory 42
Stores branch 42
Organization of work.. 42
Funds 43
Methods of purchasing. 43
Page.
IV. New South Wales railways
and tramways 44
History and physical
characteristics 44
Extent of present and
projected lines 44
Permanent way 46
Signals and selecting tele¬
phones 46
Ship-coaling piers 47
Bulk handling of wheat.. 48
Rolling stock 49
Worksliops 50
Tramway power houses
and substations 50
Railway and tramway
working results 51
Organization 52
Directory of principal
officers 53
Stores branch 55
Organization and funds 55
Periodical contracts 55
Special contracts 56
Purchases without con¬
tract 56
Over-sea purchases 56
Customs duties 57
V. Victorian railways 58
Outline of development.. 58
Extent of present and pro¬
jected lines 58
Physical characteristics.. 59
Way and works 59
Signals 61
Rolling stock 61
Workshops....'. 62
State coal mines 62
Working results 63
Organization 63
Directory of principal
officers 64
Stores 65
Administrative board.. 65
Funds 66
Periodical contracts 66
Contracts for fixed
quantitieB 67
S
4
V. Victorian railways—t ontd.
Stores—Continued.
Purchases by agent
general
Indent purchases
Acceptance of tenders.
Orders, inspection, and
payment
0\ cr-sea purchases.. ..
VI. Queensland railways
Outline of development..
Extent of present and pro¬
jected line.s
Physical characteristics..
Permanent way
i?ignals
Rolling stock
Workshops
Working results
Organization
Directory of principal
officers
Stores
Regulations
Organization of stores
work
Funds and payment...
Purchase
Contract notice boards.
Responsibility of store¬
keepers
VII. South .Australian railways..
Outline of development..
Extent of present and pro¬
jected lines
Physical characteristics. .
Permanent way
Signals and selective tele¬
phones
Rolling stock
Workshops
Working results
Organization
Directory of principal
officers
Stores
Organization of work...
Biennial contracts
Special contracts
Private purchase
Delivery, inspection, and
payment
Page.
. Western Australian rail¬
ways and tramways 01
Outline of development.. 91
Extent of present and
projected lines O'J
Physical characteristics.. 0 !
Permanent way 04
Signals tM
Rolling stock Oo
Workshops Oo
Working results Ofi
Organization 97
Directory of principal of¬
ficers 98
Stores 98
Organization of work... 98
Biennial contracts 99
Special contracts 99
Tasmanian railways 101
Outline of development.. 101
Extent of lines 101
Physical characteristics.. 102
Permanent way and sig¬
nals 102
Rolling stock 102
Workshops 103
Working results 103
Organization and direc¬
tory of principal offi¬
cers 104
Stores 104
Organization of work... 104
Methods of purchasing. 105
Australian private (com¬
mercial) railways 106
New South Wales 106
Silverton Tramway Co. 106
Deniliquin-M o a m a
Railway 107
Commonwealth Oil Cor¬
poration's Railway.. 108
Burrinjuck Tramway.. 108
Victoria 108
Kerang-K oondrook
Tramway 108
Yarra Junction-Powell-
town Tramway 108
Queensland 108
Chillagoe Railway 108
Stannary Hill Railway. 109
contents.
Page.
VTII.
68
(i8
68
68
68
70
70
70
71
71
72
72
73
74
75 IX.
75
77
77
77
78
78
79
79
81
81
82 X.
83
84
85
85
85
86
86
87
88
88
88
89
89
89
CONTENTS.
5
X. Australian private (commer- page.
cial) railways—Con.
South Australia 109
Iron Knob and Hum¬
mock Hill Tramway. 109
Western Australia 110
Midland Railway Co... 110
Tasmania Ill
Emu Bay Railway Co. Ill
Mount Lyell Mining &
Railway Co 112
Magnet Silver Mining
Co.'s Railway 113
XI. Australian passenger tram¬
ways 114
General information 114
New South Wales 116
Government Tramways 116
Parramatta Township
Tramway 116
Sydney Harbor ferries. 116
Victoria 116
Melbourne Cable Tram¬
ways 116
Hawthorne Tramway
Trust 117
Prahran-Malvern Tram¬
way Trust 118
Brunswick-Coburg
Tramway Trust 118
North Melbourne Elec¬
tric Tramway <&
Lighting Co. (Ltd.).. 119
Railway Department's
St. Kilda Tramways. 119
Geelong Electric Tram¬
ways 119
Ballarat Tramways.... 119
Bendigo Tramways 120
Queensland 120
Brisbane Tramway Co.
(Ltd.) 120
Rockingham Municipal
Tramways 121
South Australia 121
Adelaide Municipal
Tramways Trust 121
Western Australia 122
Perth Government
Tramways 122
Freemantle Tramways. 123
Kalgoorlie Electric
Tramways (Ltd.) 123
Leonora-Gwalla Tram¬
ways 123
XI. Australian passenger tram Page.
ways—Continued.
Tasmania 123
Hobart Municipal
Tramways 123
Launceston Municipal
Tramways 124
XII. Australian Industrial tram¬
ways 125
New South Wales and
Victoria 125
Queensland 125
South .\ustralla 126
Western Australia 127
Tasmania 127
XIII. Dominion of New Zealand:
General description 128
Introduction 128
Topography and climate. 128
Fauna 129
Timber and grasses 129
Population 1,30
Pastoral resources 130
Agriculture 131
Mineral resources 131
Manufacturing 132
Commerce 133
Income tax payable by
commercial travelers... 135
General transportation
conditions 135
Railway ownership and
policy 136
Coastal water carriers.. 136
XIV. New Zealand Government
railways 137
Outline of development.. 137
Extent of lines—Im¬
provements under way. 137
Physical characteristics.. 138
Traffic 138
Permanent way 138
Signals, telegraphs, and
telephones 139
Rolling stock 140
Workshops 142
Working results 142
Organization 143
Directory of principal offi¬
cers 144
Stores 144
Organization of work.. 144
Funds 145
Triennial contracts 145
Special contracts 145
6
CONTENTS.
Page.
XV. New Zealand tramways.. - ■ 146
General eonditione 146
Auckland 146
Napier 147
Wellington 147
( hriatchurch 148
Gunedin 148
Invercargill 148
XVI. Concluaions, suggestions, and
recommendations 149
Introduction 149
Past, present, and future
business 149
The question of represen¬
tation 151
Permanent way and works 152
Contracting 152
Roadway machines 152
Bridges 153
Building materials 153
Coaling stations 153
Water-treatment plants. 153
Grain elevators 154
\\harf and pier equip¬
ment 154
XVI. Conclusions, suggestiona, and
recommendations—Con.
Permanent way and works
—Continued.
Right - of - way fencing
materials
Track materials
Crossties (sleepers)
Rails
Frogs and switches
(points and crossings).
Rail fastenings
Roadway and track
tools
Signals
Rolling stock
Machinery for shops
Oil storage and handling..
Electrical equipment
h'uel and lubricants
Distribution of catalogues,
handbooks, and direc¬
tories
Lists of officials
Technical publications...
Appendix: List of exhibits
Paga.
154
154
154
155
155
155
156
156
157
157
158
158
158
158
159
160
161
ILLUSTRATIO.NS,
Fig. 1. Flinders street railway station, Melbourne, Victoria facing.. 1
2. Map showing the Government railway systems of the Commonwealth
of Australia 20
3. Longest single-span bridge in Victoria facing.. 26
4. Modern shelter-shed construction in Victoria facing.. 26
5,6. Typical coupling equipment on the New South Wales Railways
facing.. 27
7. Section of Australian standard 90-pound rail 28
8. Clearance diagram for 4' 8^" gauge lines of the Commonwealth Rail¬
ways of Australia 32
9,10. Latest types of locomotives on the New South Wales and Queensland
Rail ways facing.. 36
11,12. Illustrations of the former method of route signaling and the present
method of speed signaling on the Victorian Railways facing 37
13,14. Water crane at the Sydney terminal station and hand crane at coun¬
try station on New South Wales Railways facing.. 46
15,16. Signals at the Sydney terminal on the New South Wales Railways
facing.. 47
17,18. Handling coal with electrically operated cranes at the port of New¬
castle, New South Wales facing.. 70
19. Water softener, Queensland Railways facing.. 71
20. Typical station scene, Queensland Railways facing.. 71
21,22. Queensland Railways: Bogie sheep wagon and heat-insulated wagon
for the shipment of frozen meats facing.. 114
23 24. Typical Australian tramway cars on the Sydney tramways facing.. 11.5
25. Grip-car and trailer on the Melbourne Cable T^mways facing.. 115
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL.
Department of Commerce,
Bureau of Foreign and Doaiestic Commerce,
Washington, November 16, 1917.
Sir: There is submitted herewith a report on the markets for
railway materials, equipment, and supplies in Australia and New
Zealand, by Commercial Agent Frank Rhea. The data obtained
in the course of the investigation are presented in the form of a
handbook of the Australasian railways. An elFort has been made to
describe the general features of the transportation problem and to
furnish briefly the following information: Names and locations of
all railways (both Government and privately owned), a statement
of the general physical characteristics, an outline of the operating
organizations, a directory of tlie principal officers, figures of earn¬
ings and working expenses, a summary of the rolling stock, an ac¬
count of the traffic handled, and a digest of the methods of pur¬
chasing stores. There are forecasts of prospective purchases, to¬
gether with statements (so far as these are practicable) of the re¬
quirements that will probably be supplied by the railways' own
workshops, those that will be obtained from Australian manu¬
facturers, and those that will be imported.
In addition to the railways doing a general common-carrier busi¬
ness, the passenger tramways and industrial tramways are also briefly
covered.
Respectfully, B. S. Cutler,
Chief of Bureau.
To Hon. William C. Redfield,
Secretary of Commerce.
T
RAILWAY MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES
IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
I. INTRODUCTION: DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIA.
COLONIZATION AND FEDERATION.
The first pei-manent settlement in Australia was made in 1778;
this was a penal coldny at Port Jackson, now a part of the present
site of the city of Sydney. The next place of settlement was an¬
other penal colony at Hobart, Tasmania, in the year 1803. Subse¬
quent immigration (principally from the United Kingdom) resulted
in the peopling of the desirable and productive parts of the continent.
By 1859 Australia had been divided into six distinct colonies, as
follows (in the order of their creation) : New South Wales, Tas¬
mania, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Queens¬
land. In 1863 the Northern Territory was established under the
jurisdiction of South Australia, but this Territory was transferred
to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Government Jan¬
uary 1, 1911. On January 1, 1901, all the colonies were federated
under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia, the designation
" Colonies " being at the same time changed to that of " States. The
total area of the Commonwealth is 2,974,581 square miles. The
following table shows the dates of annexation, dates of creation as
colonies or Territories, dates of lirst permanent settlements, present
area in square miles, estimated population as of September 30, 1916,
and population per square mile. For purposes of comparison the
same information is shown for the Dominion of New Zealand (exclu¬
sive of the outlying islands), and the area, total population, and
population per square mile of the United Kingdom, Canad-.y and
the United States (exclusive of Alaska and insular possessions) are
also given:
States, Territories, and countries.
Date of
annexa¬
tion.
Date of
creation
as a
colony or
Territory.
Date of
first per¬
manent
settle¬
ment.
Area.
Estimated
population
Sept. 30, 1916.
Popula¬
tion per
square
mile.
1770
1786
1851
1829
1831
1829
1825
1863
1911
1788
1834
lx2f
1836
1829
180.3
Sq. miles.
309,460
87,884
670,500
380,070
975,920
26,215
523,620
912
1,858,524
1,401,132
686,457
430,918
313,854
196,509
4,954
2,486
6.06
16.19
1.02
1.13
.32
7. 49
.01
2.71
178«
1829
1788
2,974,581
4,894,834
1.64
1840
1841
1814
103,581
121,633
3,729,568
2,973,890
1,090,328
46,064,738
8,075,000
98,781,324
10.53
378.72
2.17
33.22
IXnUfKl ,
"
1
1
Not*.—The population figures for Australia are exclusive of aborigines, estimated at 100,000, and those
for New Zealand are ezclualve of Maoris and the population of Cook and other Pacific islands, estimated
ata2,G<0.
9
10 BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND,
British New Guinea (usTially known as Papua), with an area of
90,540 square miles, is under the administration of the Common¬
wealth of Australia. It was formally annexed in 1894.
The Australian continent lies between longitude 113° 9' and
153° 39' east, wliile its northern and southern limits are the parallels
of latitude 10° 41' and 39° 8' south for the continent of Australia,
and 43 ' 39' to include Tasmania. Australia is the most remote of
the English-speaking countries, with the exception of New Zealand,
it being approximately 4,500 miles from Freemantle in Western
Australia to Durham, South Africa, and about 6,500 miles from
Sydney. Ihe largest shipping port in Australia, to .San Francisco.
Of the total area of Au-stralia 38.6 per cent is in the Tropical
Zone, all the remaining area being in the Southern Temperate Zone.
Roughly, 53 per cent of the Stales of Queensland, Western Aus¬
tralia, and the Northern Territory lie in the Tropical Zone.
A map of Australia superposed on a map of North America of
the same scale and same relative latitude would locate Sydney ap¬
proximately at Wilmington, N. C., Melbourne in Kentucky south
of Cincinnati, Hobart near Detroit, Brisbane about the middle of
the east coast of Florida, Adelaide near iSIemphis, and Perth near
the mouth of the Colorado river in Lower California.
The fact is probably seldom appreciated in America that in actual
land area the Commonwealth of Australia exceeds the 48 States of
the United States of America by 691 square miles, that it comprises
about 25 per cent of the British Empire, and is equal to nearly
75 per cent of Europe.
Australia is i)robably the oldest part of the world now above
\\atcr. This is constantly obvious to the traveler who has even an
elementary knowledge of geology, just as it is readily apparent that
New Zealand is one of the newest lands from a geological standpoint.
-Vustralia is the lowest of any of the large areas of land in the
world. More than 50 per cent of the entire continent is less than
1,000 feet ai)(i\c sea level, and less than 10 per cent exceeds an eleva¬
tion of 2.000 feet. There are no snow-covered mountains in any
part of the continent.
Aiisiralia as a whole receives comparatively light and somewhat
uncertain rainfall. Including Tasmania 37.5 per cent of the land
receix es less than 10 inches of annual rainfall, 31.5 per cent has be¬
tween 10 and 20 inches, 17.8 per cent between 20 and 30 inches. 6.8 ner
T0P0GR.4PHY AND CLIMATE.
r.tQ,>.<.c 1 • u • , lainian tin som
?oaS„f 'long 'he northeaster:
BAIL WAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 11
The Murray-Darling is the only system of rivers in all Australia
that is of any real importance. The area of the watershed of the
Murray and its tributaries is approximately 415,000 square miles.
In relative length the Murray-Darling is comparable to the Mis¬
sissippi-Missouri, but the flow of the Murray near its mouth is not
more than one-twentieth of that of the Mississippi. It is very un¬
fortunate that the Murray should empty into the Great Australian
Bight where there is a great deal of rough weather, where there is
no natural harbor, and where it will always be very expensive (if
not, to a certain extent, impracticable) to maintain a safe harbor
for ocean-going vessels of reasonable size. The flow of the Murray,
on account of the erratic Australian rainfall, is very variable. Maj.
Johnston, of the United States Army Engineer Corps, has been re¬
tained for some years, and under his direction an elaborate project for
slackwater dams and locks has been planned. Some of the work is
now in progress. The expense of these improvements is being di¬
vided between the States of New .South Wales, Victoria, and South
Australia.
The present transportation systems of Australia are almost wholly
independent of rivers and inland waterways. Giving due con¬
sideration to the improvements now being made on the Murray
River, it is still quite obvious that inland waterways will have very
little effect on the future transportation problems of Australia.
Because the continent of Australia is entirely surrounded by water,
with all the large centers of population located on the seaboard and
natural or artificial harbors at all these centers, sea-borne freight
service dominates all the other means of transportation of heavy com¬
modities in Australia. An additional reason for this is the large
amount of oversea business done in Australia. This subject will be
referred to later under the heading of " Coastal Avater carriers."
The extreme range of shade temperatures between summer and
winter for a very large part of Australia is claimed to be little in
excess of 80° F. Zero weather is unknown, and, outside the very
limited areas of 2,000 feet altitude or oA'er in New .South Wales,
Victoria, and Tasmania, freezing weather very seldom occurs. As a
result there is no closed season for coastal navigation, and railway
construction and maintenance works are carried out during the entire
year.
There is a relatively high humidity in Sydney, in which respect
this city ranks first among the State capitals, with Melbourne,
Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide following in the order named ;
but to anyone accustomed to the conditions in the Eastern and Cen¬
tral United States Sydney would seem very dry compared to Pitts¬
burgh or Cincinnati.
Despite the comparative mildness of the climate a supply of at
least medium-weight clothing is necessary for comfortable traveling
in all parts of Australia.
FAUNA.
The native animals belong very largely to the marsupials, of which
the kangaroo is no doubt the best-known type. Their value, aside
from that derived from the hides, is small. Imported animals of
all classes seem to thrive unusually well in Australia, as is very well
illustrated by the productivity of sheep and rabbits. As will be ex-
12 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
plained later, the most substantial resource of Australia in the past
(as probably in the future) consists in its pastoral products. Ihis
statement applies with even more force to New Zealand.
TIMBER AND GRASSES.
The many varieties of eucalyptus growing in all the States, except
South Australia, provide a most valuable timber for railway pur-
poses, particularly for crossties (sleepers), bridge timbers, pmng,
and wharf and dock construction, .^outh Australia is the only otate
at present that is not taking care of its own needs in respect to hard¬
wood timbers for railway uses; its requirements are supplied ^e^y
largely from A\'estern Australia. Queensland, Tasmania, and West¬
ern Australia have very considerable .supplies of these hardwood tim¬
bers, which are being drawn on for outside commercial uses, and this
also applies to New South Wales to a limited extent.
To the uninitiated the grasses of Australia appear burned and
worthless for animal food, but on the contrary they are very hardy
and surprisingly nutritious, considering their appearance. Among
the most valuable in the very dry regions are the several varieties of
the " salt bush," which grows even in the dry alkaline districts.
POPULATION.
The estimated population of the Commonwealth of Australia on
September 30, 1910, was 4,894,834, exclusive of aborigines, estimated
at 100,000. The population in 1901 was 3,8-24,713, showing an increase
of only 1,070,121 in 15 years. Australia is eager for increased popu¬
lation and is offering inducements to white settlers to go on the land.
At present a very large proportion of the population is in the larger
cities, three out of every eight people in the country living in Syd¬
ney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or Hobart. The popula¬
tion forms what may be called a fringe around the southeastern,
southern, and southwestern coasts, with no interior centers of pop¬
ulation.
PASTORAL RESOURCES.
As already stated, the largest item contributing to the wealth of
Australia has been its pastoral products. The most important fac¬
tors in this connection have been sheep and wool. For the season
ended June 30, 191.5, the total value of the wool produced in Aus¬
tralia was about $121,892,000, of which about $114,342,000 worth
was exported. The following tables give data as to the number of
sheep in the several States, the value of the wool clip, and the com¬
parative position of other sheep-raising countries:
NUMBER OF SHEEP IN .\USTRALIA .\ND NEW EEALA.ND.
Political divisions.
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914
New South Wales
victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania...
Northern Territory
Commonwealth
6,119,163
5,780,896
3,449,350
2,824.811
260,136
1,700,930
16,308,585
10,761,887
8,163,818
4,400,655
608,892
1,349,775
35,398,121
10,360, 28.5
6,935,967
6,443,904
1,231,717
1,796,715
9,318
55,986,431
12,692,843
18,007,234
7,004,624
2,524,913
1,619,256
45,902
40,020,506
10,841,790
10,339,185
5,235,220
2,434,311
1,683,956
48,027
45,560,969
12,882,655
20,331,838
6,267,477
5,158,516
1,788,310
57,240
33,009,038
12,051,685
23,129,010
4,208,461
4,456,186
1,674,845
70,200
20,135,286
41,593,612
62,176,027
97,881,203
70,602,995
92.047,005
78,600,334
1
24,260,620
24,901,421
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
WOOL PRODUCTION AND EXPORTATION.
13
Countries.
1910
1913
1914
Quantity
produced.
Value of
exports.
Quantity
produced.
Value of
exports.
Quantity
produced.
Value of
exports.
Australia
Pounii.
758,090,676
200,115,047
*140,044,648
Pounds.
668,667,078
195,837,837
*128.254,482
Pounds.
641,786,519
203,346,856
*107,560,269
45,346,600
COMPARISON WITH OTHER PRINCIPAL SHEEP-RAISING COUNTRIES.
Countries.
Australia
New Zealand.
Argentina
Russia
United States
Year.
1914
1914
1912
1912
1910
Number
of sheep.
78,600,334
24,901,421
83,546,000
57, 255,196
52,838,748
Countries.
Union of South Africa
United Kingdom
Ottoman Empire
Ururaay
British India
Year.
1913
1914
1912
1908
1914
IMPORTS OF WOOL INTO UNITED KINGDOM, 1914.
Countries of origin.
Australia
New Zealand
Union of South Africa...
Argentina
British India
Pounds.
239,233,145
184,607,963
121,662,961
45,906,646
46,982,929
Value.
*54,395,265
41,989,953
22,946,472
8,887,338
6,912,197
Countries of origin.
Pounds.
Value.
United States
Uruguay
All other countries
Total
4,726,658
1,729,029
67,768,785
*1,225,944
385,880
15,153,745
712,618,116
151,896.794
The reduction of the number of sheep in the year 1915 was the
result of the severe drought in 1914-15, which caused severe losses
over the entire pastoral and agricultural sections of Australia.
There are extensive cattle and dairying interests in parts of Aus¬
tralia, particularly in Victoria, Queensland, and northern New South
Wales.
AGRICULTURE.
Second in importance are the agricultural products, of which
wheat forms easily the most valuable item. The average yield of
wheat from 1901-2 to 1914-15 was about 10.25 bushels per acre for
the entire Commonwealth. While this may seem a low yield, wheat
is probably grown at a lower cost per acre than in any other wheat-
producing country in the world, notwithstanding the very high labor
costs prevailing in all parts of Australia. Unless further increased
costs of labor militate against such a condition it is very likely that
the production of wheat will be substantially augmented in years to
come. At present the entire crop in all States is handled in bags,
but the subject of handling in bulk has been investigated by the
States of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia, and plans
have been approved and tenders invited for the building of an exten¬
sive system of elevators in New South Wales. This subject will be
referred to later in this report (see p. 48).
14 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
The following table shows the production of wheat in Australii
and New Zealand:
Political divisions.
]86<>-61
1880-81
1900-1901
1910-11
1013-14
1914-15
1915-16
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Aiistralia
Tasmania
Bushels.
1,.581,598
3,459,914
3,136
3,576,593
208,332
1,415,896
Bushels.
3,717,355
9, 727,369
223,243
8, 606, 510
332,232
750,040
Bushels.
16,173,771
17,847,321
1,194,088
11,253,148
774, 6.53
1,110,421
Bushels.
27, 913, .547
31,813,019
1,022, 373
24,314,740
5,897, 540
1,120,744
20
Bushels.
37.996,068
32,936,245
1,769,432
16,936,988
13,331,350
349,736
24,313
Bushels.
12,812,803
3,940,947
1,585,087
3,527,428
2,624,190
384,220
17,727
Bushels.
67,323,390
58,531,706
640,000
34,134,504
18,234,392
1,000,009
Commonwealth...
10,245,469 '23,356,749
48,353, 402
9.5,111,983
103,344,132
24,892,402
179,853,992
8,290,221 !
5,231,700
6,644,336
1
The growing of fruit is of increasing importance in all parts of
Australia. Large quantities are now being prepared in the form of
jams and preserves, and, if it were not for the remoteness of Aus¬
tralia, its excellent fruits would be much in demand in other parts of
the world. The growing of sugar has been an important industry,
but it is being atfected by the recent labor awards, involving all
classes of labor engaged in this work, and the increased costs in this
connection.
The building of railways thus far has been almost entirely directed
to the development of the pastoral, agricultural, and timber resources
of the country as a whole.
MINERAL RESOURCES.
Coal has been one of the most important Australian products in
the j)ast, and, if labor conditions are so arranged as to result in rea¬
sonable costs, the country has extensive possibilities as regards the
future pi'oduction of both good coal and good iron. The largest
deposits of coal are in northern New South Wales, with Newcastle
as the princi]ial shipping port. There are also extensive workings
south of Sydney, known as the south-coast fields, as well as large
deposits in Queensland. The haul to seaboard from all the fields is
short, and when the coal reaches the seaboard it is handled by the
coastal water carriers. .\s an illustration of the short haul prevail¬
ing. it may lie noted that all the coal loaded at the port of Newcastle
in recent years has averaged a haul of considerably less than 15 miles
For iron snwltmg tuere is satisfactory coking coal in hoth New South
Wales and Queensland, some of the coal in New South Wales makinff
a very high grade of coke. The following table shows the coal pro¬
duction of Australia, New Zealand, and various other countries:
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 15
States and countries.
1901
1910
1914
Long tons.
Value.
Long tons.
Value,
Long tons.
Value.
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
Tasmania
Commonwealth
5,968,426
209,329
539,472
117,836
45,438
$10,603,760
716,485
924,0.35
333,650
88, 450
8,173,508
369,709
871,166
262,168
82,455
$14,646,495
921,020
1,671,015
553,315
236,555
10,390,622
620,251
1,053,990
319,210
60,794
$18,189,815
1,406,900
2,025,885
723,570
135,545
6,880,501
12,666,380
9,759,004
17,928,400
12,444,867
22,481,715
1,228,000
6,636,000
8,885,000
5,791,000
712,000
106,795,000
219,047,000
261,875,000
2,197,000
12,047,000
17,349,000
11,526,000
6,351,000
156,033,000
264,433,000
417,111,000
2,276,000
16,214,000
19,372,000
12,133,000
8,313,000
161,535,000
270,070,000
a478,523,000
" 1913.
Good iron ores are found in a number of places in Australia, but
much the most important development thus far is that of the Broken
Hill Proprietary Co.'s mines at Iron Knob, South Australia. Very
large deposits of excellent iron ore occur there, with an average
haul of only 34 miles to seaboard, whence the ore is transported by
water to the Broken Hill Co.'s new plant at Newcastle, New South
Wales. This plant was put in operation early in 1915, with an esti¬
mated output of 125,000 tons (of 2,240 pounds) per annum, but ar¬
rangements have already been made to increase the output to 170,000
tons. This is a very complete steel plant and modern in every detail.
A description of the plant is given in the issue of the Commonwealth
Engineer, of May 1, 1915, a copy of which is on file in room 734,
United States Customhouse, New York City. This steel plant is
especially designed for the production of steel rails and structural
shajies; at present it is not equipped for the production of steel
plates used in locomotive construction in Australia.
At present about 50,000 tons (of 2,240 pounds) of copper are being
produced in Australia annually. The largest plants are Mount Lyell
in Tasmania, Mount Morgan in Queensland, Wollongong in New
South Wales, and Wallaroo in South Australia, all of which are near
seaboard at fairlj' good harbors.
About 25,000 tons of lead are produced annually in Australia, a
considerable part of this being in connection with the production of
gold and silver. The largest lead-smelting works is that of the
Broken Hill Co. at Port Pirie, South Australia, smelting ores from
the Broken Hill mines of New South Wales.
The production of zinc concentrates is confined to the Broken Hill
mines, which, in recent years, have averaged about 500,000 tons of zinc
concentrates worth approximately $15 per ton of 2,240 pounds. The
Broken Hill smelting plant at Port Pirie is handling a part of these
ores and a new electric smelting plant is being built in Tasmania to
handle an additional share; but, with both plants in full operation,
there will remain a considerable surplus of concentrates. Before the
war these were taken by German interests and exported to Germany
and Belgium, where they were smelted with the cheaper labor and
fuel available. What disposition will be made in the future of the
concentrates that are now being stocked is problematical.
About 5,000 metric tons of tin are produced in Australia annually.
16 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
While there has been in the past a large production of gold, silver,
and some of the other rare metals and precious stones, all of these
have had only an incidental effect on railway construction in Aus¬
tralia. It is true that the building of the gold-fields line m Western
Australia to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie was occasioned by the man-
ing interests, and a similar cause accelerated the building of the
lines to Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. But, unless unfore^n
developments occur, the future construction of railways will be little
affected by the mining of precious metals in the Commonwealth.
One feature of the gold mining in Western Australia has been the
establishment of the Goldfields Water Supply, a project resulting^ in
the construction of more than 350 miles of 30-inch steel-pipe line
from a point about 50 miles from the seaboard at Freemantle to
Coolgardie. This system is capable of furnishing 5,000,000 gallons
of water a day, and actually distributed 1.226.000,000 gallons dur¬
ing the year 1914. The total cost of the system was $16,645,000, and
it furnishes water to an operating area of 16.000 square miles, includ¬
ing the water supply for some 400 miles of the Western Australian
railways.
The railways designed to take care of the above-mentioned prod¬
ucts and resources are light-traffic lines with short-haul business, con¬
ditions being very different from the heavy traffic and long hauls on
the lines in the United States and Canada.
MANUFACTURING.
If requirements can be manufactured in Australia, the prevailing
policy is to afford whatever tariff protection seems necessary to foster
the development of the industries concerned, and there is very little
doubt that this policy will be followed in the future. There will
doubtless be a continuance of the present policy of giving the first
chance to Australian manufacturers who can furnish the necessary
articles, next to British concerns in the United Kingdom or British
dominions, and then to the manufacturers of other countries. There
is a preference for British manufactures amounting to 5 or 10 per
cent in most cases, and the protective tariffs for railway equipment
vary from 10 to 35 per cent, being most frequently from 25 to 35
per cent.
The Commonwealth Government and all the State Governments
have undertaken a considerable amount of manufacturing of one
kind or another, such as woolen mills, agricultural-implement facto¬
ries, tanneries, sawmills, coal mines, flour mills, and even breweries
and preserving factories. All the railway workshops are, in a way.
Government manufacturing jdants. Their policy is to manufacture^
so far as possible, all their own rolling stock, and when this can not
be done to arrange, if practicable, for its manufacture by Australian
concerns. This applies especially to completely erected equipment.
In the past the same effort has not been made to manufacture acces¬
sory parts such as axles, wheel centers, tires, lubricators, and similar
requirements.
The ii^ustrial centers of Australia are largely grouped around the
several State capitals. New South Wales, on account of its free-
trade policy before federation, has developed the largest over-sea
trade, while Victoria, probably on account of its former protective
policy, has developed the largest manufacturing interests. New-
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 17
eastle, with its present coal and steel industries, is probablv destined
to become an important steel-manufacturing center in the future.
One point that is obvious after a survey of the situation is that at
present all industrial centers are relatively near seaboard facilities,
and without doubt no large inland industrial centers will be built in
the future unless entirely unforeseen developments occur.
It is, of course, well known that labor is more highly organized in
Australia than in any other community in the world. Especially is
this true as regards what may be called the common-labor vocations.
The railway ^ops in the future will do a great deal of their own
manufacturing, particularly in the complete erection of rolling stock
of all classes, as labor in the railway service is organized, with the one
exception of the administrative staff, and the influence of the organi¬
zations has a decided effect in inducing the railways to manufacture
their own requirements in their own workshops.
INTERSTATE TRADE.
Since the date of federation, January 1. 1901, there has been free
trade between all the States of the Commonwealth. The Federal
Government collects all duties on imports, the various departments of
all the State governments paying the same duties on their imports as
are paid by any other impoi'ter. This applies to all the State-owned
railroads, the only exception being the Commonwealth Railways,
which are exempt from all duties on their importations.
While there is a very considerable amount of trade between the
several States, a large percentage of the freight business is handled
by the coastal water carriers. Much of the passenger travel is also
handled by these water lines, particularly in the case of travelers who
regard the cheaper fares as a compensation for the longer time re¬
quired. The service to Tasmania, of course, is by water, and since
the transcontinental line is not yet completed, the service to West¬
ern Australia is all by water and no doubt will continue to be handled
in this manner, service heimi afforded by the Australia-Colombo
liners.
The Australians are naturally inclined to do a good deal of travel¬
ing, and a certain amount of the travel selects the quickest route
without much consideration of the cost. The result is that there
is a very considerable travel by rail from Sydney to Melbourne,
Melbourne to Adelaide, and Sydne}' to Brisbane. The distance from.
Sydney to Melbourne is 582..5 miles, and the running time for the
limited express, which is run six days a week, is IT hours, including
time for transfer at Albury. where the break of gauge occurs between
the 4-foot 8^-inch lines of tlie New South Wales iLiilways and the
5-foot 3-inch lines of the Victoi iau Railways. At present this is the
most important interstate line in the Commonwealth.
The line between Adelaide and Melbourne is next in importance,
the distance is 482.75 miles, and the running time for the daily
express is 17 hour.s. This route is all 5-foot 3-inch gauge, and ves-
tibuled sleeping, dining, and day carriages are used on the through
express, the car equipment being owned jointly by the Victorian and
20186°—18 2
18 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
South Australian State Railways. This, with the exchange of some
freight equipment between these same lines, is the only case of
joint ownership and exchange of equipment between the State-owned
railways in the Commonwealth of Australia.
The line from Sydney to Brisbane is 725 miles, and the runnmg
time for the limited exj)re.ss is 25 hours and 30 minutes, including
time of transfer at the break of gauge at Wallangarra. Vestibuled
sleeping and day carriages are run on the New South Wales line
(two sections of "connecting night trains), and vestibuled parlor and
day carriages, but no dining car, on the Queensland Railways com¬
bined day train. On account of the probable development of Queens¬
land's extensive resources this line will probably become more im¬
portant in the future.
While there is a considerable amount of actual interstate business,
there is one feature that deserves special consideration; this is the
arrangement by which nearly all the more important trading con¬
cerns have completely organized sections in the several capital cities—
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth (generally speak¬
ing, this arrangement does not apply to Hobart). In addition, a
warehouse with a more or less complete line is provided at each of
these places. One of the results of this condition is that in placing
orders the various State railways frequently give preference to con¬
cerns capable of furnishing supplies through their local organiza¬
tion and stock. The principal offices of the several State railways in
each instance are at the State capital. The principal offices of the
Commonwealth Railways at present are at ^lelbourne. the temporary
seat of the Federal Government.
FOREIGN COMMERCE.
The following tables show that Australia has a very considerable
over-sea trade:
OVER-SEA TRADE OF AUSTRALIA.
Vears,
190.5...
1913...
1914-1.5
Imports.
$186,615,675
388,098,509
313,558,328
Exports.
$276,616,727
382,370,638
294,875,834
Total.
$463,232,402
770,469,147
608, 434,162
Value per capita.
Imports. Exports. Total
$46.66
80. 7s
6:1 49
SCO 12
79, 61
59.65
$115. 7s
160.39
123. 14
Percent-
lee of ex¬
ports on
imports.
148.2
98.5
94
TRADE WITH VARIOL'S COUNTRIES.
Countries.
Imports.
Exports.
Average for
five vears
190!U1913.
1914-15
.\verage for
five vears
1909-:i913.
1914-15
United Kingdom
Canada
$195,495,087
4, 171, 2.38
2,652,5s:i
21,070. ,39:)
3,914, :i,",11
5, 29'.).200
.7.'«i,i;7l
37, 197, 779
48,343,827
$184,424,072
7, 239,367
2, .551, 973
1,1.56.412
6,311,447
6, 775,711
6, 211,562
TD, so7
46, Il ls, 4y6
51, 739, 4\t
$165, .598,518
612,897
30,040,700
39,826,585
33,765,519
5,811,930
33,710
2,557,060
10,060,579
78,541,058
$187,.V84,197
1,890,937
3,917,318
6, 226, 751
2,32& 114
9, 718,128
966,866
1,827,600
24,076,746
.56,339,173
Belgium
France
Germany
Japan.. .
Norway and Sweden
Phiiippine Islands
United States..
All other countries
Total
327,089,100 313,558,330
1
366,848,550
294,875,830
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 19
It will be noticed that in both the export and the import trade,
as would naturally be expected, the United Kingdom is far in the
lead of all other countries. As regards imports the United States is a
good second, with Germany third before the war. While before the
war France, Germany, and Belgium were ahead of the United
States in the volume of Australian exports taken, there was a very
large increase in American purchases for the year 1914—1.5 and if
conditions had permitted a still larger increase would have occurred
in 1915-16.
The principal imports from the United States (in order of value)
for the year 1914r-15 were as follows; Machines and machinery (not
including agricultural machines and implements), $6,352,975; tim¬
ber, $4,969,620; gasoline, kerosene, lubricants, and grease, $3,714,775;
iron and steel girders, beams, pipes, tubes, plates, sheets, and wire,
$3,409,445; boots, shoes, other apparel, and textiles, $3,387,570; to¬
bacco and cigars, $3,278,915; automobiles and parts, $2,333,055; tools
of trade, $1,216,625; paper, $1,094,595; agricultural machines and
implements, $916,630; railway iron, $859,430. The records are not
arranged so that the importation of materials for railway uses can
be identified and shown separately.
The principal exports to the United States for the year 1914—15
were as follows: AVool, $14,982,705; hides and skins, $3,905,950;
meat, $1,518,480; zinc concentrates, $1,183,115.
The largest items of import from the Philippine Islands for the
year 1914—15 were flax and hemp, valued at $353,320, and cigars,
valued at $141,610. For the same year the exports to the Philippine
Islands were; Meats. $954.130; coal, $238,150; flour, $163,165; and
dairy products, $74,19.5.
The writer's investigations in the field have led to the conviction
that one of the most important matters for consideration as regards
future business with the Australian railway's is the market for ma¬
chinery and tools, particularly shop machinery, and this conclusion
is supported by the Amliime of busine.ss done in the past. This sub¬
ject will be referred to later in Chapter XVI.
It is suggested that those interested in Australian trade refer to
the monograph on " Exporting to Australia," giving practices and
regulations to be observed by American shippers sending goods to
the Commonwealth. This publication is by Philip B. Kennedy,
American commercial" attache at Melbourne; it is Mi.scellaneous Se¬
ries No. 45, issued by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com¬
merce. This booklet gives information regarding insiiranoe, pack¬
ing, shipping documents, dutiable value, financing, and other essen¬
tial matters. In an appendix there is a copy of the Australian
Commerce Act of 1905 and other useful information.
GENERAL TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS.
The general features of the transportation problem in Australia
are very different from the situation on the North American Conti¬
nent. Physical and economic conditions are responsible for this.
The distribution of coal resources, for example, has an important
eff^. A very large part of these are in New South AVales. the
principal coal-shipping port being Newcastle, with an average haul
from the mines to the loading piers of less than 15 miles. At New-
20 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
castle also is the larger of the two Australian steel pl^ts. The
other coal resources of the continent are yen^ largely m Qu^nsland,
though there is some scattered coal of indifferent quality m Victon^
Tasmania, and A^'('^tern Australia. Another important factor is me
scarcity of water in vast stretches of Australian territory and the
fact that the available supply is of such a quality that very exj^-
sive treatment is necessary to make it even usable in locomotive
boilers.
Darwin
VPine Creek
ofm
VJobIWTE etlanM
n (oriM
XVtherine
Laura
't.Hedland
\ Winton
Marble Bar
tmpton
Lotigreach'
^Blackall
Chhrleville
Oodnadatta
Meekatharra
Sandstone
[ Cunnaniulla Diri^iband
BourkeW
f Bro^n Cobar\ * v \ v
.averton
Leonora,
;t Augusta^
>IEWJSX)UT
iNorseman
Australian Bight
Ravensthorpe
Railways in operation
do. authori-zed for Construction,
do. projected
iceaton
TASMANr/
SCALE ar~MtLE8
h ffijiiw sV) 3O0 4Jio
Fig. 2.—Map showinj? tbp Govornmpnt railway systems of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The continuous lines denote the existing railway lines of Australia, the heavier lines being
the main routes. Of the two trauseoniinental lines—viz, one joining the railways of South and
\N'estern Australia, and thus connecting (ontlnuously by railway Queensland. New South Wales,
Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, and one connecting Oodnadatta in South
Australia with Pine Creek in the Northern Territory—the former has been commenced, and U
shown —; while the latter, the construction of which is to be deferred for the presenti
is shown . ( Ihis map is from the Official Year Book of Australia.)
From Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth there
are radiating s\>,teiii.s of railways with from 2.000 to 5,000 miles in
each of these^ groups. The island of 1)\smania has about 700 miles
of 1 ailway. 1 he .t-foqt 6-inch gauge lines from Brisbane make one
physical connection with the 4-foot Syinch lines from Sydney, the
latter again making one important connection with the 5-foot 3-indi
lines Bom Melbourne, from Melbourne there is one 5-foot 3-inch
line through to Adelaide, but more than 60 per cent of the 2,000-mile
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 21
group of lines radiating from Adelaide is of 3-foot 6-inch gauge.
Connecting with this group of 3-foot 6-inch lines at Port Augusta in
South Australia, a 1,053-mile line of 4-foot 8|-inch gauge is being
built through a level country, with less than 10 inches of annual
rainfall, to connect at Kalgoorlie with the 3-foot 6-inch lines extend¬
ing eastward from Perth. The Tasmanian lines are all of 3-foot
6-inch gauge, with some minor exceptions, where a less gauge is used.
The longest railway journey that can now be undertaken in Austra¬
lia on one continuous line of railway is from Longreach, Queensland,
to Oodnadatta in South Australia, a total distance of 3,303 miles,
requiring changes at three breaks of gauge.
To this lack of uniformity of gauge must be added the feature
of competition for all coastal business, both intrastate and interstate,
with a highly organized and well-equipped fleet of privately owned
coastal water carriers operating all the year, with no closed season
for navigation.
The natural function of the Australian railways is the serving
of the agricultural and pastoral interests; they are what would be
described in America as " granger railways."
Only a small proportion of the freight traffic in Australia is
handled along what are known in America as " commodity methods."
The one real and very noticeable instance of such practice is in the
case of the ore concentrates moving from the Broken Hill mines in
New South Wales, first over the Silverton Tramway (a privately
owned 3-foot 6-inch line) a distance of 36 miles from Broken Hill
to Cockburn on the South Australian border, connecting there with
the South Australian Government Kailways and proceeding to Port
Pirie, a farther distance of 220 miles, making a total haul of more
than 250 miles. Approximately 800,000 tone (of 2,240 pounds) of ore
concentrates were moved outbound and 180,000 tons of coal moved
inbound over this line during the years 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13,
and 1913-14. This is the only commodity haul of anything like this
volume for 100 miles or more in all Australia. At present some coke
is being hauled by the New South Wales Eailways from the south-
coast coal fields to the new steel plants at Newcastle, but this is prob¬
ably a temporary arrangement. Another temporary arrangement
involving business of some volume—probably lasting until the end of
the war—is the hauling of coal from these same fields to Albury for
the use of the Victorian Railways. Probably the heaviest permanent
traffic is the hauling of coal from these fields a distance of something
more than 50 miles to Sydney and other local points.
At present the supply of iron ore, fuel, and flux stone for the Lith-
gow Iron Works in New South Wales is near the furnaces, with a
very short haul. The supply of iron ore and flux stone for the New¬
castle steel plant comes from Iron Knob in South Australia, involv¬
ing a haul of only 34 miles over a 3-foot 6-inch tramway owned and
operated by the Broken Hill Proprietary Co. This would seem to
indicate that the future is not likely to develop any long-haul busi¬
ness in the handling of iron ore, fuel, or flux stone. The movement
of wheat and wool is very largely confined to the States in which
these articles are produced, there being ample port facilities in each
State for handling all its products.
22 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
railway ownership and policy.
The principle tliat the control, construction, and operation of the
railways should he in the hands of the (xovernment has determined
the policy of all the States of the Commonwealth for many years and
ha.s been departed from only under exceptional circumstances. Most
of the private railways ha\e been constructed in order to meet par¬
ticular requirements, such as the carriage of ores, timber, coal, or
other special materials.
Many of the lines have been laid for the purpose of developing the
country thus opened up. This policy is still being followed, and the
average business man in Australia fully indorses its continuance, not¬
withstanding tiie fact (which very few seem to realize) that Aus¬
tralia now has more railway per capita than any other country in
the world, there being about"l mile for each 222 of population. Most
of the earlier lines were sub.stantially built, considering the traffic in
siiiht. In recent years tliere has been .some tendency toward the build¬
ing of cheaper lines, but this has not been attended with entirely sat¬
isfactory results as compared with those on the better-built lines. It
seems probable that in some parts of Australia motor roads rather
than light railways may advantageously be provided in order to
develop the country.
In recent years there has been a growing feeling in many parts of
Australia as to the necessity of building certain lines of railway and
unifying the gauges of the existing lines, thus making the railways
more advantageous for the purpose of defense of the whole Com¬
monwealth. ddie matter of defense is one of the controlling reasons
for the building of the Commonwealth Transcontinental Line from
Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
coastal water carriers.
Keference has already been made to the subject of coastal water
carriers, and before taking up the Australian railway situation in
detail it seems proper to give a short outline of these concerns. As
stated previously, a very large part of the interstate freight business
and a considerable part of the passenger business is water-borne.
Practically all this water-borne traffic is controlled by the following
privately owned and operated shipping companies: (1) Australian
United Steam Navigation Co. (Ltd.); (2) Howard Smith Co.; (3)
Adelaide Steam Shij) Co. (Ltd.); (-1) Mcllwraith, McEachern &
Co. (Pty. Ltd.); (5) Iluddait, Parker & Co. (Pty. Ltd.); (6) Union
Steam Ship Co. (Ltd.); and (7) Melbourne Steam Ship Co.
These same sbiiiping concerns control the handling of practically
all the intrastate business in South Australia and Queensland and a
very large part of that in all the other States. The Howard Smith
Co., Adelaide Steam Ship Co. (Ltd.), Mcllwraith, McEachern &
Co. (Pty. Ltd.), Iluddart. Parker & Co. (Pty. Ltd.), and Melbourne
Steam Ship Co.. together with Paterson & Co. and J. & A. Brown
virtually have a monoimlv of the handling and sale of commerciai
coal in the several States, particularly from the principal source of
supply at -^fW'i'stle. Before the war these seven companies had
something like 180 vessels of all classes in the Australian coastal
trade Mr H. L. A\i kinson, m his Trust Movement in Australia,
points out the conqilete control of this business by the above com¬
panies, and also shows that since 1900 all these concerns have not only
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 23
paid very large dividends but have added largely to their plants
from earnings during this period.
These shipping concerns have been handicapped by the high cost of
labor, both on wliarves and afloat, but seem to have been successful in
passmg this burden on to the shipper. The wharves, warehouses, and
floating equipment of all these concerns are complete and well main¬
tained and operated. The service is prompt and regular. The
charges may be regarded as high, but in view of the advantages of
handling this business by water carriage they are no doubt cheaper
than any that could be made by the Government railways. As in
other parts of the world, these ship companies would probably be
able to meet any kind of railway competition and continue to handle
the business profitably. Therefore, one seems warranted in conclud¬
ing that these coastal water carriers have had and will continue to
have the effect of making the railways of Australia granger lines.
The highest Government authorities have been giving very serious
consideration to the possibility of securing concessions from the labor
organizations that control all classes of wharf labor or adding ma¬
chinery to make more efficient the work done by the present forces,
which have always heretofore objected to the installation of labor-
saving machinery for wharf work. The Australian ports are not
equipped with as much machinery as those in New Zealand.
II. AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS: GENERAL INFORMATION.
The general features of the railway situation in Australia will be
considered first in this report, by taking up the points that are more
or less common to all the systems in the several States. Later the
details of each system will lie presented. In the detailed considera¬
tion the Commonwealth railways will be discussed first; then the
State railways, in tlie following order: Xew South Wales, Victoria,
Queensland, Soutli Australia. Western Australia, and Tasmania;
then the privately owned railways in the same order; and, finally, the
tramways. It is thought that this arrangement will thoroughly
cover the ground and avoid duplications.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT.
The first proposal to build railways in Australia was made in
England in 184.5. when railway speculation there had attained its
highest level. It was proposed to build lines in Xew South AVales
from Sydney to adjoining points. AA'ork was actually started on
the line from Sydney to Parramatta, a distance of 14 miles, and the
line was first opened on September 26.18.5.5. The second undertaking
was in South Australia, in 1847, and a line of 74 miles from Port
Adelaide to Adelaide was completed in 18.56. The third proposal
was for a line from Melliourne to Alount Alexander. This line was
built and opened for traffic in 1857. The first and third of these lines
were started as private enterprises, but early in their history both
became involved in financial difficulties and were ultimately taken
over by the States in which they were located. The line in South
Australia was projected as a private enterprise, but the promoters
considered the conditions imposed by the government too burdensome
and the line was taken in hand by the South Australian government
at an estimated cost of $219,000; however, on account of highly
inflated prices, caused by the discovery of gold in Australia, the actual
cost was $992,750. This line has the distinction of being the first
government railway on British soil.
Since that time the building of railways in Australia has continued
vfith considerable regularity, and from the first t4ie general policy
in each State can be fairly oxpi'essed as follows: While the primary
object of State railway construction has been to promote settlement,
apart from the consideration of the profitable working of the lines,
the principle has nevertheless been kept in view that the railways
should be self-supporting. Tiie only instance where this policy has
been noticeably departed from was in AA e>lern Australia, where two
lines of more than 200 miles each were built by private capital,
assisted by land grants. One of these—tbe Midland Railway Co., a
line of 277 miles is still operated as a privately owned line and
24
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRAIJA AND NEW ZEALAND. 25
to-day is much the longest line so owned and operated. The other
line—the Great Southern Railway between Perth and Albany, a dis¬
tance of 242 miles—was taken over by the Western Australian gov¬
ernment in 1896, and since then the policy in that State has been as
above indicated.
The following tables show the combined Government and private
railway mileage open from 1861 to June 30, 1915, the division of
Government and private railways as of June 30, 1915, and Govern¬
ment railways under construction and authorized June 30, 1915:
GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE RAILWAYS: MILEAGE OPEN 1861 TO 1915.
Stales.
1861
I.STI
1881
1,040
1,247
800
845
92
168
1891
1901
1911
1914
1915
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
73
114
56
358
276
218
133
12
45
2,263
2,763
2,205
1,600
656
425
145
2,926
3,238
2,904
1,736
1,984
618
145
4,027
3,574
4,390
1,993
3,208
675
145
4,251
3,886
5,213
2,357
3,910
766
146
4,444
3,936
5,449
2,955
4,553
780
146
Total Commonwealth
243
1,042
4,192
10,123
13,551
18,012
20,529
22,263
COMPARATIVE MILEAGE OF GOVERNMENT (INCLUDING COMMONWEALTH) RAIL-
WAYS, PRIVATELY OWNED COMMERCIAL RAILWAYS. AND PRIVATE INDUSTRIAL
RAILWAYS, JUNE 30, 1915.
States.
General traffic.
Indus¬
trial
lines.
Grand
Total.
Per mile of line
open.
Govern¬
ment
lines.
Private
lines.
Total.
Popu¬
lation.
Square
miles.
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
4,139
3,875
4,838
2,921
3,610
533
146
181
24
497
277'
164
4,320
3,899
5,335
2,921
3,887
697
146
124
37
114
34
666
83
4,444
3,936
5,449
2,955
4,553
780
146
421
362
126
148
71
255
30
69.84
22.33
123.04
128.62
214. 35
33.63
3,586. 44
Total Commonwealth
20,062
1,143
21,205
1,058
22,263
222
133.61
GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND AUTHORIZED, JUNE 30, 1916.
Classes.
New
South
Wales.
Victoria.
Queens-
laud.
South
Aus¬
tralia.
West-
em Aus¬
tralia.
Tas¬
mania.
Com¬
mon¬
wealth
(by).
Total
Common¬
wealth.
1,128.5
148.5
304.5
53.0
503.0
1,549.0
178.0
107.0
170.0
246.0
20.0
544.0
2,848.0
2,103.5
Authorized
Total
1,277.0
357.5
2,052.0
285.0
416.0
20.0
544.0
4,951.6
The map on page 20 illustrates the position of the Australian
States and outlines the general locations of the railways.
TRAFFIC.
The subject of traffic has already been generally covered, and it is
only necessary in addition to say that a very large paid of the mis¬
cellaneous business comes under what would be termed L. C. L. (less
26 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
than carload) business in America, although, on account of the type
of goods wagon in general use, a great many such small shipments
go as wagon loads. All the railways provide first and second class
passenger accommodations, and a very large proportion of all pas¬
sengers ride second class. On some lines second-class sleeping-car
accommodations are provided; this is the case on the South Austra¬
lian Eailways between Adelaide and the Broken Hill mining center
in New South Wales, a distance of 33.5 miles.
AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS' ASSOCIATION.
There is an association of all the Australian State Kailway Com¬
missioners, and the official at the head of the Commonwealth Rail¬
ways has participated since the organization of those lines. The
first conference was held in 1899, and similar meetings were held
annually until 1913 with the exception of one year. These con¬
ferences have not been held since the beginning of the war, but there
is little doubt that they will be resumed after conditions again become
normal following the close of the war. In recent years these con¬
ferences have been held alternately in Sydney and Melbourne, the
presiding officer being the chief railway commissioner of the State
in which they are held. Mr. M. Usher, of the New South Wales
Railways, has been permanent secretary for about 10 years. The
purpose of this organization is to promote railway interests, con¬
sider and adopt standai-ds, and put into effect uniform practices, so
far as practicable. Substantial progress has been made in a number
of matters. A standard rail section has been designed and adopted
and is now in quite general use. This section is specially adapted to
Australian conditions, with a less number of ties, lighter traffic, and
generally lighter wheel loads than prevail in the United States. The
metliods of keeping accounts have been brought to a considerable
degree of uniformity. The subject of imification of gauges has had
extended consideration.
Subjects are first approved by a committee of the commissioners
and are then considered by conferences of the heads of the branch
of the service to which the subject properly belongs, these heads
being brought together at a convenient point. Their recommenda¬
tions are reduced to finished form and in this way submitted to the
conference of railway commissionei-s for final consideration and
action. Subjects are first considered by the roadwav. mechanical,
transportation (usually called the "traffic"), accounting, and stores
branches and such subdivisions of these branches as may be deemed
advisable.
ROADWAY AND STRUCTURAL STANDARDS.
While English materials have alwavs been largely used and Eng¬
lish practices were very generally followed in the "beginning there
has been a noticeable tendency for some years toward following the
general features of American railway construction—for the very
good reason that the physical conditions of Australia are much
P'-'^sent the arrangement of
ties (sleepers), frogs and s-witches (points and crossings), ballast,
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIG. 4.—MODERN SHELTER-SHED CONSTRUCTION IN VICTORIA,
Special Agents Series tJo. 155.
FIGS. 5 AND 6.-TYPICAL COUPLING EQUIPMENT ON THE NEW SOUTH
WALES RAILWAYS.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 27
and bridges in general are all similar to the American practice. A
good illustration in this connection is the occasion foi- the extensive
use of anticreeperS (rail anchors) in Australia, v ith the same bene¬
ficial results as in America. This device is seldom used in England.
Only about 75 per cent as many ties are used in Australia as in the
United States, but this is on account of the lighter traffic and lighter
wheel loads, as well as the very superior timber used for ties in
Australia.
The cross section of-the roadbed, the ballast cross section, and the
ballasting materials, together with many othott- features, are similar
in the two countries. On account of the small number of streams in
Australia, bridges are much less frequent than in the United States,
and those occurring are usually of comparatively short spans. The
statement is made that there is no bridge in Australia at the present
time with a span of 300 feet. Figure 3 shows what is said on good
authority to be the longest single-span bridge in Australia: this is
an overhead footbridge to the railway shops at North INIelbourne,
Victoria. On the same plate is a photograph of a shelter shed in
course of construction, showing the light construction that is per¬
missible because of the absence of any snow load.
On account of the rough country through which most of the lines
have been built, some very difficult locations have been encountered,
and as a result many of the lines have considerable curvature and
2 per cent (1 foot rise in 50 feet) is a common grade even on the
most important interstate lines. Considered from all viewpoints
the lines have been very creditably located and built and are being
safely maintained and carefully operated by a painstaking adminis¬
trative staff.
Figure 7 shows a section of the Australian standard 90-pound rail.
This rail is apparently well designed to get the girder effect desir¬
able with the smaller number of ties used. The same general dimen¬
sions prevail for the other sections ranging from GO to 100 pounds.
28 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
One noticeable feature in Australian construction is the general
practice of having platforms at all stations raised to such a level that
only one step is required down from the level of the carriage floor.
This practice would be impossible in the greater part of America for
the reason that the track space would fill up with snow. The lack
of snowfall and really cold weather tliroughout Australia materially
modifies some of the factors atfecting the construction and operation
of the railways; otherwise there ai'e many similar features.
Kiu. 7.—Section of Australian standard 90-pound rail.
VARIATIONS OF GAUGE.'
Ones first impression is that it was very unfortunate that a stand¬
ard gauge wiis not iisetl in the conslnu'tion of all the Australian rail-
ways, and certainly to an extent tliis is true, hut after a study of the
ofTimt^ay Information In this section has been taken from the Official Year Book
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 29
situation it appears that this condition, serious as it may be, probably
is not as much of a handicap as one would think. The following
tables show the gauges of all Government and private railways as of
June 30, 1915, the cost of construction and equipment of all State
railways as of June iU), 1915, and the total revenue, revenue per
average mile worked, and revenue per train-mile for the year ended
June 30, 1914. The year 1914—15 was not normal on account of the
very severe drought that prevailed in all parts of Australia that
season.
GOVERNMKXT AND PRIVATE RAILWAYS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO GAUGE AS OF
JUNE 30, 1915.
States.
Mileage having a gauge of—
Total.
5' 3"
4' 8J"
3' 6"
3'
2'6"
•a
45
3,804
4,288.5
79.5
26.0
4,439
3,936
5,449
2,955
4,553
780
146
10
122
5,280.0
1,699.0
4,207.5
731.0
146.0
169.0
970
m.6
278.0
67.5
49.0
Total
4,819
4,857.5
12,143.0
10
122
311.5
22,263
FINANCIAL STATISTICS OF STATE RAILWAYS.
State'.
Length
of line.
June 30,
1915.
Total cost of
construction
and equip¬
ment,
June 30.1915.
Cost per
mile.
Cost per
capita
of popu¬
lation.
Total gross
earnings,
1913-14.
Gross
earnings
per mile.
Gross
earnings
per
train-
mile.
Miles.
New South Wales
4,134
J311,497,0.55
$75,350
$166.67
$37,677,615
$9, .519
$1.81
Victoria
3,875
250, 716,200
64,700
175. 77
27,062,400
7,222
1.78
Queensland
4,8.38
162, .569, 700
33,605
235.95
17,811, .500
3,950
1.55
South Australia
2,157
80,769,980
37,445
184.37
11,374,230
6,268
1.77
Western Australia
3,332
82,636,635
24,800
256.22
10,983,745
3,772
1.95
Tasmania
533
22, .526,585
42,265
113.53
1,606,765
3,061
1.58
All State
18,869
910,716,155
48,265
184.19
106,516,255
6,098
1.74
The generally accepted version as to the establishment of the dis¬
similarity of gauges is substantially as follows: It was originally in¬
tended that there should be only one gauge for all railways in Aus¬
tralia. Before any lines were constructed it had been agreed upon
that a 5-foot 3-inch gauge should be used, and in Victoria and South
Australia the first lines were so built. It appears that the persons
in charge of the first railway construction in New South Wales were
very much in favor of this gauge, and went so far as to pass laws
that this gauge should be compulsory. This was from 1850 to 1852.
About the latter date the railway company changed its chief engineer
and also altered its views on the gauge question; in the following
year, 1853, it succeeded in obtaining a repeal of the act of 1852 and
m passing another under the provisions of which the 4-foot 8^-inch
gauge was made imperative. This step was taken without the con¬
currence of the other States concerned, and a certain amount of ill
30 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
feelin"- arose, especially in Victoria, where two private companies
had afready placed large orders for rolling stock constructed to the
broad gauge originally chosen. This feeling is still noticeable in
Victoria, where objection is expressed by laymen to the adoption of
the " Xew South Wales gauge," as it is termed. The result was thai
it was decided in \ ictoria to adhere to the 5-foot 3-inch gauge as the
standard gauge for the State, while the Sydney Railroad & Tram¬
way Co. pioceeded with the construction of its lines to the 4-foot
SiJ-inch gauge. These two gauges have since been adhered to as the
standard gaViges of the respective States. The Queensland Govern¬
ment had, at the outset, adopted a gauge of 3 feet 6 inches as being
the best suited to the recjuirements of the colony, and it has since
adhered to that gauge throughout the State. Recently the Queens¬
land Government has purchased some lines laid on a 2-foot gauge.
In South Australia the broad gauge of Victoria was at first adopted,
and that State's part of the interstate line—between Adelaide and
the Victorian boundary—was constructed to that gauge. Conse¬
quently the line from 5lelbourne to Adelaide is the only interstate
line in Australia on which a break of gauge is not made at some
point. In the lines that have been constructed more recently in the
northern part of South Australia and also in the Northern Territory
the 3-foot G-inch gauge was adopted with a view to economy in con¬
struction. In Western Australia and Tasmania the 3-foot 6-inch
gauge was adopted. It was recognized in both these States that the
construction of railways was essential to their proper development;
but. as their financial condition would not justify a heavy initial ex-
irenditure in connection with the establishment of such lines, it was
decided to adopt the narrow gauge. In Victoria some light railways
have been constructed in recent years to a gauge of 2 feet 6 inches,
while in Tasmania short lengths have been laid to a 2-foot gauge.
It is now ob\ ious, of course, that the adoption of different gauges
on the main lines in the several States was a serious error. The most
noticeable leature at the present writing is the inconvenience incurred
througli the necessity of transferring passengers at breaks of gauge.
.Vs the business grows, the extra expense and delay in the transfer
of goods will l)ecome more burdensome. As an indication of the
extra c()st thus inxohed, it may be noted that the junction charges
on interstate^ shipments between New Smith Wales and Victoria
range from '>5 to (lO cents for a 2.240-ponnd ton. In 1897 a conference
was hehl between the railway commissioners of New South Wales,
\ ieioria, and South Australia to consider and report upon the uni¬
fication of the gauges ..f these States. In their report the commis¬
sioners estimated the cost of converting all the lines in the three
Slates to a r)-f(int 3-inch gauge at $1^.750,000 and to 4 feet 8^ inches
at $11..>00,000. In 1903 the <|uestion was again brought up, more
particularly with regard to the proposed transcontinental line, and
the engineers in chief reported in favor of a gauge of 4 feet 84
ineh.'s, .Vt the premiers' conference held in .Tanmiry, 1912 the sub¬
ject iros again under consideration, but no decision was reached.
In .Novemlier. lOli', another conference of railway engineers repre¬
senting the si.x Slates and the ("oinmonwealth Government was held,
and the question of unification of gauge was again discussed. The
eonehision was reached that the relative advantages of the 5-foot
o-inch and 4-foot 8f inch gauges, from the viewpoint of efficiency
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 31
and-economy of working, were approximately equal, and that the
determination of the most suitable gauge should be made on the
basis of cost. Owing, however, to the fact that track mileage, ton
mileage, and wages had at that time increased 90, 200, and 50 per
cent, respectively, since 1897, accompanied by a correspondingly
large increase in the cost of material, the conference estimated the
cost of converting all lines to a 5-foot 3-inch gauge at $241,400,000 and
to a 4-foot 8^-inch gauge at $180,900,000. It recommended that the
latter gauge should be adopted and pointed out that the longer the
work of conversion .vas delayed the greater the cost would become.
An alternative scheme by which the main trunk lines and more im¬
portant branches should be converted was also proposed as possibly
meeting the immediate requirements and being, from a Federal point
of view, perhaps a more attractive proposition than any other that
could now be suggested. The estimated cost of this limited scheme
was $50,100,000. The subject was again under discussion at the
premiers' conference held in Melbourne in April, 1914. when it was
decided to refer the matter to the interstate commission, that the
latter body might furnish a report as to the benefits of unification,
its cost, and the apportionment of such cost, this latter subject being
one on which the several States, in their conferences, have never been
able to agree.
In May, 1915, another premiers' conference took place at Sydney,
and the uniform-gauge question again received consideration, with
the result that the following resolution was carried without dissent:
" That * * * two leading railway experts, preferably from out¬
side Australia, should be forthwith appointed by the Government of
the Commonwealth and the mainland States to * * * report on
(1) the need of a uniform gauge, (2) the most suitable gauge, (3) the
best method of carrying out uniformity, (4) what benefits would
result to the Commonwealth and to the States, and (5) the probable
cost." The question is of such complexity that all of these points
should have very careful consideration in the settling of this most
important matter. The present status of the subject is as above out¬
lined, but it is very probable that the time is coming when some actual
steps will be taken to overcome this handicap on interstate communi¬
cations in Australia. It would seem that the policy of the Common¬
wealth Government in constructing 4-foot 8i-inch lines will inevitably
compel the adoption of the same gauge for all other interstate connect¬
ing lines.
Allied to width of gauge is the matter of clearance. Figure 8
shows the clearance diagram for the Commonwealth railways, 4-foot
8^-inch gauge lines. This will permit the handling of tlie widest.
32 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
COMMONWEALTH RAILWAYS -—
MINIMUM STPUCTURE ANO MAXIMUM ROLLING STOCKCAUCE
~~ — 1914 —
— NOTC — AOOITIONAL WIDTH MUST BE ALLOWED ON CURVES
or 20 CHAINS PAOIUS. OR SAY A DECREES
OOUBLg TRACKS^ SIOIWCS, AMP CWOSSIMC LOOPS TO SE SPACED l3"o"crMTng TO CgWTBg
Fig. 8.—Clearance diagram for 4' .Sf" gauge lines
Australia.
In St f constnicted l.v luiv of the Austra-
twm?i lli ' tollmving table shows the'loading gauges
S ,' . ® Commonwealth railways and the several State rail-
»♦ tl y S> .
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 33
LOADING GAUGES IN USE ON AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERN¬
MENT RAILWAYS.
Railways.
Gauge.
Passenger rolling stock,
maximum.
Goods rolling stock,
maximum.
Width.
Height
above
rail.
Length
over all.
Width.
Height
above
rail.
Length
over all.
t
//
/
,,
,
tt
tt
t
tr
II
n
/ tt
Commonwealth railways
4
in
fi
14
fi
75
0
10
6
14
6
45 0
New South Wales
4
Rt
9
7
13
10}
74
G
9
8
13
B
60 11
\ ictoria
5
3
9
lU
14
74
1
9
n
13
5
5.5 4}
Queensland
3
6
9
4
12
9
53
5
8
0
12
0
45 0
South Australia
5
3
10
4
14
2
74
1
10
0
12
11
43 6
Do
3
6
9
12
1
62
6
8
fi
12
1
38 9
Western Austraha
3
6
8
10
12
7
00
4
8
10
12
fi
44 9
Tasmania
3
6
9
6
12
5
64
0
8
10
11
0
40 10
The unification of the gauges of the Australian railways is an
enterprise of great magnitude and should first be the subject of very
careful study with reference to the changes that are economically
warranted and the character of the work. Some of the specially
organized and equipped American contracting concerns could well
undertake the work of making the change, but it is very likely that
this would be objected to by the Australian public on account of
the desire to see all such undertakings handled by Australian concerns.
RAILWAY FINANCES.
The table on page 29 gives the capital cost of the six State govern¬
ment railway systems as of June 30, 1915. The figures in this table
are taken from the Commonwealth Statistical Keports, but they
agree fairly closely with the State figures except for Queensland,
where the amount given in the commissioner's report is $172..'')(S9.300,
which includes discount and flotation charges on loans allocated to
railways; as no other State includes this depreciation of loan capital
the Commonwealth statistician excluded it in order to place the cost
of all State railway construction on the same basis. In the com¬
parative table of working results given later for each State the
figures used have been taken from the railway commissioners' re¬
ports, and no attempt has been made to reduce them to the .same
basis.
The table on page 29 also shows the gross earnings of the six
State railway systems for the year ended June 30, 1914. This year
is taken for the reason that it is considered a representative year;
the years ended June 30, 1915 and 1916. do not represent normal
conditions on account of the severe drought that prevailed in 1915
in all parts of Australia and the effects of the war during both years.
It will be seen from this table that the gross earnings approximated
11.5 per cent of the capital cost. The common operating ratio for
all States was 68.29 per cent, making a return of 3.93 per cent on
capital cost.
The years ended June 30, 1915 and 1916, have both given very
unsatisiactory working results, the operating ratio for 1915 going
up to 72.93 per cent for all States, the percentage earned on capital
20186'—18 3
34 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND,
expenditure falling to 3 and the loss on capital after the paypient of
interest cliarges being 0.58 per cent.
The following tables show the woiking results, rolling stock, and
number of eiiiployees of all State railways for the year ended June
30, 1914:
WORKING RESULTS OF AUSTR.\LIAN STATE RAILWAYS.
States.
New South Wales..
Viotnria
Queensland
South .\iistralia
Western .\iislralia.
Tasmania
I
Total I Total Oper-
gross working ating
earnings, e.xpenses. ; ratio.
$!7,f>77,fil.iS26,S26,890
27,n(;2,4ilil 1.8,Rll,445i
17,s|l..'''0(l 11,.7:19,740'
ll.:i74,2;in 7.:S27,»I5
in,9H:i,7l.'> 7,0.50,175
l,(;nt., 7ii.",^ l,(i.S:j,835|
69. 87
69. 51
64.79
64. 43
69.65
67. 45
All States jl06,516,255j 72,739,890! 68.29 33,776,365 3.93 30,691,730j+ 3,084,625
Total
net
revenue.
$11,350,725
8,250,9.55
6,271,760
4,046,425
3,3.33,570
522,930
Per¬
cent¬
age net
reve¬
nue.
3.86
3.44
4.05
5. 46
4. 32
2.39
Interest
on loan
expendi¬
ture.
$10,168,525
8,146,695
6,086,035
Profit or
loss.
Per¬
cent¬
age of
profit
orloes.
-I-$1,182,200
+ 104,260
185,725
2,756,8.55 -1- 1,289,570
2,709,875 -t- 1,123,695
823,7451- 300,815
-1-0.40
-1-0.04
+0.11
+1.74
+0.81
-1.37
+0.36
ROLLING STOCK AND EMPLOYEES, JUNE 30, 1914.
States.
New South Wales..
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western .Vustraiia.
Tasmania
All States.
Rolling stock.
Number of employees.
Locomo¬
tives.
Passenger
vehicles.
.\U other
vehicles.
Salaried
staff.
Wages
staff.
Total.
1,162
791
630
456
421
80
1,567
1,488
715
504
368
173
21,497
19,139
13,223
9,283
10, Ilia
1,7:37
3,422
2,598
2,301
1,079
224
31,810
22,169
8,502
6,913
1,180
35,232
24,767
10,803
8,995
7,992
1,404
3,540 ; 4,81.5
74,943
1
89,193
The working expenses of the Australian railways are. no doubt,
very difficult to regulate, particularly with such a combination
as tlic drought and the war during 1914—15. ."41)1110 of the reasons
for this may be found in the local character of a large part of the
goods business and the inflexibility of both the rate of wages and
the number of per.sons employed. It is not the practice to dispense
with the services of the sur[)lus wages stall promptly when they are
no longer needed, as is the case on American railways, because much
pressure is brought to bear on the administrative staff to find em¬
ployment lor the wages staff at all times. This pressure usually re¬
sults in keeping the wages statf employed until the men's services
are again actually needed or, at least, until a considerable time has
elapsed.
I he w ages (jf the railway employees in Australia, as in America,
are gradually being increased. The wages of the highest are not as
high as m America, and the wages of the lowest are probably some-
wdiat liigber than m America, so the average wages paid to all
classes ol employees are probably on a practical equality. In a num¬
ber ot Mates mereases of wages have been made since the beginning
of the war such advances usually amounting to about 10 per cent.
In other States merea.ses are under consideration, and in a consider¬
able iiimiber ot eases war bonii.ses are being paid, these amounting as
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 36
a rule to about 10 per cent. The result is that all Australian rail¬
ways are meeting growing labor costs.
The costs of materials and operating supplies have been very
erratic, tajpiay the least, since the beginning of the war. In most
cases increases have occurred, and in many instances the prices have
been prohibitive, necessitating the use of substitutes. The price of
coal, among other supplies, is constantly rising in Australia.
The net revenue of all the State railways is shown by the table on
page 34. These figures are taken from the Commonwealth statistics,
and some adjustment has been made to reduce them all to the same
basis. In the separate statistics shown subsetiuently for the several
States the figures have been taken from the railway commissioners'
reports in all instances, with no attempt to adjust them, the reason
being that these latter figures are given to sliow the progress of the
systems for the last 10 years and there is consequently no need of
their being on exactly the same basis.
It Avill be noticed from this table that in normal times the Aus¬
tralian State railways are just about meeting their interest obliga¬
tions. The writer made some attempt to anal3fze what had been
accomplished in amortizing the loans in the past, but was unable to
locate information indicating that sinking funds of any extent were
being made available for this purpose.
PASSENGER FARES AND GOODS RATES.
On a whole the statement is warranted that passenger fares and
freight rates are higher in Australia than in America. First-class
passenger fares averaged about 3.5 cents per mile before the war,
and second-class were very close to 2.3 cents per mile, which would
probably make a mean average for all passenger fares of over 2.5
cents per mile against the average in the United States of approxi¬
mately 2 cents per mile for the same date. Since the beginning of
the war passenger fares have been rai.sed, on an average, something
like 10 per cent, and there has been a considerable leduction in
service. It is more difficult to make e\ en an apj^roNimate comparison
of the goods rates in Australia with the freight i-ates in America, for
the reason that there is such a large percentage of the total that is
short-haul business, but it is safe to say that the goods rates are
about as much higher than those in America as are the passenger
fares.
ACCOUNTS.
With the Australian, as with the American railways, accounting
is given a great deal of attention, but in Australia the various public
regulating authorities have not been so exacting in their require¬
ments as has been the case in the United States. One item that has
been kept with considerable exactness (and probably in most cases
represents the actual facts) has been the capital cost of \arious
parts of the lines and also the equipment added to capital cost; in
the latter case, however, on account of the estimate of the proportion
of overhead charges, there is probably not the same degree of exact¬
ness as in the case of the charges for sections of line.
36 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
ROLLING STOCK.
The table on page M shows the number of locomotives, passenger
vehicles, and all other vehicles on the Australian State 4ig,ilways as
of June 30, 1914. Locomoti\es, passenger carriages, and goods
wagons are all of the typical English desi^ and construction. A
great many four-wheeled goods wagons are in service and are being
replaced from time to time: they will continue to be used indefinitely.
A considerable part of the new equipment added in recent years has
been of larger types, generally with two four-wheeled trucks (bo¬
gies). Goods subject to damage are shipped in open wagons and
are protected by the use of tarpaulins. The number of tarpaulins
on any system usually exceeds the total number of go .vagons of
all classes. As a rule about 50 per cent of the tarpaulins are under¬
going repairs, being held subject to order, or are in transit.
There is no interchange of equipment between the several State
railways, except a small amount of 5-foot 3-inch equipment between
Victoria and South Australia; therefore there are no interchange
rules to bring about uniformity of equii)ment. All States use air'
brakes except Western Australia and Tasmania, which axe both
equipped with vacuum brakes. No car heating is effected by draw¬
ing heat from the engine, hence the lack of this kind of connections
between cars. Xo train signal is used, and connections for this
purpose are consequently alisent. All car lighting is either of the
axle electric type, by Pintsch gas, or in some cases by oil lamps.
None of the State systems use automatic car couplers: although the
narrow-gauge lines in South Australia, Western Australia, and New
Zealand might be said to couple automatically, they do not so un¬
couple. Figure 5 shows the connections on the tender of an engine
and figure 6 the connections on the car to which the coupling is to
be made. This equipment is on the New South Wales Railways
and is typical of both the 5-foot 3-inch and the 4-foot y^-inch gauge
lines.
The only privately owned equipment run on the State railways
is that in the coal hauling from the collieries in New South Wales
to the shipping piers at Newcastle. In this trade the coal companies
own practically all the equipment: some of this is very old and some
is still equipped with the old-style solid buffers. No automatic
couplers are. used on any of this coal equipment, although it would
seem that their use would i)e of con-^iderable advantage in switching
(marshalling) the cars for unloading, as lias to be done.
The wheels of all rolling stock are steel-tired, usually with cast-
steel wheel centers. .Vll locomoti\es are built with plate frame style
of construction, and special attention seems to be given to the matter
robust driving axle bearings for the 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines.
Copper or other corrosive-resisting materials are used in the fire¬
box construction on all lines. The South Australia and Western
Australia lines and the interior lines of New South Wales and
Queensland all nave very bad water to contend with, and the Com¬
monwealth 1 ranscontineiital Line will have one of the hardest water
problems in the world when it begins operations between Port Aii-
freat fliftV this factor has already been a matter of
great diffaculty and much expense in the construction of the line.
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIGS. 9 AND 10.—LATEST TYPES OF LOCOMOTiVES ON THE NEW SOUTH
WALES AND QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS.
Special Agents Series No. 156.
1*—V
—i ' —* 'X*
1
A
r . ^i. u R-^ 1' /
1 1
1 tt '-♦
'''^GNAUNr FORMER METHOD OF ROUTE
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 37
The ordinary oil headlight is used on most of the lines. The
absence of helfs and pilots (the latter frequently known as " cow¬
catchers") .from the Australian locomotive is very noticeable. One
feature very much in favor of the Australian railways as compared
with the American lines is the difficulty of gaining access to the
" railway reserve," as the right of way is called; this results in a much
smaller amount of trespassing, with fewer personal-injury accidents,
than is the case in America. To take the place of bell and pilot the
Australians make constant use of a small and irritatingly toned
whistle.
Probably the maximum axle load in use in Australia at the present
time is about 46,000 pounds on the New South Wales class " NN "
passenger engine. Figure 9 shows one of the New South Wales type-
" T/F " goods engines, which is one of the heaviest' goods engines in
service in Australia. Figure 10 is a photograph of one of the latest
superheated passenger engines on the Queensland Railways; this
class of engine is also used in goods service and is one of the heaviest
3-foot-6-inch gauge engines on any of the State railways.
WORKSHOPS.
As a rule the main workshops of the Australian State railways
may be called well equipped for doing all clas.ses of repair work and
also, in most cases, fairly well equipped for erecting a considerable
part of their own needs for new locomotives, passenger carriages,
and goods wagons. Without doubt this policy of caring for the
railways' own needs will be very generally followed in the future,
especially as a means of affording steady employment to the various
organized employees. When the requirements are not so manufac¬
tured, the work will be given to Australian manufacturers protected
by such tariffs as will enable them to secure the business.
SIGNALING AND SAFETY APPLIANCES.
All single-track lines on Australian railways have been worked
by staff or tablet and all double-track lines by lock and block, but
automatic signals are now being frequently installed. The method
of signaling originally followed conformed very closely to the
English Board of Trade practices, but it is very interesting to see the
growing tendency to discard this method of signal indications (with
its complications at places having many routes to be jn-otected) and
to adopt the three-position three-speed " methodj including all the
most recent developments. Figure 11 shows the signal arrangement
providing indications for 17 different routes at one point, requiring
a five-track bridge; this is in course of being replaced with a three-
arm three-position signal, which will be located on a straight mast
in the proper position to the left of the track signaled, all Australian
signal arms pointing to the left and masts being placed to the left
.side of the track on account of the left-hand running in Australia and
New Zealand. The very satisfactory experience of the South Aus¬
tralian and Victorian railways with the installations already com¬
pleted and in service should assure the other Australian railway au¬
thorities of the correctness of the steps taken to adopt this method,
38 RAILWAY MATERTAT^S IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
and it constitutes a lesson that iniglit well be taken into account by
some of the American railways which have been hesitating regarding
the com|)lete adoption (d tliis scheme. This conclusion was not
reached by accepting the views of the men in charge of the signal
branch, but represents what might be called the enthusiastic opimon
of tlie transportation and motive-power officials with whom the writer
discussed the subject at some length. In a number of cases the Aus¬
tralian railway men asked for an account of the development of this
method of signaling in ^Vmerica. the extent of its adoption to-day, and
the reasons for some of the. partisan discussion concerning its correct¬
ness. The published proceedings of the Kailway Signal Association
had been generally perused, but these had not conveyed a very clear
imiiression wlien read at such a great distance from the conditions
under consideration.
Both of the two largest American railway signaling companies
have representati\es in Australia, who are doing excellent work in
promoting the sale of American electric railway signaling devices
and also signal accessory apparatus.
OPERATING ORGANIZATION.
The organization of all the Australian State railways is typical of
what in America is known as the departmental arrangement. The
State railways are always referred to as the railway department of
the (iovei nment service. "What in America would be called the de¬
partments of the railway ser\ ice are always referred to in Australia
as the " railway Inanches.'" The principal branches are the traffic,
mechanical, permanent-way, accounting, and stores. The transpor¬
tation branch is usually referred to as the traffic branch. Xo com¬
mercial branch, as a rule, is provided for in the organization. The
signal, electi ical. ami telegraph blanches in some instances have sepa¬
rate organizations and in others form a sub-branch of another branch.
All employees of all branches of the l ailway servii e are classified and
seniority is the rule of jn-omotion. 'i'lm.^e comlitions, together with
the labor organization of all railway vocations, appear to make the
strictly branch organization a necessity. It is ])robable that the
divisional organization of some of the most successful American rail¬
ways would not give workable or satisfactory results if applied in
Australia.
In some of the States the wages and a givat many of the working
regulations are the results of labor awards in which the railway de-
jjartment was gi\ en a hearing but no actual a oice in the conclusions.
These awards liave. in a very considerable number of instances, had
a decided effect on the working results, and they constitute an added
reason for the liraneh method of organization.
There is shown later a diagram of the organization of each State
railway department. In addition, there is given, immediately fol¬
lowing, a (lii'ectory of officials to conform to uiis outline of organiza¬
tion. It is felt that this should ho one of the most useful parts of this
report, pro^ iding a means of informing .Vmerican manufacturers con-
ceimng the elements of the organization of the Australian railway
deiiartrnents and the branch offi.hals t<. get in touch with on any par-
Kuiai subject that it is desired to juesent. These directories have
Ktu tail ull\ tompileil from the best information obtainable and are
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
39
thought to be substantially correct as of January 1, ii'lT; in some
instances they have been corrected to the later date of March 15, 1917.
STORES AND PURCHASES.
The purchase and handling of stores generally are taken care of
by the stores branch. The providing of an adequate supply of stores
without having an excessive stock on hand at times is a most difficult
matter to accomplish in far-away Australia, and this has been par¬
ticularly difficult since the beginning of the war on account of the
disturbance of all former sources of supply. The New South Wales,
A'ictorian, Queensland, and Tasmanian railways each have their own
independent stores organization, in no way connected with the other
Government stores departments; in Western Australia there is a sepa¬
rate stores branch for the railway department, but the purchases are
usually made through a Government tender and supply board han¬
dling all Western Australian Government requirements, while in
South Australia there is one tender and supply board for all South
Australian Government purchases, which are handled in common.
Except in Queensland, it is the rule to make long-term contracts
for what may be called the railway department's merchandise re¬
quirements, these contracts extending over periods of one, two, or
three years in the different States. This arrangement has some very
good points, particularly from the railway department's point of
view. Copies of several of these contracts are included as exhibits
accompanying this report and will be kept on file in room TSd, United
States customhouse. New York City. There is given later, in con¬
nection with each State railway, a more or less comidete digest of
the method of purchasing and paying for stores. The matter was
more completely investigated in Victoria than in any other State,
and the account is more detailed in this case than in that of the other
States. There is a marked similarity between the practices in the
several States.
III. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA RAILWAYS.
EXTENT OF LINES.
On January 1,1911, the Commonwealth Government took over Hw
Northern Territory from the South Australian Government, and
the same time the railways from Darwin to Pine Creek in the Nom-
ern Territory and from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta in South Aus*
tralia came under its control. Since then the construction of the
transcontinental line has been undertaken, while a line has al^ been
constructed connecting Canberra in the h ederal Territory with the
New South Wales railways at Queanbeyan.
The report of the acting conmiissioner of Commonwealth railways,
made under date of August 17, 1916, gives the extent of the Federal
railways as follows:
li'ai/'iru>/s open for traffic.—Darwin to Pine Creek (Northern Ter¬
ritory). l-h').-2 milas; Port Augusta to Oodnadatta (South Australia).
477.'it) miles; Queanbeyan (New South Wales) to Canberra (Federal
Territory), 4.t'4 miles: total, 629.1 miles.
Uailiraj/v H7ider constriction.—Kalgoorlie (Western Australia) to
Port Augusta (South Australia), 1,053 miles; Pine Creek to Kather-
ine River (Northern Territory), 54.3 miles; total, 1,107.3 miles.
Surveyed or to he surveyed.—Oodnadatta (South Australia) to
Katherine River (Northern Territory), 1,187.44 miles; Canberra
(Federal Territory) to Jervis Bay (New South Wales), 143.22
miles; Canberra (Federal Territor}') to Federal Territory border
near Ya^s (New South Wales), 11.68 miles; total, 1,341.34 miles.
The Darwin-Pine Creek line first came imder the jurisdiction of
the department of external affairs and was worked under the ad¬
ministrator of the Northern Territory. On July 1, 1915, the man¬
agement of this line was handed over to the Commonwealth railway
de])artment. This is the only section of the Commonwealth railways
now actually in regidar operation with the traffic in the hands of the
officials of the Commonwealth railway department themselves,
Ihe Queanbeyan-Canberra line was built by the railway construc¬
tion branch of the public works department of New South Wales,
and when completed was taken over by the chief commissioner of
railw ays for that State, who has for the time being agreed with the
Commonwealth Go\ernment to work the line. This line was opened
for goods traffic May 25, 1914.
The I ort Augusta-Oodnadatta line was taken over by the Com¬
monwealth Government January 1, 1911, but has since been held
under lease by the South Australian Government. It is provided in
the .Northern Territory acceptance act that the Commonwealth shall
annually reimburse South Australia with the interest payable on the
amount of loans raised by the State for the purpose o^ constructing
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 41
the railway, and the agreement for working the line prescribes that
the Commonwealth is responsible to the State for any financial loss
incurred by the State in the working and management of the railway,
but is entitled to receive from the State any profit made in such
working and management.
The Transcontinental Railway Bill passed in 1907 by the Federal
Hous^ of Parliament provided for the expenditure of $973,300 for
a preliminary survey or a railway line connecting Western Australia
with the Eastern States. The result was the adoption of a line 1,063
miles long between Port Augusta in South Australia and Kalgoorlie
in the Western Australia gold fields, the estimated cost of a 4-foot Sc¬
inch gauge line being $19,785,000. The Commonwealth Parliament
passed a law in December authorizing the construction of this line.
South Australia passed an enabling act empowering the Common¬
wealth to acquire the necessary lands not in excess of one-eighth of a
mile on either side of the line, and Western Australia passed an act
granting the Conunonwealth all the necessary lands for railway pur¬
poses. A railway construction department was created by the Fed¬
eral Government to carry out the work, which was begun at Port
Augusta in September, 1912. A commencement was also made soon
after at Kalgoorlie, and it was first estimated that the line could be
built in three years by working from both ends, but in reality it will
take more than six years before the line is actually completed so that
regular service can be maintained. Delay has been caused by the
effects of the war, much difficulty having arisen in obtaining sup¬
plies and materials. The greatest trouble, however, has been in con¬
nection with supplies of usable water. On December 31, 1916, 404
miles of track had been-laid from the eastern end and 535 miles from
the western; this left a gap of 114 miles of track still to be laid, a
change in the route having reduced the length of the line to 1.053
miles. Much the largest part of the line is yet to be ballasted. In
January, 1917, Senator Lynch, then Commonwealth ^Minister of Pub¬
lic Works, made the statement that it would probably require
$34,000,000 to complete the work, thus exceeding the original estimate
by about $14,000,000.
The outcome of the operation of this line will be very interesting
on account of the difficulty in obtaining a supply of usable water.
The transcontinental line and its connections from Adelaide to Port
Augusta on the eastern end and from Kalgoorlie to Freemantle on
the western end traverse one of the longest stretches of arid lands in
the world through which it has been undertaken to build a railroad
and where it is so difficult to secure water usable in locomotive boilers.
The water supply for this entire distance is very small, and such as
exists not only has to be treated but has to go through a neutralizing
process after softening and deposition treatments. Any treatment is
very expensive and at the best merely makes usable rather than good
water.
From the statement on page 40 it will be seen that about 1,340
miles of additional lines are contemplated in various parts of the
Commonwealth, the longest extension being about 850 miles of the
North-South transcontinental line across the Northern Territory.
What portions of these lines will be built in the near future is very
hard to predict.
42 railway materials in Australia and new Zealand,
ROLLING STOCK AND SHOPS.
Xhe ec|uipin6nt being provided for the transcontinent«il lino has
been specially selected for the service after ex^nsive investigations
in America and Europe, and it will probably be the best all-round
equipment in Australia. When all orders are filled there wifi be
73 locomotives, 43 passenger vehicles, and 766 goods and other ve¬
hicles on the transcontinental 4-foot 8|-inch gauge line, and 12 loco¬
motives, 11 passenger vehicles, and 261 goods and other vehicles on
the Darwin 3-foot 6-inch gauge line.
Extensive and completely equipped shops are in course of erection
at Port Augusta, the eastern terminus of the transcontinental line,
which should be able to take care of all this system's repairs and
possibly handle some erection.
ORGANIZATION AND DIRECTORY.
On account of the fact that construction is still in progress, the
permanent organization has not yet been made effective. The fol¬
lowing table shows the present organization and the principal officers,
subordinate to the Commonwealth Minister of Public Works, Hon.
Joseph Cook, and the Acting Commissioner and Engineer in Chief,
Norris G. Bell;
Branches.
Duties.
Head officials.
Construction and maintenance —
Mechanical engineering
Supplies and transport
Accounts and audits
Responsible for the construction and main¬
tenance of track, buildings, and water
supply and examination of survey routes.
Responkble for construction and mainte¬
nance of rolling stock: controls work¬
shops, locomotive running, and mechan¬
ical engineering works and contracts.
Responsible for purchase, receipt, custody,
and issue of all stores; also for traffic work
on all lines open for traffic, including tele¬
graph work.
Responsible for general accountancy and
audit work.
George A. Hobler.
M. McG. Henderson.
Joseph James Poynton.
John P. Monro.
The agent in England is the Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher, high commis¬
sioner for the Commonwealth of Australia, whose address is 72
Victoria Street, London SW. The consulting engineers are John
Coates & Co., 115 Victoria Street, Westminster SW.
The local operating officials on the Darwin-Pine Creek line are as
follows: Superintendent, R. J. Evans; traffic superintendent, R. Pick-
ford; way and works engineer, W. S. Brownless (acting); district
locomotiA e superintendent, J. R. B. O'Sullivan; all stationed at Dar¬
win, Northern Territory.
STORES BRANCH.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK.
Joseph James Poynton is the head of the supply and transport
branches, and he reports directly to the engineer in chief, who at
present is also actmg Commonwealth railway commissioner. Mr.
Poynton's address is Chelford House, Melbourne, Victoria. He is
responsible for the purchase, inspection, receipt, custody, and issue
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALU AND NEW ZEALAND. 43
of all stores, plant, equipment, materials, etc. The organization at
present is specially adapted to the construction conditions that still
exist over most parts of the lines.
FUNDS.
Funds are provided through the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
for all purchases made in Australia, and the high commissioner in
London is provided with funds for the payment of purchases made in
the United Kingdom and in America. Purchases made in America
are ordinarily paid for by the high commissioner in London on
receipt of the complete export shipping papers.
METHODS OF PURCHASING.
No time contracts are now in effect, but it is probable that biennial
contracts will be entered into after the end of the war, when conditions
again become normal. Thus far all purchases have been made by
specific contracts—to a large extent with Australian concerns or with
concerns having representatives in Australia. It was clearly stated
that when purchases were to come from America it was preferred to
deal with accredited representatives in Australia. Purchases as a
rule are made c. i. f. Australian ports, but at present (and this condi¬
tion will probably continue for some time after the end of the war)
quotations are acceptable with freight for or against the railway.
The railway at the present time is also accepting all war risks, so
that bidders need not include this item in their bids.
It should also be understood, in making quotations to the Common¬
wealth railways, that no customs duties are paid, as all shipments to
these railways come in free of imposts. Care should be taken, how¬
ever, to show in the shipping papers that the material is for the use of
the Commonwealth railways. John Coates & Co. are the inspection
engineers in London, and inspection in America is arranged for
through this firm.
Among the exhibits accompanying this report is a copy of the
acting commissioner's report for the years 1914, 1915, and 1916, in
which is a complete list of the purchases made in equipping this
system of railways to date. In each instance the price paid for the
purchases i^ shown; this means, as a rule, delivered at some point on
the lines of the Commonwealth railways. These exhibits are on file
in room 734, United States Customhouse, New York City.
IV. NEW SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS.
HISTORY AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
Reference has already been made to the fact that the first railwsky
constructed in Australia was from Sydney to Parramatta in New
South AVales. The second line in New South Wales was built be¬
tween Newcastle and East Maitland in 1857, but for the first 20
years an averai^e of only about 22 miles of railway was constructed
per year, there being 435 miles of line in service in 1875. Since then
the construction has been steady, until on June 30, 1916, the total
mileage was 4.188 of steam railroads and 220.82 of tramways, or a
total of 4,408.82 miles of lines.
The location and construction of railways in New South Wales has,
as a rule, been both difficult and expensive on account of the rough and
broken country along the southeastern coast of Australia. Most of the
lines have grades running up to 2 per cent and some in excess of this.
There is also a a cry considerable amount of curvature. More bridges
have been necessary than is the rule for railway construction in Aus¬
tralia, and the bridge over the Hawkesbury River on the line from
Sydney to Newcastle is the heaviest and most expensive bridge in
Australia to-day. The New South Wales lines have all been sub¬
stantially built, and a well-considered program of grade and line
betterments is being carried out, particularly in connection with the
double tracking of some of the lines.
EXTENT OF PRESENT AND PROJECTED LINES.
Reference to the map of New South Wales shows the railways dis¬
tributed all the way along the eastern coast and extending inland
about one-half the way to the western border. About one-half the
area has been covered by railways, but it should he said in this con¬
nection that while it will be necessary to build more lines in the east¬
ern half to develop the country fully, the western half will not
require as many lines for that purpose; this latter section is in the
area of light rainfall and will therefore not be nearly so producdfl
as the eastern part. The railways as now constructed naturftS^
fall into three groups, and they are so divided for operation. The
groups are known as Southern. Western, and Northern Lines, the
principal terminal of all thiee being Sydney, although Newcastle is
the destination of a large amount of the traffic on the Northern Lines.
Of the 220.82 miles of tramways. 32.88 miles are steam-operated
at Newcastle. 10.0.) miles are steam-operated at Broken Hill, leaving
177.89 miles in the tramway system at Sydney, of which 149.80 miles
are electrically operated and 28.09 miles operated by steam. As is
shown later in tlie table on [)age 52. the income from the tramways
IS a very important source of revenue for the New South Wales rail¬
way liejiartment.
44
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 45
The table on page 25 shows a larger amount of railway con-
rtriiction in progress in New South Wales than in any of the other
States. The mos^ important piece of line in course of construction
at the present time is the extension of the Western Lines from Con-
doblin to Broken Hill (a distance of 370 miles), where connection
will be made with the Northeastern Lines of the South Australian
railways, thus making a transcontinental line between Sydney and
western Australia via the Commonwealth Line from Port Augusta
to Kalgoorlie. One of the probable results of completing this line
will be the conversion of the South Australian 3-foot 6-inch line from
Broken Hill to Port Augusta to the 4-foot 8|-inch ^auge, this in
turn converting the line from Broken Hill to Port Pine from 3-foot
6-inch to 4-foot 8^-inch gauge—an additional reason for this latter
change being the hauling of ore concentrates over this line, previ¬
ously referred to as the heaviest freight movement in Australia. The
other extensions in course of construction are all for the purpose of
developing the country traversed and, with the exception of the
Dubbo-to-Wirries Creek line of 157.5 miles, none exceed 100 miles.
There are now in course of construction extensive additions to the
Sydney Tramways System in the form of subways and elevated lines,
electrification of portions of the suburban railways, and an airange-
ment for running this electrified railway equipment over the new
subways and elevated lines. At present an expenditure of some
$30,000,000 has been authorized by the New South AVales government,
and an additional $20,000,000 is in the course of being authorized, all
to be expended in the next five years if conditions will permit. This
construction is part of an ambitious plan for a very comprehensive
scheme of metropolitan transportation for the .Sydney district. The
plan includes a bridge to North Sydney with a channel si)an of 1.600
feet and a clearance of 170 feet over this arm of Port Jackson, which
will make not only much the largest-bridge in Australia but one of
the largest and longest spans in the world. The total estimated
cost of this metropolitan scheme was approximately $100,000,000 be¬
fore the increased prices caused by the war. In a perusal of the re¬
ports on this scheme by J. J. C. Bradfield, chief engineer of metro¬
politan railway construction for the New South Wales railways, one
receives the impression that the costs are not figured unduly high.
Copies of these reports are on file in room 734, United .States Custom¬
house, New. York City; they are marked " New South Wales exhibits
Nos. 15 and 16."
The construction of all new railway lines is now handled by the
construction branch of the New South Wales railway department;
formerly this work was handled by the railway construction branch
of the New South Wales department of public works, but a short
time ago this organization was transferred to the jurisdiction of the
chief railway commissioner and all new raihvay and tramway work
is now so handled. A very large part of the new lines of railways are
built by day labor employed directly by the railway construction
branch. All lines built by contract are handled by the Norton
Griffiths Co., which also finances the cost of construction for the
New South Wales government. Arrangements in this last respect
are now very much disturbed on account of the war.
46 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
PERMANENT WAY.
The New South Wales railways are well and safely mainteined,
particularly when the light volume of traffic on some lines is con¬
sidered. A great many of their requirements are manufactured in
their own workshops, including track spikes (dog spikes), switches
and frogs (points and crossings), switch stands, guard rails, water-
station materials, and practically all bridge and structural materials;
in this last line of work they recently took over a shop and have
put in additional machinery. They also manufacture most of their
construction equipment in the way of carts, scrapers, and dump
cars. All crossties (sleepers) are of the various native woods, anffi
while New South Wales does not have as much timber as some of
the other Australian States, there has been sufficient thus far to
provide the railways with what, in America, would be considered
a very superior tie. One great difficulty with ties in all the Austraban
States is occasioned by th^e ravages of the white ant, which destroys
some of the very hardest of the remarkably fine Australian timbers.
It is less troublesome, however, in New South Wales and Victoria
than in the other States. Engine-coaling stations and water stations
have been largely designed and built by the railway department.
Figure 13 shows one of the ornate water standpipes for each pair
of tracks at the main railway station at Sydney; this well indicates
the robust type of water-station construction. A feature of station
equipment on all the Australian State railways is the providing of
hand cranes in the goods yards for the handling of heavy shipments.
This applies even to the ordinary country station. Figure 14 riiowi
a typical crane for this purpose. These cranes are designed and
manufactured by the railway departments of the various States.
SIGNALS AND SELECTING TELEPHONES.
The New South Wales railways, like all other State railways in
Australia, are worked according to the English method of train con¬
trol by station agents. On single-track lines the staff or tablet is
used and on double-track lines the lock and block, with all turnouts to
a very large extent interlocked. For some time past in New South
V ales there has been a decided tendency to adopt automatic signals,
with the result that a considerable amount of three-position auto¬
matic signaling has been installed and in some cases, particularly
for the large plants near the terminal, power interlocking has also
been installed. While three-position signals were used for the auto¬
matic signals, advantage was not taken of the three-speed three-
position signaling at the large interlockings at terminals, as- has
been done in Victoria and South Australia with very satisfactory
results. Figure 15 shows the signals on the first bridge approaching
the main station at Sydney, the arrangement used being a governing
arm and box route indicators. When it is said that some of these
box route indicators govern up to 20 tracks each, their complications
be ajyireciated, especially when no speed indication is provided.
. the inbound signals on the next bridge approach-
mg, and it will be noticed that there are a total of four home and
four distant arms on each track signaled. This picture is typical
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIGS. 13 AND 14.—WATER CRANE AT THE SYDNEY TERMINAL STATION
AND HAND CRANE AT COUNTRY STATION ON NEW SOUTH WALES
RAILWAYS.
special Agents Series No. 156.
FIGS. 15 AND 16.-SIGNALS AT THE SYDNEY TERMINAL ON THE NEW
SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS.
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 47
of the platform construction at all Australian stations where pas¬
sengers are handled.
Some of the automatic signals are electropneumatic, but most of
the outlying installations are straight electric, operated by current
supplied by primary batteries; owing to the present very high price
of battery materials, this method is making the operating costs of
the signals so high that very serious consideration is being given
to the advisability of installing a battery-charging circuit with stor¬
age battery for the operation of the sigrtals. This could no doubt
be done and a considerable economy effected.
At present an installation of selective telephones is being put in
on the South Coast Railway from Sydney to the southern end of
the south coast coal fields near Wollongong to operate this line by
central control of trains, using the present signal apparatus. This
equipment is being installed in first-class shape, and there is every
reason to believe that this scheme should be a decided success in that
it should give the expedition to traffic secured by the American dis¬
patching methods and retain, or even add to, the safety features of
the present working by station-master control. The results of this
installation will doubtless be watched very closely by the other Aus¬
tralian railways, as there are many situations where it would appear
that this scheme might be applied with beneficial results.
The writer found that the average Australian railway official re¬
gards the term " dispatching " with much distrust and looks on it as
synonymous with dangerous train-running methods; therefore, in
referring to the above scheme, which has opportunities for extensive
application in Australia, it would be well to accept the term " selec¬
tive telephone apparatus for central control" and avoid the term
" telephone train dispatching," which expression would have difficulty
in overcoming the bad reputation of the word " dispatching." This
method means, in effect, the directing of the movements of trains from
a central point instead of having each station master direct at his
own station, frequently without proper direction from a central point.
SHIP-COALING PIERS.
The port of Newcastle being the point where much the largest
amount of coal is shipped^ it naturally follows that the greater part
of the coal-handling equipment is found at that place. The coal
comes to Newcastle in wagons owned by the coal-mining companies^
There are about 11,500 of these privately owned wagons, varying in
capacity from 6 tons (of 2,240 pounds) to 10 tons, the average being
about 8 tons. These coal wagons are so constructed that the hopper
body lifts off the frame and running gears. The coal is put aboard
ships by the use of swinging cranes picking up these movable hop¬
pers, lifting and swinging over the ships' holds, and dropping the
coal into the vessels' holds by tripping the trapped bottoms of the
hoppers, which are self-clearing. At present there are 6 15-ton
electrically operated cranes, 15 hydraulic, and 1 McMyler hoist car
dumper. The electric cranes are all new (some not actually com¬
pleted and none of them in service more than a few months), and
were erected by the department of pmblic works of New South Wales.
All the electric cranes and most of the hydraulic cranes are being
equipped with electrically operated winches to pull the loaded coal
48 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
\
wagons in place for unloading. Horses are now used for thil
purpose. Figure 17 shows the general outlines of one of the new
electrically operated cranes, and figure 18 shows the movable hopper
of a coal wagon being lifted to swing over the hold of the ship
lying at the pier.
The average amount of coal handled per crane is about 120 tons
(of 2,240 pounds) per hour; this, with a 44-working-hour week,
means only a little more than 5,000 tons per crane a week.
Although the McMyler hoist handled an average of more than .350
tons an hour when in service, so much objection was made to it by
the coal shippers that its use has been practically discontinued and
no move is being made to erect two others, the parts of which are
on the ground at Newcastle. New South Wales Railway Exhibll
No. 14, a copy of the report of the royal commission of inquiry into
the complaints regarding the working of the McMyler hoist at Newsi
castle, dated August 20, 1909, is filed at room 734, United" States
Customhouse, New York City. There are 256 pages of this report,
and it goes over the history of the complaint in great detail.- The
answers of the chief railway commissioner, which are also printed
under the same cover, make a very good case for the hoist from the
standpoint of practical results, the principal objection made to the
working being the breaking up of the coal in some instances.
BULK HANDLING OF WHEAT.
The bulk handling of wheat has had a great deal of consideration
in New South Wales for several years, this being the case also in
Victoria and South Australia. The first report in New South Wales
was dated August 12, 1913, and was made by the Burrell Engi¬
neering & Construction Co., of Chicago. Later John S. Metcalf k
Co., of Montreal, were engaged, and tenders have been invited for
the construction of elevators according to plans and specifications'
prepared by this concern. The.se contemplate the building of a
3.000,000-bushel terminal elevator at Sydney, a 750,000-bushel ter¬
minal elevator at Newcastle, and 200 country elevators with the
following capacities: Five of 300,0000 bushels each, 1,500,000 bushds;
15 of 200,000 bushels each, 3,000,000 bushels; 20 of 150,000 bushels
each, 3,000,000 bushels; 30 of 100,000 bushels each, 3,000,000 bushels;
90 of 50,000 bushels each, 4,500,000 bushels; 40 of 30,000 bushels
each, 1,200,000 bushels; total country capacity, 16,200,000 bushels.
The total estimated cost is about $10,000,000. The tenderers are
required to accompany their bids with deposits of £10,000, .and the
successful bidder is to be required to file a bond of £100,000 to guar¬
antee the performance of the contract. Presumably only Australian
contracting firms are eligible to bid. The contractor agrees to accept
New South Wales treasury credits in payment for the work, this
arrangement making the contractor finance the undertaking. The
date for opening the tenders was first set for about February 1,1917,
but the time has been extended several times, and when the writw
left Australia March 2(), 1917, no definite action had been taken
regarding the award of these contracts.
No provisions are being made for covered railway equipment to
handle wheat in bulk; it is assumed that it can be moved in the
present open goods wagons covered with tarpaulins.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 49
Metcalf & Co. are now engaged in the preparation of plai.-s and
specifications for the erection of eleA ators in Victoria, where this
subject has been under consideration for some years. As exhibits
in connection with this report copies have been obtained of the prog¬
ress report of the royal commission (of Victoria) on the marketing,
transporting, and storage of grain, dated May 28, 1913. This is
Victorian Railways Exhibit No. 131 it goes over very thoroughly the
entire question of handling grain in bulk under conditions in Vic¬
toria, which are very similar to those in all the other Australian
Stat^. Victorian Railways Exhibit No. 14 is the final report of
this same commission, dated October 14, 1913, and Exhibit No. 15 is
a copy of Metcalf jS: Co.'s report to the Victorian government, dated
March 11, 1916. In the Metcalf report an expenditure of about
$8,900,000 is contemplated for the erection of elevators to handle a
60,000,000-bushel annual wheat crop in Victoria. This project con¬
templates a terminal elevator at Williamstown (near Melbourne) of
3,000,000 bushels capacity, one at Geelong of 1,500,000 bushels, and
one at Portland of 550,000 bushels, with 230 country elevators with a
total capacity of 9,100,000 bushels and, in addition, country storage
in bins of 5,850,000 bushels. There is also an alternate scheme, esti¬
mated to cost $7,200,000, for the handling of a 40,000,000-bnshel crop.
South Australian Railways Exhibit No. 10 is a copy of the Metcalf
report to the South Australian government and the discussion of this
report when submitted to the South Australian Parliament. The
South Australian crop is estimated at 13,500,000 bushels annually,
and an expenditure of about $1,750,000 is estimated. This report was
made in 1915, and the discussion in Parliament was August 2, 1916.
A perusal of the above-mentioned exhibits will afford a very fair
idea of the problem created by the present method of handling wheat
in sacks in Australia. It will be an undertaking of considerable
magnitude to install and operate satisfactorily such a system of han¬
dling wheat in bulk. The situation is complicated somewhat by the
fact that public and private interests do not altogether coincide, as
well as by the sentiment with regard to the desirability of having
the business go to Australian contractors. It will be well for Ameri¬
can concerns to go oyer the matter very carefully if they at any time
decide to submit tenders for any of these propositions.
ROLLING STOCK.
The table on page 34 shows that New South Wales had the largest
amount of rolling stock on June 30, 1914, of any of the Australian
State railways, and this still held true June 30, 1916. All this equip¬
ment is carefully designed, substantially built, and well maintained.
A great deal of the equipment is erected in the railway department's
own workshops—Eveleigh railway shops and Randwick tramway
shops, both in the limits of the city of Sydney. In addition to taking
care of the repairs of all classes, the Eveleigh shops can build from
25 to 35 locomotives a year. A considerable amount of the remaining
Muipment requirements are furnished by the Clyde Engineering
Worlffl, at Clyde Junction, a short distance from Sydney. This con¬
cern at present has a contract for 50 locomotives a year for several
years, as well as contracts for various kinds of passenger carriages
20186'—18 4
50 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
and goods wagons. The Clyde Engineering Works have a fairly
well-equipped plant and are turning out a very creditable product.
They completed the erection of the two hundredth locomotive some
time in January, 1917, and have a capacity of more than 50 locomo¬
tives a year, in addition to a considerable amount of machinery other
than railway equipment. This is undoubtedly the best-equipped
concern manufacturing railway equipment in New South Wales, if
not the best in Australia.
New locomotives are being built with superheaters, although ^me
of the latest are being put into service before these are completed, on
account of inability to get the necessary parts and materials. The
type of superheater now being installed is known as the Eveleigh; it
was designed and is being manufactured at the Eveleigh shops. An
adaptation of valve gear has also been made and is manufactured at
the Eveleigh shops.
The heavier electrical equipment for the tramway rolling stock is
largely bought in America or England, including such items as elec¬
tric-car equipments complete, motor gears and pinions, but a very
considerable amount of the lighter parts, such as overhead contact
materials, car fixtures, and journal bearing supplies, are manufac¬
tured at the Randwick tramway shops. All tramway cars are now
being designed and built by the railway department in its own
shops, including the special equipment for the additions to the
Sydney metropolitan system.
WORKSHOPS.
The principal workshops of the New South Wales railway depart¬
ment are the railway shops at Eveleigh and tramway shops at Rand¬
wick. both in Sydney, and also well-equipped shops at Newcastle.
The Eveleigh shops are not only equipped for the making of all
classes of repairs to all classes of rolling stock, but are equipped to
design and erect a very considerable portion of the railways' normal
requirements for replacement and new rolling stock. The Newcastle
shops are equipped for handling all classes of repairs to both railway
and steam tramway rolling stock, and on occasion could do some
erection work. The electric tramway equipment is all handled at the
Randwick shops; this applies not only to all classes of repairs but to
the erection of new equipment. These shops are very well arranged
and equipped, resulting in the turning out of good products on what
is probably nearer a manufacturing basis than is the case with any
other railway shop in Australia. There are quite a noticeable amount
of American machine tools in all the above shops, and, in addition,
a great many of> them were on very good applications—probably be¬
cause of the fact that a large number of them were sold by a concern
that makes a study of the application of the machines it sells. Thif
is a good illustration of the point made later (p. 150) concerning the
importance of application engineering in the selling of AmeiiciV,
railway materials, equipment, and supplies in Australia.
TRAMWAY POWER HOUSES AND SUBSTATIONS.
The railway department has one large powerhouse, and another
in course of construction, for the furnishing of electrical current to
the tramways at Sydney. The present Ultimo power house's total
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 51
output of current for the year ended June 30, 1916, was 94,352,417
kilowatt hours, an increase of 797,858 kilowatt hours over the year
1915. A new power house is being built, known as the White Bay
power house, which will have an output greater than the above, and
this output can be doubled when necessary. This power house is
very complete and up-to-date in every particular and detail.
There are 13 substations in Sydney, all receiving alternating cur¬
rent at 6,000 volts and converting into direct current at 600 volts.
There are also 18 sets of Tudor or chloride storage batteries, with a
total capacity of about" 12,000 ampere hours. The equipment of
both the substation and storage batteries is being added to from
time to time. A great deal of the power house and substation equip¬
ment is of American material and manufacture, because of the fact
that several of the best American concerns in this line are very ably
represented in Australia.
RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the results of working of the railway
department roads for the years ended June 30, 1907, 1914, and 1916.
The year 1914 is considered the normal year for all the Australian
State railways. The figures are taken from the chief railway com-
niissioner's report, and no effort has been made to adjust some dis¬
crepancies between these and the Commonwealth statistician's figures.
These remarks apply also to the figures given later for the other
States.
Items.
Year ended June 30—
1907
1914
1916
3,452.75
3,427.50
3,967.50
3,958.50
4,188
4,168.75
$217,533,670
$63,000
$298,146,485
$75,150
$334,939,745
$79,975
$22,918,325
$12,164,990
$10,753,335
$7,780,120
-|-$2,973,215
63.08
4.96
-1-1.36
$37,677,615
$26,326,890
$11,.350,725
$10,168,525
+ $1,182,200
69.87
3.86
+0.40
$38,961,580
$27,550,075
$11,411,505
$12,500,380
-$1,088,875
70.71
3.45
-0.32
$6,686
$3,547
$3,139
$9,519
$6,652
$2,866
$9,348
$6,608
$2,740
12,949,068
41,413,084
8,803,832
$1.77
$0.93
$0.84
20,549,695
86,328,421
13,245,842
$1.83
$1.27
$0.66
21,656,034
92,850,838
11,915,500
$1.80
$1.27
$0.53
656
1,197
11,681
1,038
1,063
1,922
19,103
1,507
1,211
2,070
19,972
1,763
Total miles ot line open at end of year
Avefage miles of line open for year
C^>ital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Gross earnings
Working expenses "
Profit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio per cent
Percentage earned on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Ramies per average mile open
Working expenses per average niile open
Profit on working per average mile open
Train-miles run
Number of passengers carried
Long tons of goods and live stock carried
Earnings per bain-mile
Working expenses per train-mile
Profit on working per train-mile
Number of locomotiyea
Number of paaaenger carriages
Number ofnodi wagons and brake vans
Number of dapartment locomotives, wagons, etc
The following table shows the results of working for all the New
South Wales tramways for the years ended June 30, 1907, 1914, and
52 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
1916. As regards the Australian tramways, no particular year has
been selected as representing the normal year:
Items.
Total miles of line open at end of year ^
Average miles of line open for year
Capital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Gross earnings
Working expenses
Profit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio per cent
Percentage earned on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open
Profit on working per average mile open
Train-miles run
Number of passengers carried
Earnings per train-mile
Working expenses per train-mile
Profit on working per train-mile
Number of steam motors
Number of steam ears
Number of motor cars (electric)
Number of trailers
Number of department service and other vehicles
Year ended June 30—
1907
1914
1916
128.75
127.25
212.17
210
220.83
220.2S
$17,857,740
$138,700
$37,124,840
$174,975
/ $39,741,900
$179,975
$4,422,195
$3,542,555
$879,640
$641,370
-f $238,270
80.11
4.93
-1-1.33
$9,412,610
$8,122,350
$1,290,260
$1,282,084
-t-$8,175
86.29
3.72
■fO.02
$9,692,260
$7,799,340
$1,892,920
$1,473,020
-f $419,900
80.47
182
-t-1.06
$34,750
$27,840
$6,910
$44,805
$38,665
$6,140
$44,000
$35,405
$8,595
16,620,434
155,017,982
$0,265
$0.215
$0,050
28,415,476
310,592,698
$0,330
$0,285
$0,045
26,451,442
292,021,774
$0,365
$0,295
$0,070
60
76
681
48
43
22
73
1,375
21
100
22
80
1,391
11
104
ORGANIZATION.
The working or operating organization of all tlie Australian State
railways, as already explained, is typical of the dei>artmental or (what
is probably a better term for Australia) the " branch " organization,
in that each branch is complete in itself and its luad reports directly
to the executive head of the department as a whole. The ministerial
head of the New South Wales railway department is the minister of
public works and railways. The executive head of the department
is the chief railway commissioner, assisted by a deputy chief com¬
missioner and two assistant commissioners. The chief railway com¬
missioner is given very general authority as regards matters of policy
and administration, and all four commissioners .are appointed for a
term of seven years. The deputy chief commissioner assumes the
duties of the chief commissioner in the event of the latter s absence or
incapacity for duty. The following diagram shows the organization
of railways and tramways as a whole, subordinate to the head offi¬
cials mentioned above:
KAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 63
Branches.
Duties.
Titles of chief officials.
Secretary
Stores
Accounts
Audits
Other general.
BAILWAYS.
Traffic
Mechanical.
Permanent way.
Signals
BAILWAYS AUn TBAMWAYS.
Electrical.
TBAMWAYS.
Traffic
Permanent way.
BAILWAY ANn TBAMWAY
CONSTBUCTION.
Surveys
Construction
Metropolitan construction...
All general secretarial work of the
railway department.
Purchase, receipt, custody, and issue
of all stores.
Accounting, railways, sind tramways
department.
Auditing, railways and tramways
department.
Includes general duties, such as those
of the solicitor for railways, medical
officer, etc.
All transportation of passengers and
goods and station service.
Construction, maintenance, and oper¬
ation of all roiling stock.
Maintenance of all way and works
Construction and maintenance of all
signals, staff and lock and block.
All tramway roiling stock and railway
and tramway electrical equipment,
lighting, telegraphs, and telephones.
All transportation of tramway traffic.,
Maintenance of tramway way and
works.
Surveys of new lines of railway
Construction of new lines of railway...
Construction of Sydney metropolitan
railways.
Secretary; assistant secretary.
Comptroller of stores.
Chief accountant; assistant chief
accountant.
Traffic auditor.
Solicitor for railways;
officer; estate agent.
medical
Superintendent of lines; goods
manager.
Chief mechanical engineer.
Engineer in chief of existing lines.
Signal engineer.
Electrical engineer.
Tramway traffic superintendent.
Engineer of tramways.
Engineer of surveys.
Chief engineer.
Chief engineer of metropolitan rail¬
way construction.
The secretary is shown as the ranking official, this position being
one of the most important on all the Australian State railways. All
official communications to the railway commissioners should be trans¬
mitted through the secretary. The construction branch of the New
South Wales railway department has the unusual arrangement of
being divided into three sections, the head of each section reporting
directly to the chief railway commissioner. This is probably a
feature of the organization of this branch that has come down from
the time when it was a branch of the department of public works.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a directory of the principal officers of both the
railways and tramways, arranged in the order of the organization
diagram:
Position.
Name.
Location.
Minister of public works and railways..
Chief commissioner for railways
Deputy chief commissioner for railways
Aenstant commissioner for railways
Do
Secretary
Assistant secretary
Com^roUer of stores
Chief stores assistant
Tramways storekeeper
Chief aceonntant
Hon. Richard T. Bail
James Eraser
Edmund Milne
John Henry Cann
Henry Fox
James S. Spur way...
Wiiiiam J. Morris
Hugh Mortimer
Albert L. D. Long...
Alfred T. Manton
George Macoun
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Eveieigh.
Do.
Rand wick.
Sydney.
54 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAISD.
Assistant chief accountant
Traffic auditor
Solicitor for railways
Assistant solicitor for railways.
Medical officer
Assistant medical officer
Estate a^ent
Advertising manager
Sujierintendent of the lines
Assistant superintendent of the lines.
Goods manager
Rolling-stock suporinlendent
District superintendent
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Chief mechanical engineer
Superintendent of locomotive running
Locomotive outdoor superintendent
Assistant locomotive outdoor superintendent
Locomotive outdoor superintendent
Assistant locomotive outdoor superintendent
Locomotive outdoor superintendent
Assistant locomotive outdoor superintendent
Locomotive outdoor superintendent
Assistant locomotive outdoor superintendent
General works manager
Assistant works manager
Superintendent carriage and wagon shops
Assistant superintendent carriage and wagon shops,
Works manager
Engineer in chief of existing lines.
Assistant chief engineer
Supervising engineer
Chief draftsman
Chief clerk
Divisional engineer
Do
Do
Do
Signal engineer
Assistant signal engineer
Assistant for electrical signaling.
Outdoor assistant
General foreman
Power signal inspector .
Inspector
Do
Do :
Do
Do
Electrical engineer
Assistant electrical engineer
Chief clerk
Works manager
Acting assistant works manager
Supermtendent Ultimo power house
Electrical superintendent I'itimo power house
Mechanical superintendent White Day power house
Electrical superintendent White Bay power house.
Mains supermtendent
Rolling-stock supermtendent ] [ ] ^
Assistant to rolling-stock superintendent !.!!
Chief telegraph inspector
Tele^aph inspector !.!!!!!!
Do!!!;!;;;!!!!;;;;!;;;;;;";;;
Do
Do
Chief operator
Assistant chief operator
Foreman electrical repair shop ...I'!..
Richard Bourke
WiUiam H. Denneen..
James Cargill
Fred W. Bertnall
Dr. George H. Taylor.
Dr. T. L. O'Reilly....
P. S. Hunt
John Murray
Charles A. Hodgson Do.
John Mars Do.
T. Mei'-lejohn Do.
G. II. Griffin Do.
P. Smith Do.
J. D. Reid Goulbum.
J. Horan Junee.
R. Attwili Eskhank.
M. B. Donrullan Orange.
C. James Newcastle.
A.Allen Murrurundi.
R. F. W. Graham Lismore.
Ernest E. Lucy
Alfred E. Heaydon...
Frederick Bracey
Robert Hambliii
Edward A. Loughry.
Walter Meehan
Charles II. Stranger..
Henry Kirkby
Ernest Taylor
Frederick Garside
John Scoular
John Warren
William Elston
Hugh Rose
Nicholas AUerdyce...
Robert Kendall
Robert L. Rcmkin.,
Frederick Moore
Thomas II. Close
Henry E. Sherlock.,
Da\-id C. Simpson..
Edward Beddulph..
Thomas A. Melrose.
Harold S. Vogan
Cyril B. Byles
William K. Johnson...
Walter E. Barton
Alexander W. Thomas.
Percy W. Tredale
William Rowe
Owen Jones
George T. Sp
David Chil<fc.
Colin -Martin
John A. Adams.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Tramway-trafflo superintendent
Assistant tramway-traffic superintendent.
Outdoor superintendent
Orlando W. Brain
Thomas P. Strickland
F. W. McAllester
Frank B. Shenstone
Christopher J. lee
James P. Hutchinson
William S. Comer
Leslie Bryant
Ernest Bate
Robert D. Dixon
Howard Harrison
Francis C. Macnab
Horatio V. Mackenzie
Charles B. Barton
Hugh Thomson
Francis F. Archer
Samuel Redshaw
Ernest Jeater :
Stephen H. Mawson
George H. McGarrity
Alfred W. A. Poole
Edward J. Doran.
Charles N. Neale..
Jacob Herman....
Eveleigh.
Do.
Sydney.
Do.
Goulbum.
Do.
Orange.
Do.
Newcastle.
Do.
Eveleigh.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Honeysuckle Point.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Goulbum.
Bathurst.
Newcastle.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Mount Victoria.
Cootamtmdra.
Newcastle.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Rand wick.
Do.
Ultimo.
Do.
White Bay.
Do.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Redfem.
Goulbum.
Katoomba.
Newcastle.
Sydney.
Do.
Redfem.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
KAILWAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTBALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 55
Position.
Location.
District superintendent
Do
Do
Do
Officer in diarge
Bnaineer of tramways
As^tant engineer
(Uef inspector
Inspector
Do
Do
Chief surveyor
Supervising surveyor
Do
<3tief engineer of railway construction
Deputy engineer of railway construction
Inspecting engineer
Do
Besident engineer
Do
Design^ engineer
Bupervismg engineer of tramways
Resident engineer
Chief engineer of metropolitan railway construction
Des^iing engineer
Besident engineer
In England:
Agent-general
Secretary
Consulting engineer
In America:
Chief commissioner's agents
Agent-general's inspecting engineers
Henry J. Mark
Thomas Perkes
George Holt
Norman J. Munro
William H. J. Shelverlon
George K. Cowdery
Arthur G, Wray
Edward Silcocks :..
John Mitchell
John C. Harford
William Cooper
A. L. Lloyd
J. J. Jamieson
C. A. Edwardes
William Hutchinson
J. M. Stowell
J. D. Simpson
F. E. Wickham
G. V. Mocatta
W. S. Thorn
J. W. Roberts
S. W. Conyers
W. R. Beaver
J. J. C. Bradfield
L. M. Roberts
A. D. J. Foster
W. F. Burrow
Hon. Beruhard Ringrose
Wise, K. C.
Thomas G. White
W. Shellshear.
R. W. Cameron & Co
Pittsburgh Testing Labora¬
tories.
Sydney.
Do
North Sydney.
Newcastle.
Broken Hill.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Newcastle.
Sydney.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
London.
123-125 Cannon
Street, London.
64 Victoria Street,
Westminster, SW.
New York City.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
STORES BRANCH.
ORGANIZATION AND FUNDS.
The comptroller of stores is the head of the stores branch; he re¬
ports to and is responsible to the chief commissioner for railways.
He has a complete organization for the purchase, inspection, pay¬
ment, care, distribution, and accounting of stores.
The treasury department provides a trust fund, known as the
" railway stores advance account," from which payment is made for
all stores unless the purchase is for new property to be charged to
capital cost, when it is charged against the proper voted credit, or
for renewal of rolling stock or other similar purposes, when it is
charged directly against working expenses.
PERIODICAL CONTRACTS.
Periodical contracts are made for fixed periods, and the quantities
are estimated but not definitely fixed. These contracts are usually
made annually, but when sufficient inducement in price is offered
they are at times entered into for longer periods. The stores covered
by periodical contracts are usually merchandise or standard require¬
ments and are ordered from day to day as required to meet the needs
of the various branches or as considered necessary to be carried in
stock. This arrangement works out very well, as a rule, particularly
56 RAILWAY MATERIALS IK AUSTRALIA AKD KEW ZEALAKD.
from the railway's standpoint, but the contractors at timM find a
tendency on the part of the stores branch to call for requirement^
when it is desired to keep stocks down, in such small lots as to entail
unnecessary expense. Tenders for periodical contracts are called for
and recommendations for their acceptance made by the comptroller
of stores to the chief railway commissioner. The prices are invited
on a net basis. The quantities used during the preceding year are
shown the tenderers as a ^ide to the quantities that will be required.
Payment for these stores is made promptly as the deliveries are
called for and made from time to time. All stores received are
checked against orders as issued to the contractors, principally to
see that deliveries are made promptly. Any stores that are not sup¬
plied within seven days are summarized on lists to each contractor.
These lists are forwarded to the contractors with such notes as the
emergency may demand. When deliveries are not made in the time
required, purchase is made wherever the goods are procurable, and
any excess over contract price is debited to the contractors.
SPECIAL CONTRACTS.
Special contracts for specific quantities are made from time to time,
deliveries being arranged according to circumstances—sometimes to
be completed in one delivery at a specified time, in other cases to cover
deliveries in lots on dates arranged, with penalties for late supply.
Payment for these stores is made promptly as they are received
Tenders for special contracts for fixed quantities are frequently in¬
vited by the engineer at the head of the mechanical, existing-lines,
and electrical branches. These special contracts include such require¬
ments as can be manufactured in Australia.
PURCHASES WITHOUT CONTRACT.
Special tenders on standard quotation forms or on special forms
are invited for requirements that are not covered by other contracts.
Such items are listed daily, and these lists are circulated on the same
day among firms likely to quote. Where these requirements are of
considerable value or necessitate extended specifications, prices are
called for on a special quotation form and a definite time is fixed
for closing offers. The larger proposals to purchase are submitted
to the chief commissioner for authority before the order is placed.
The smaller purchases are made by the comptroller of stores.
OVEILSEA PURCHASES.
Orders are forwarded to the agent-general in London when the
materials required are of British or Continental production and to
the chief commissioner's buying agents in New York City when the
goods are of American production. In such cases the agent-general
is provided with funds when the order is forwarded. The agent-
general obtains the goods mainly by publicly advertised tenders but
sometimes by private negotiations. The date for receiving tenders
that are invited annually is ordinarily in the month of February,
and such contracts provide for deliveries to commence July 1 follow-
ing. Pric^ are invited on a net basis. The quantities used during
the preceding year are shown the tenderers as a guide to the amounts
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 57
required. The chief commissioner's buying agent in America, as a
general rule, is furnished funds to pay for purchases promptly on
receipt of the complete export shipping papers.
Orders for items of a general character are prepared by the comp¬
troller of stores, but orders requiring technical specifications are pre¬
pared by the engineers at the head of the branches for which the
materials are required; when approved, the orders are forwarded
through the colonial treasurer.
CUSTOMS DUTIES.
The New South Wales railway department must pay duties on all
imports the same as any other importer. All customs entries are
passed by the comptroller of stores, and the American manufacturer
should always remember to include in his papers a statement of the
value of the materials in America, so as to enable the duties to be
paid by the comptroller of stores.
The New South Wales railway department no doubt secures a sub¬
stantial benefit from the arrangement of prompt payment for pur¬
chases made in America, particularly as compared with some of the
other State railways in Australia that require delivery and inspection
in Australia before making payment for goods.
V. VICTORIAN RAILWAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
As previously mentioned, the Melbourne-toTMount Alexander was
the first line of railway built in Victoria and early in its history was
taken over by the colonial government. The second line was between
Melbourne and Geelong, and, although granted very liberal rights
and also given government assistance, it soon got into financial do¬
cilities and was taken over by the government in 1860. The third
line was a short line between Melbourne and Hobsons Bay, which
did very well financially and built several extensions, but when it
became the settled policy of the government to own and operate all
railways it was taken over with the other lines. The first railway
to reach the rich Riverina district was built by the Victorian gov¬
ernment from Melbourne to Echuca in 1864. Since that time a
number of other lines have been built to.the New South Wales and
South Australian borders, these being the only cases in Australia
where one State has built to the border of another State and drawn
the tiaffic therefrom, with the exception of the South Australian
line to Broken Hill in connection with the Silverton Tramway.
EXTENT OF PRESENT AND PROJECTED LINES.
Reference to the map of Victoria shows the railways fairly well
distributed over the entire State, but a very considerable amount will
still have to be built to develop fully all the productive country, a
larger part of Victoria being productive agriculturally than any of
the other Australian States, except Tasmania. The railways of Vic¬
toria can probably be best divided between (1) the country lines over
the State, including the two interstate lines to Sydney and Adelaide,
and (2) the suburban lines at Melbourne. The Melbourne suburban
traffic is of very great volume, and it is said that the train move¬
ments and passenger travel through the Flinders Street Station are
the largest for any one station in the world. All these suburban
lines are now being electrified in a very complete and up-to-date
manner. The estimated cost of these improvements is in excess of
$12,000,000, exclusive of the cost of rearranging the signal system
and of the new and rearranged carriages, which will involve the ex¬
penditure of several millions more. An American electrical com¬
pany is furnishing a large part of the electrical equipment.
No extensive additions to the Victorian railways are contemplated,
but in the future, as in the past, the policy will no doubt be followed
of gradually extending the lines to develop the country and en¬
courage settlement on the land, which is desired in all of Australia,
and particularly in the productive portions of Victoria.
The only really large center of population in Australia where
there is not a completely unified system of tramwaiys is at Melbourne
58
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 59
and the several municipalities constituting the Melbourne suburban
district. The Melbourne cable tramway has been recently taken over
through the municipality of Melbourne and is now being operated
by a tramway board. The railway department operates a line of 5.16
miles and is building another of some 7 miles, both electrically oper¬
ated, and these will both draw current from the new power house
for the railway electrification when this is completed. In addition,
there are in greater Melbourne three systems of municipally owned
and operated electric tramways and one small system of privately
owned and operated electric tramways. The municipal tramways
are owned by several combinations of the municipalities constituting
greater Melbourne. On the completion of the electrification of the
suburban railway lines, and in view of the fact that the new power
house is capable of carrying the load, it would seem that this one re¬
maining instance of non-unification in Australia should be taken in
hand and the entire situation at Melbourne brought under one con¬
trol and management. The connecting up and electrifying of the
Melbourne tramways, however, is an undertaking of considerable
magnitude and will require a large expenditure.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
With the exception of 122 miles of light line, the gauge of all the
Victorian railways is 5 feet 3 inches, and there is a considerable feel¬
ing of objection on the part of laymen to a reduction to the 4 foot
inch gauge, since they think that such a change would involve a
.sacrifice of advantage and comfort. Although the country is not so
rough and broken, as a rule, as in New South Wales, still the'loca¬
tion of railways to get good alignment and easy grades is both diffi¬
cult and expensive, with the result that the lines have been built with
a good deal of curvature and grades up to 2 per cent are quite
common. The roadbed and structures are substantially built, the
track is well ballasted, and, as a rule, a superior tie is used. The
Australian practice (probably on account of the superior timber and
the lighter wheel load) is to use only about 75 per cent as many
ties as are used in America on lines of the same general standard.
The dimensions of the tie on the Victorian railways are 9 feet by 8
inches by 5 inches, a thinner tie than the American being permissi¬
ble for the reasons just stated. It is obvious, however, that consid¬
erable benefit would be gained by the use of a thicker tie, one in¬
stance being the very fifil ballast section used at points where the
rail gives trouble by creeping.
In recent years, to provide cheaper lines, there was a resort to the
expedient of building lines of 2-foot 6-inch gauge to develop some
of the more remote agricultural districts. There were 122 miles of
these lines built, but the operating results have not been entirely
satisfactory, and it is doubtful whether any more such lines will be
buUt in the future.
WAY AND WORKS.
As regards way and works, the conditions and practices are much
the same in Victoria as in New South Wales. The railways manu¬
facture a considerable part of their requirements in their own work-
60 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
shops, and the firm of Tliompson & Co., at Castlernaine, Victoria,
furnishes a substantial share of the remainder, including dog spikes,
points and crossings, guardrails, switch stands, and similar parts.
Most of the bridge and structural materials are fabricated in the
Newport workshops. The present practice for bridges is to design
a structure cai)able of carrying a load the equivalent of Cooper E-50
and, in addition, arranged for a maximum axle load of 56,000
pounds. This practice is fairly representative of the bridge con¬
struction on the other Australian railways. A great deal of atten¬
tion has been given to the use of rail anchors or anticreepers on the
Victorian railways, with very satisfactory results. A device of this
kind is much needed on account of the creeping of the rail. This is a
source of great trouble on all the Australian railways, particularly
in the drier regions. The Vaughn anchor is one that has been most
satisfactory, though several others have been used with good results.
With the growing use of heavier wheel loads and also the use of the
electrified equipment in the suburban zone at Melbourne, there should
be an opportunity for the introduction of an effective guardrail
clamp around turnouts. This device is not used by the Australian
railways, which depend on rail braces and chairs.
The best of the Victorian eucalyptus timbers for crossties are the
" gi"®! box" and " iron box"; both of these make very superior
railway ties. The writer saw samples of each that had been put in
the track in 1861 and removed in 1916 (a total of 55 years), and
both were still in serviceable condition—in fact, they would have
lasted many years yet if they had been provided with improved rail
fastenings. ImiDroved rail fastenings have not been used in the past
on account of the exjaense of such appliances as compared with the
low cost of ties and the .cheaper supply of dog spikes in Australia.
The reason for the seating of the rail on the tie and the drilling of the
tie for the dog spikes is the necessity of performing these operations
before the tie goes into the track, as it is impossible, on account of the
extreme hardness of the wood, to do them afterwards. The present
cost of this best grade of ties is $1.03, and the cost of second-class ties
of "red gums," "red boxes," "mess mates," and "stringy bark" is
$0.85. These second-grade timbers are very much superior to any
of the American timbers used for ties; they all give an average life
of 15 or 16 yeais, but are all subject to the ravages of the white ant.
None of these timbers are susceptible of treatment along the lines of
the successful treatments used in America on account of the impossi¬
bility of impregnation into the dense timber. Some of the ties, par¬
ticularly the jarrah from Western Australia used by the South
Austi|alian railways, are treated with a solution of molasses and
arsenic to prevent attack by the white ants, but this treatment is
practicable only in the very dry districts.
The assistant engineer of way has made some very interesting in¬
vestigations as to the life of ties on the Victorian railways, ^^ich
show that during a period of 20 yeai*s ended June 30, 1915, a total of
5,498,000 ties had been used for renewals. This works out at about
275,000 annually on an average single-track mileage of 4,246, making
65 ties to the year per mile of track, or 3^ per cent of the whole
number used. This included parts of the lines much in excess of 20
years; in fact, it included all the older parts of the lines. Many of
the ties exceed the minimum dimensions of 9 feet by 8 inches by 5
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 61
inches, as a considerable number of half-round ties are received in
some places. Many of the ties are worn out mechanically; in fact,
most of the ties that the writer saw being taken out of the track were
being removed on account of the wearing out of the fastenings—
some of this being caused very largely by rail creeping and motion
at rail joints. It is very likely that in the next few years the Austra¬
lian railways will be compelled to adopt an improved method of rail
fastening and make more effective use of rail anchors. If this is
done it will result in a remarkably long life for the crossties where
they are not attacked by white ants.
Attention is called to Victorian Railway Exhibits Nos. 9 and 10
(see p. 161). The first is a copy of the instructions of the way and
works branch and illustrates the method of seating and fastening the
. rail to the ties, which requires the rail to be seated on the tie and the
holes for the dog spikes bored before it is put in the track. Exhibit
No. 11 shows the details of the plate layers' (trackmen's) tools used
on the Victorian railways, which are representative of the practice
on the other Australian railways.
SIGNALS.
As already stated, the Victorian railways have taken up the instal¬
lation of the latest methods of three-position and three-speed signal¬
ing. This applies particularly to the suburban district at ^Melbourne
now being electrified, where this improved method of signaling is be¬
ing installed in a very complete manner. The other lines are worked
with lock and block for double-track lines and staff for single-track
lines. It would seem that there are a number of the single-track lines
where the use of the selective telephones for the operation of " central
control" would expedite the traffic.
ROLLING STOCK.
The general remarks about the New South Wales rolling stock
^PPly very largely to that of the Victorian railways, except that the
latter is of 5-foot 3-inch gauge. The same type of car coupler, with
almost the same details, is used. The air-brake equipment is much
the same. Robinson superheaters and Stone axle electric car lighting
are both used extensively. The railways manufacture a considerable
amount of their own requirements, such as engine lagging and in¬
jectors, and erect at the Newport shops most of their own rolling
stock.
The locomotives on the Victorian railways are typical of the Aus¬
tralian practice of designing, building, and maintaining engines with
a view to obtaining a very much longer life than is considered eco¬
nomical in America. One frequently sees locomotives in regular
service that have been in such service for periods of more than 30
years. It is quite probable that the Australians are warranted in
going to a much greater length than would be justified in America,
on account of the high cost of transport, as well as of materials and
labor. The latest goods locomotive, class H-GQGQo, now in course
of .erection at the Newport shops, will weigh, complete, in road-
worthy condition (including tender) about 285,000 pounds. The
heaviest axle load will be about 41,000 pounds and the tractive effort
62 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
about 36,150 potmds. This, when completed, will he one of the most
powerful locomotives in Australia.
Thompson & Co., of Castlemaine, Victoria, now have contracts for
building a number of locomotives and other rolling stock, and these
contracts extend over several years. They had already been manu¬
facturing way and works materials, and the equipment contracts
were given them in order to enable them to develop their plant, so as
to make it available at such times as the railway department could
not take care of all its own requirements. This is a good example of
the policy of not only encouraging erection in Australia but of keep¬
ing it in the State where the rolling stock is needed. This applies
equally to Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
WORKSHOPS.
The main workshops of the Victorian railways are at Newport,
near Melbourne, where the normal force is more than 5,000 men.
They are well equijDped to handle all classes of repairs to all classes
of rolling stock and, in addition, can erect 50 locomotives, 100 pas¬
senger carriages, and 1,000 goods wagons a year. The shops are com¬
plete and handle the work in a satisfactory manner. While some of
the machinery has been in service a good many years, most of it is
still doing good work, an illustration being a Whitworth wheel-turn¬
ing lathe that has been in service for 50 years, but is still turning
out its quota of wheels every day. This practice of retaining such
equipment for very long periods has much more to commend it in
Australia than in America, on account of the expense of transport
and the long time required to secure and install the machinery.
New and complete district shops are being built and are now near-
ing completion at Ballarat and Bendigo.
STATE COAL MINES.
The Victorian government owns and operates coal mines at Won-
thaggi, Victoria. These mines are operated under the direction of
the minister of railways, and the result of the operations for the year
ended June 30, lOKl. was a profit of $7,775 after allowance had been
made for interest, depreciation, and a contribution to a sinking fund.
The gross output of coal for the year amounted to 452,799 tons (of
2,240 pounds), of which 275,658 tons were consumed by the railway
department, 12,318 tons were disposed of to other public departments,
and 145,546 tons of slack coal were sold to the public. The remainder,
amounting to 10,277 tons, is accounted for by local consumption, sales
to miners, and waste. The mine furnished employment to an average
of 1,01|> employees, and the net average earnings of the miners, after
deducting the cost of explosives and lights, were $3.53 per day.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 63
WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the working results for the Victorian
railways for the years ended June 30, 1906,1914, and 1916:
Items.
Total miles of 5-foot 3-ineh gauge open at end of year
Total miles of 2-foot 6-inch gauge open at end of year
Total miles of line open at end of year
Average miles of line open for year
Capital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Gross earnings
W orking expenses
Profit on working
Special and abnormal charges
Pensions and gratuities
Interest charges and expenses
Total special and abnormal charges, pensions and gratui¬
ties, and interest charges and expenses
Net profit or deficit
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Earnings per average mile of line open
Train-miles run
Number of ^senwrs carried
Tcais of goods and live stock carried
Earnings per train-mile
Number of locomotives
Number of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and other vehicles
Year ended Jime 30—
1906
3,312.30
81.60
3,393.90
3,393.90
1201,463,550
$59,360
$18,432,445
$9,728,245
$8,704,200
$572,020
$484,885
$7,165,420
$8,223,325
-f $481,875
-1-0.24
$5,431
9,392,069
65,088,394
3,676,017
$1.96
511
1,228
10,951
1914
3,712.95
121.90
3,834.85
3,747
$241,519,830
$62,980
$27,162,245
$18,363,705
$8,798,540
$549,255
$8,162,920
$8,712,175
-|-$86,365
-fO.36
$7,222
15,028,649
116,611,448
5,816,088
$1.80
735
1,460
18,217
1916
3,978.50
121.90
4,100.40
3,955
$265,715,415
$64,800
$27,888,660
$18,142,275
$9,746,385
$1,422,300
$590,465
$9,378,265
$11,391,010
-$1,644,645
-0.62
$7,022
13,826,538
115,771,238
5,829,835
$2
1,584
19,778
It will be noticed that the income figures do not agree with those
shown in the tables on pages 29 and 34. This is accounted for by
the fact that the earnings of the 5.16 miles of electrically operated
tramways are included in the above table. The deficit of $1,644,645
in 1916 and $4,099,715 in 1915 is causing the authorities much con¬
cern, and Mr. Thomas L. Johnson, formerly chief railway commis¬
sioner of New South Wales, has been retained and is now in Vic¬
toria investigating and reporting as to what can be done to put the
Kailway Department on a basis to meet its own obligations.
ORGANIZATION.
The organization of the Victorian Railways makes the Minister of
Railways the parliamentary head and the three railway commis¬
sioners the administrative heads of the department. The subordi¬
nate branches and officials are:
64 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Branches.
GENERAL.
Secretary
Stores
Accounts
Audits
Other general.
technical.
Traflic
Telegraph..
Mechanical.
Electrical..
Way and works
Railway construction...
State coal mines
Sub-branches and duties.
Titles of chief officials.
Ail general secretarial work of the rail- Secretary.
way department.
Purchase, inspection, receipt, custody, and ; fChief storeweper.
issue of all stores. lIAssistant chief storekeeper.
/Chief accountant.
Accoimting /Assistant chief accountant.
Auditing
Printing, rates and tariffs, and regulations..
,\11 transportation of passengers and goods,
and station service.
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of telegraphs and telephones.
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of rolling stock.
Construction and maintenance of all elec¬
trical works.
(Way: Construction and maintenance
Works: Construction and maintenance
Signals: Construction and maintenance...
Survej', location, and construction of all
new lines of railway.
Operation of mines
Railway auditor.
/General passenger and frei^t agaiL
/Superintendent of printing.
General superintendent of tisns-
portation.
Superintendent of telegraphs.
Chief mechanical engineer.
Electrical engineer.
{Chief engineer of way and works.
Engineer of way.
Engineer of works.
Engineer of signals.
Chief engineer of railway construc¬
tion.
/General manager.
/Mine manager.
It will be noticed that the way and works branch is divided into
three sub-branches. This division of the permanent-way work is
carried out to a greater extent than in any of the other States,
although to a certain degree a similar condition obtains in all of
them. Each sub-branch has its own organization for the complete
handling of its part of the work. The electrical branch is a sepa¬
rate organization and is now a very important part of the depart¬
ment on account of the electrification of the jNlelbourne suburban
district.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a directory of the principal officers of the Vic¬
torian railways, arranged in the same order as the diagram of
organization. The general otfice.s are at iNIelbourne, Victoria.
Position.
Mimster of Railways
Secretary to Minister of Railways
Commissioner, chairman
Commissioner
Do ;;;;;
Secretary for raiiways
Chief clerk '
Chief storekeeper ^'
Assistant storekeeper
Chief accountant ]^
Assistant accoiuitant b
Auditor of disbursements
Auditor of receipts
General passenger and freight agent.!!!! ^
Superintendent of printing
General superintendent of transportation
Superintendent of passenger tram service
Superintendent of goods train service
Superintendent of station service
Metropolitan superintendent
Name.
Hon. H. McKenr.ie, M. L. A
T. P. Lynch
C. E. Norman.
L. McCleliand.
E. B. Jones
fi. H. Sutton
J. S. Rees
t\ W. J. Coleman.
W. D. Morgan....
T. F. Brennan....
H. W. Ward
H. A. Mcllwraith.
W. O. Ritchie
W. E. Kearst
Alwyn Valentine..
T. B. Molomby.
J. Tleraey
C. Miscamble
C. H. Barber
1. Conian
Location.
Melbourne.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
BAILWAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 65
Position.
Location.
District superintendent
Do
Do
Do
Do
Relieving district superintendent
Melbourne goods superintendent
Superintendent of Melbourne yards.
Inspector of refreshment rooms
Telegraph superintendent
Chief clerk, telegraph branch.
Telegraph mspector
Chief mechanical engineer
Assistant chief mechanical engineer..;
Superintendent of locomotive running
Superintendent of locomotive supplies
Metropolitan rolling-stock inspector
Northeastern rolling-stock mspector
Northern rolling-stock inspector
Western rolling-stock inspector
Workshops manager (Newport shops)
Assistant workshops manager (Newport shops).
Chief foreman, metropolitan car shops
Chief electrical engineer
Chief clerk, electrical branch
Chief engineer way and works
Assistant chief engineer way and works (engineer
of way).
Assistant engineer of way
Superintendmg roadmaster
Do
Do
Do
Metropolitan roadmaster
Do
Do
Engineer of works
Inspecting engineer of works
Inspector of ironwork
Metropolitan workmaster
Structural engineer
Engineer (gram elevators)
Engineer of signals
Asastant engineer of signals
Special engineer of signals
Do
Chief architect
Chief engineer for raiiway construction
Asslstani chief engineer for railway construction.
Inspecting engineer
Asastant inspecting engineer
Superintendent of construction
Sui>erlntendmg surveyor
State coal mines (operated by the Railway Depart¬
ment):
General manager of coal mines
Mine manager
In England:
Agent general
F. J. Kilmartin..
J. Fitzpatrick
W. F. Jones
K. Grant
C. F. Smith
C. D. Hall
F. P. J. Moloney.
B. Fitzpatrick...
W. S. Fraser
W. A. Holmes.
W. L. Lumley.
B. E. Doyle
W. A. Shannon.
A. E. Smith
T. Burgess
G. Lorcman
G. Locke
C. J. Duncan
W. H. Jones
E. J. Dillon
R. Ferguson....
E. W. Arthur...
H. Rees
W. Stone
S. W. Ramsey.
J. H. Fraser...
E. H. Ballard.
J. M. Ashworth...
P. C. Shanaughan.
W. Ley
E. Richards
L. McDonald
J. McDermott
D. McKay
T. O'Brien
W. R. Reimick
N. Bemie
J. Cameron
G. W. Reed
A. Goudy
F. W. Box
F. M. Calcutt
C. Ralston
C. W. Prescott
G. H. Wion
J. W. Hanley
M. E. Kemot
H. O. B. Sheeran.
G. F. Beauchamp.
A. W. L. Paul
G. 8. Rees
M. F. Egan
G. H. Brome.
J. McLeeth...
Secretary lot the agent general.
Sir P. McBride, K. B..
H. G. W. Neaie
Melbourne.
Ballarat.
Maryborough.
Bendigo.
Seymore.
Melbourne.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Bendigo.
Ballarat.
New^rt.
Melbourne.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Wonthaggi.
Do.
Melbourne Place,
Strand, London.
Do.
STORES.
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD.
The administration of all stores for the Victorian Railways is
under the control of a stores board, consisting of a commissioner, the
chief mechanical engineer, the chief engineer of way and works, the
general superintendent of transportation, the chief accountant, the
20186°—18 5
66 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
telegraph superintendent, and the chief storekeeper. The head of
any branch other than those just mentioned may be required to at¬
tend any meeting of the stores board at which matters especially
affecting such branch may be brought forward, in order to mfonn
or advise the board, which meets once each month or oftener if nec¬
essary. Three members form a quorum. The board keeps and con¬
firms minutes, which are submitted for the approval of flie c<OTinis-
sioners. Matters relating to stores'that require attention during in¬
tervals between meetings of the stores board are dealt with by the
chairman of the stores board, and a list of all matters so dealt with is
brought under notice of the board at its next meetii^ and included in
the minutes thereof. Copies of the minutes are forwarded to the
members of the board, and unless it is shown on such copies that the
commissioners disapprove thereof such minutes are to be acted on
without further authority.
The head of the stores branch is the chief storekeeper. He is re¬
sponsible to the stores board and submits to the board recommen¬
dations and reports on matters referred to in the stores regulati^
The chief storekeeper has under his direction a complete organinr
tion for the purchase, inspection, receipt, payment, custody, and
issue of all stores.
FUNDS.
The fund from which purchase of stores is effected is known as the
" Stores suspense account." This was established by a law passed
in 1896, known as act 1439, section 30, which reads in part as fol¬
lows :
(1) For the purpose of this act the board and corainissioners shall establish
a fund to he called " The r:uhvays stores suspense account."
(2) The said fund shall from time to time he credited with the value of such
stores as may from time to time be issued for use on works in connection with
the Victorian Railways, the expenditure on which is chargeable either to loans
.authorized or amounts approiu-iated by parliament, and such loans or accounts
shall be debited with the value of the stores used in the said works.
(3) For the purpose of the said fund, actual value of the stores under the
control of tiie board and commissioners on the day before the commencements
tills act shall be determined by the inspector general of public works, the rail
way auditor, and the railway accountant, and the difference between such actual
value and the book value of such stores shall be charged in the railway books of
account to stores depreciation account.
(4) The proceeds of the sale of any of said stores shall be placed to the
credit of the said fund.
(5) There may be issued and applied for the purchase of railway stores any
moneys at the credit of the said fund.
(6) In the construction of all new lines of railways and of new rolling stock
it shall be the duty of the board and the commissioners, respectively, to make
use of the stores for the time being on hand unless the same are unfit or un¬
suitable for the purpK)se for which such stores are required.
PERIODICAL CONTRACTS.
^ Purchases in Australia are usually arranged for as follows; Bien¬
nial contracts are made for what might be called merchandise re¬
quirements, triennial contracts are made for tires and similar require¬
ments, and annual contracts are made for supplies of Victorian hard¬
woods.
The most important of these periodical contracts are the bienniid
general-stores contracts. These contracts are for supplies in such
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 67
au^tities as may be ordered from time to time during the period of
the contract, and tenders are invited subject to the conditions specially
prepared in that behalf and are principally made due for reception
during the months of January, February, and March preceding the
date from which the contracts are to be given effect. The contracts
commence from July 1 in every alternate year. Estimates of quan¬
tities, based on the orders given the previous year, and other relevant
data are forwarded for the information of the tenderers.
These biennial contracts cover a great variety of material and sup¬
plies, ranging from bar iron to electric lamps. The last contract
named 3,121 articles, and it can fairly be said that these biennial con¬
tracts cover in general the raih> ay requirements in respect to articles
that can be described as merchandise; the furnishing of these is some¬
times spoken of in America as " supply business." Victorian Rail¬
ways Exhibit No. 6 is a copy of the biennial contract from July 1,
1916, to June 30,1918; it covers 188 pages of printed matter.
Sleepers (crossties) are purchased at fixed prices directly from the
hewers or owners by the sleeper inspectors, who pay cash for them.
In districts where purchases are insufficient to warrant the employ¬
ment of a sleeper inspector, purchases are made by the roadmasters
under contract at fixed prices similar to those paid by sleeper
inspectors.
CONTRACTS FOR FIXED QUANTITIES.
Tenders for contracts for fixed quantities in amounts exceeding
$500 are usually invited of "Australian manufacturers " and " other
than Australian manufacturers," and, when practicable, sufficient
time is allowed between the date of advertising for tenders and the
due date for their reception to permit local agents to mail copies of
the conditions, specifications, schedules, etc., to their principals in
England and elsewhere and to receive prices in return, so that the
local agents may lodge their tenders in Melbourne.
The conditions of these contracts usually provide for payment in
full after the goods have been delivered, inspected, and jiassed in
Victoria, the right of rejection being reserved. In some instances,
however, final inspection at the place of manufacture is provided for,
and in the case of steel rails and fishplates jiayment in full is made
by the agent-general in London on shipment of material subject to
certificate of the inspecting engineer that the material is in accordance
with the contract.
Tenders for these contracts are lodged in a tender box at the office of
the secretary for railways at Melbourne. In the case of steel rails
and fishplates and other similar material the tenders may also be
lodged with the agent general in London, who forwards the results,
so that the business may be dealt with in Melbourne.
For quantities where the value is more than $25 but not more than
$500 tenders are invited by public advertisement, subject to a short
form of tender and conditions, copies of which are forwarded to all
known suppliers in Melbourne and other Australian centers.
Purchases whose value is less than $25 are made by oral quotations,
tenders not being invited by public advertisement.
68 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
PURCHASES BY AGENT GENERAL.
I
If there is no local agent for the sale of the desired articles, or if
circumstances point to the advisability of such a course, the agent
general is requested to make the purchases and arrange for the in¬
spection of and payment for the goods, ^s well as for their shipment
to Melbourne.
INDENT PURCHASES.
In cases where the circumstances render such a course necessary
or advisable, purchases are made through local agents and the rail¬
ways pay the agents a commission or an indent fee. The term indent
is used in Australia in several different ways, but the instance just
mentioned represents one of the most generally understood applica¬
tions ; this is sometimes spoken of as an open indent, the agent being
given the order to obtain the goods on the best possible terms (which,
of course, it is to his interest to do as a means of securing further
indent business).
ACCEPTANCE OF TENDERS.
All recommendations made by interested branch officers on the
acceptance of tenders or on the establishment of formal contracts
for the purchase of stores are submitted by the chief storekeeper for
the action of the stores board and the commissioners. There are
regulations requiring that all purchases of stores receive the ap¬
proval or the covering approval of the stores board and, in certain
cases, also the approval or the covering approval of the commis¬
sioners.
ORDERS, INSPECTION, AND PAYMENT.
Orders on contractors are generally made out in four copies, of
which the following distribution is made: One copy to the con¬
tractor, one copy to the auditor of disbursements, one copy to the
certifying or inspecting officer, and one office copy. Requisitions
come from the proper officer of the branch requiring the material,
and the orders on the contractors are made out in the offices of the
chief storekeeper.
Contract stores are inspected on receipt of the goods and paid for
as soon as certification and vouchers can be put through.
OVER-SEA PURCHASES.
The foregoing is a digest of the stores situation on the Victorian
railways, according to the formal information furnished. It was
explained to the writer, however, that stores purchased abroad have
to be handled very largely as the circumstances warrant and that,
while the above outline appears to require all tenders to be made for
the delivery of the material at Melbourne, what the railways really
want is to buy their stores to the best possible advantage; when
American manufacturers are bidding, therefore, and can not bid to
as good ad\'antage for delivery at Melbourne it will be entirely
acceptable for them to make clear-cut alternative bids on the best
terms they can offer. When such bids are received, giving full in¬
formation so that the railways can determine the best net bid, they
will be considered on their merits. When shipments are made on
such contracts it is very necessary that the shipper give full infer-
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 69
mation regarding the value of the goods, so that the railways can
properly handle the payment of the customs duties, as the Victorian
Railways must pay duties to the Commonwealth of Australia on all
articles imported. When such tenders are made they should include
a clear statement of the time at which payment is called for. The
Victorian Railways will give consideration to bids calling for ac¬
ceptance of the shipments on inspection at the factory by reputable
American inspection concerns, when certification of such inspection
is furnished with the export shipping papers—the materials, of
course, to comply with previously agreed specifications and require¬
ments.
VI- QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
The Queensland Railways were initiated and taken in hand from the
first by the government. The first railway bill was introduced into
Parliament during the session of 1863; it provided for the use of light
rails, sharp curves, steep grades, and the 3-foot 6-inch gauge. After
^•ery lively discussion the second reading was carried by the deciding
vote of the Speaker, and the government appealed to the country,
with the result that the new House passed the bill. In the other
colonies the capital city was made the starting point for the railways,
but Queensland followed a different policy. The cause was the
rivalry between Ipswich and Brisbane. Ipswich is situated on the
Bremer River, which is a tributary of the Brisbane River and is
navigable only for small craft. This fact was seized upon to lay
down the principle that the starting point for railways should be at
the head of navigation, irrespective of the claims of the capital city
and of the fact that large ocean-going ships could not ascend the
Bremer. The first work on the railway from Ipswich to Toowoomba
was done in February, 1864, and the first section of 21 miles from
Ipswich to Grandchester was opened for traffic in July, 1865. The
agitation to connect Ipswich and Brisbane by rail was continued and
led to many exciting debates in Parliament. The proposal was at
last agreed to in July, 1872, but it was not until June, 1875, that the
last section of this extension was opened for traffic.
Considering the small population, railway construction in Queens¬
land proceeded at a faster rate than in the neighboring colonies. In
1875 265 miles were already open for traffic, 10 years later 1,429
miles, and on June 30, 1916, there was a total of 5,100 miles con¬
trolled and staffed by the commissioner. The railways were at first
under the management of a commissioner, who was responsible to
the minister. In 1888, however, the government placed the railways
in the hands of a board of three commissioners, who were independ¬
ent of political control as regards the workings of the lines. In 1895
an amending railway act was passed, which provided for the man¬
agement of the railways by one commissioner, and this arrangement
is now in effect.
Several attempts to construct railways were made in former years
by private companies on the land-grant system, but Parliament bit¬
terly opposed the proposals, which consequently had to be aban¬
doned.
EXTENT OF PRESENT AND PROJECTED LINES-
Reference to the map of Queensland shows a concentration of rail¬
ways in the southeastern part, radiating from Brisbane, with a line
extending north along the coast. At present there are three gaps in
70
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIGS. 17 AND 18,—HANDLING COAL WITH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED
CRANES AT THE PORT OF NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES.
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIG. 20.—TYPICAL STATION SCENE, QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS.
bailway materials in australia and new zealand. 71
the distance from Brisbane to Cairns on the north, but authority has
been granted by Parliament for the closing up of all these gaps. It
will also be noticed that there are two sets of lines extending into the
interior xrorn Brisbano, and ono Gach from lbH*khani])ton, Towns-
ville, and Cairns, but that none of these reach the western border.
In the administration of the Railway Department the linos are di¬
vided into four districts on the above lines of division. These are
the Southern Division, with headquarters at Brisbane; the Central
Division, with headquarters at Rockhampton; the Xorthern Division,
with headquarters at Townsville; and the Cairns District, with
headquarters at Cairns. As explained later, the organization is
specially arranged for handling the department with this decen¬
tralized system. The mileage of these several divisions is as follows:
Southern Division, 2,423 miles. Central Division, 1,07G miles.
Northern Division, 1,406 miles. Cairns District—Mount IMulligan
Railway, 30 miles; Mount Garnet Railway, 32 miles; Ethcridge Rail¬
way (leased), 143 miles; total Cairns District, 205 miles. Total, all
divisions and districts, 5,110 miles.
As shown by the table on page 25, Queensland had the largest
mileage of government railways of any of the Australian States on
June 30, 1915, and on account of the extent of the productive areas
and the varied resources of this great State there is little doubt that
it will continue to have the largest mileage, particularly of the lighter
Tines especially built to develop the country through which they pass.
Queensland raises all the sugar grown in Australia; it is produced
all along the eastern coast. The cattle industry is becoming very
important; sheep raising has been important for several years; and
there are varied agricultural and fruit products. A great many ex¬
tensions of the various lines are contemplated, in addition to the
connecting up of the three gaps between Brisbane and Cairns. There
is little doubt that in the course of time the railways will be extended
to all parts of the State, although there is one development that may
have some eflfect on this result, namely, the building of highways in
the central and western parts of the State and the use of medium-
weight motor trucks hauling trailers. It is said that there are more
motor cars and motor trucks per capita in Longreach in western
Queensland than in any other community in the world.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
All lines are of 3-foot 6-inch gauge. On account of the rough and
broken country along most of the eastern coast, the construction has
been somewhat expensive even for the light 3-foot G-inch gauge lines.
On account of the very heavy rainfall at times, the openings for
streams have to be on very liberal lines, necessitating more bridges
than are ordinarily required on Australian railways. The bridge
oYer the Brisbane River at Indooroopilly is the largest bridge in
Australia with the exception of the Hawkesbury River bridge in
New South Wales. In the central and western parts of the State
the construction is not so expensive and cheaper lines are being built.
PERMANENT WAY.
The permanent-way practices and standards in Queensland are
much like those in New South Wales and Victoria, except that on
72 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
most lines lighter materials are used. Mackenzie & Holland have a
small plant near Brisbane where dog spikes, points and crossings,
and similar requirements are manufactured for the Railway Depart¬
ment, although a considerable part of the railways' needs are manu¬
factured in their own shops. The weight of rail in the tracks ranges
from 40 to 60 pounds except in the district arouncl Brisbane, where
75-pound rail is mostly used. The Beausseaux (hrench) design of
water softener is used somewhat extensively on the Queensland Rail¬
ways, as it is on the New South Wales Railways. A great deal of the
locomotive water supply needs treatment but is generally satisfactory
when softened. Figure 19 shows a typical plant of this design on
the line from Brisbane to Sydney. The arrangement shows that no
protection from cold and freezing weather is provided, as this is not
needed. Figure 20 shows a typical station scene on the Queensland
Railways, with the arriving passengers claiming their unchecked
luggage as it is unloaded from the van. This latter illustration shows
the typical arrangement of station platforms and an overhead foot-
passenger bridge to prevent travel from crossing the tracks at grade.
The Queensland Railways seem to have taken up more extensively
than the other Australian railways the use of reinforced concrete
construction for bridges; this they are employing to a very con¬
siderable extent, using a cement made near Brisbane. Queensland
native timbers are used for ties, bridges, and buildings. Queensland,
has a very great variety of excellent timbers and an ample supply to
take care of the railways' needs for many years. Queensland Rail¬
ways Exhibit No. 10 is a copy of " Notes on and tests of Queens¬
land timbers used in railway works " (see p.A62). This gives, in non¬
technical language, a good idea of the variety and quality of the
various Queensland timbers.
SIGNALS.
As in other States, double-track lines are operated with lock and
block and single-track lines with staff. Three-position automatic
signals are now in course of construction for a distance of about 20
miles on a part of the double-track line between Brisbane and Ips¬
wich. Consideration is also being given to the installation of three-
speed three-position signals in connection with the rearrangement
and enlargement of the main passenger station at Brisbane. The
use of selective telephones for " centi'al control " would appear prac¬
ticable at a number of points on the Queensland Railways.
ROLLING STOCK.
The Queensland Railways rolling stock, except that it is of 3-foot
6-inch gauge, is much like that in New South Wales and Victoria.
The car coupling is very much the same in all details; the same gen¬
eral jjractices prevail as to air brakes, car lighting, and the construc¬
tion of locomotives, passenger carriages, and goods wagons. During
the year ended June 30, 1916, the Railway Department built at the
Ipswich shops 2 locomotives, 29 passenger carriages, and 312 goods
wagons; under contract with various local concerns 15 locomotives
and 136 goods wagons were built; and, in addition, 2 tank locomotives
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, 73
were imported from England. None of this equipment was built
by Walk^ & Co. (Ltd.), of Maryborougb, Queensland, who have
built in the last few years a considerable number of locomotives for
the South Australian, estern Australian, and Commonwealth Rail¬
ways^ and have a fairly well-equipped pri\ate plant—i)robably the
best in Australia after the Clyde Engineering Co. at Sydney.
One interesting feature is the use by the Queensland Railways
recently of chilled cast-iron car wlieels on account of the inability
to get steel tires for goods-wagon wheels. These chilled wheels are
being furnished by the Hockley Manufatiuring Co., of Maryborough,
Queensland, and resulted from a trip of Mr. Hockley to America;
on his return he induced the Railway Department to make a trial
of the chilled cast wheels, which thus far have been giving reasonably
satisfactory results.
The class C-18-OOOOoo engine shown in figure 10 represents the
latest design of locomotive on the Queensland railways. There are
two of these now in service and more are being erected. These are
the only engines that have been equipped with superheaters, but in
the future superheaters will no doubt be installed on all new engines
of similar types. Roadworthy, including tender and supplies, these
engines weigh about 201,000 pounds.
There is a tendency in the opening up of coal mines in Queensland
to require the mining companies to furnish their own coal wagons, and
some companies have already pro\ ided these, an instance b^eing the
Queensland Cement & Lime Co., which is just completing a new plant
near Brisbane and has already jorovided IG hopper coal wagons for
handling fuel from its own mines. The Queensland railways are
also showing a decided tendency to go in for the construction of spe¬
cial goods wagons for the handling of particular products, such as
the building of ventilated covered bogie wagons for the shipment of
fruit and vegetables. Figure 21 shows one of the latest bogie wagons
for the shipment of sheep from the interior points to the killing
plants—in some cases a distance of 750 miles. The same class of
equipment is being built to handle the shipment of cattle in the same
districts. Figure 22 shows one of the wagons used for shipping
frozen meats. These may be called heat-insulated; no ice is used to
refrigerate, but the heat insulation prevents the solidly frozen meat
from thawing. The car shown is one used to ship frozen meat from
Toowoomba to the port of Brisbane. The car to the right in the
lower illustration is one of the above-mentioned ventilated co\ered
wagons for shipment of fruit and vegetables.
WORKSHOPS.
The general construction and repair shops of the Queensland rail¬
ways are located at Ipswich, 24 miles from Brisbane. The^e shops
are very complete and well arranged and, with the exception of the
Midland shops of the Western Australian railways, are the most
up-to-date railway shops in Australia. In every way they compare
favorably with the more recently constructed shops of the A\estein
Australian railways. All shop machinery is electrically driAen with
current drawn from a turbo-generating plant. I he shops are com¬
plete from the sawmill for handling logs in the rough and the foun-
74 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
dry for making all classes of castings to the finishing, departments
for locomotives, carriages, and wagons, including the shops stores.
The location is in the heart of one of the best coal fields in Queens¬
land and on the banks of the Bremer River, where an adequate sup¬
ply of soft water is obtainable throughout the year. The shops cover
an area of about 15 acres, and a force approaching 3,000 men can be
worked when necessary. The shop buildings are very substantially
built—so much so, indeed, that this has been found a disadvantage
where no cold weather or snow occurs, and in the recent additions a
lighter and cheaper construction has been employed. The shop ma¬
chinery, as a rule, represents a very good application of the right
machine for the service required. There is a very noticeable number
of machines from the best American manufacturers, this being par¬
ticularly true in the woodworking, shops.
The division shops at Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, and
Cairns are only for the handling of the repairs to the rolling stock on
these parts of the railways. The shop equipment and number of
employees are limited at each place.
WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the working results for the years ended
June 20, 1907, 1914, and 1916. These figures are taken from the
annual reports of the commissioner for railways, and no effort has
been made to make them agree with some of the figures in previous
tables taken from the Commonwealth statistics:
Items.
Total miles of line open at end of year.
Average miles of line open for year
Capitai cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line.
Gross earnings
Working expenses
I'rofit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio per cent.
Percentage earned on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open.
Profit on working per average mile open.,
Train miles run
Number of passengers carried
Tons of goods and live stock carried
Earnings per train mile
Working expenses per train mile
Profit on working per train mile
Number of locomotives
Numljcr of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and brake vans.
Number of coal wagons
Year ended June 30—
1907
3,137.5
3,137.5
1106,279,887
$33,870
$8,904,105
$4,441,355
$4,462, 750
49.88
4.20
$2,837
$1,416
$1,421
6,126,136
9,301,542
2,357,156
$1.45
$0.72
$0.73
348
460
7,563
1914
4,570
4,507
$164,709,980
$36,040
$17,811,500
$11, 539,740
$6,271,780
$6,423,355
-(-$151,590
64.79
3.81
-fO.09
$3,950
$2,560
$1,390
11,988,521
24,257,552
4,970,873
$i.56
$0.97
to. 69
625
1,470
10,597
2,632
1916
4,967
4,939
$179,275,270
$36,095
$18,226,74$
$13,358,840
$4,867,905
$7,346,880
-$2,47^8«
2.72
-1.38
$3,689
$2,705
$984
11,571,746
24,438,905
4,570,883
$1.58
$1.17
$0.41
640
1,533
11,033
2,632
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 75
ORGANIZATION.
The parliamentary head of the Queensland Railway I)e))artmont is
the Ministerial Secretary for Railways, and the administrative head
is one commissioner for railways, who, by the railway act of 1914
(consolidated), is given very wide powers as to the policv and admin¬
istration of the department. Queensland Ex'hibit No. 4 is a copy
of this act. The term of office is seven years. The prc<(mt commis¬
sioner was appointed from the Railway De])artment, where he had
been in service for many yeai s. The act also provides foi- two <leputy
commissioners, one in charge of the Central Division at Rockhamjl-
ton and one at Townsville in charge of the Northern Division. The
lines at Cairns are administered by a commissioners agent. The
Southern, Central, and Northern Divisions all have a complete statf
of branch officers. The chief engineer of the Southern Division has
charge of the surveys, location, and construction of new lines. The
following diagram shows the organization of the department, sub¬
ordinate to the head officials mentioned above:
Branches.
Duties.
GENERAL.
Secretary for railways..
Accounts
Audits
Engineering stores
Trefiac
Comtruction
Signal and light engi¬
neering.
SOUTHERN DIVISION.
TrafBc
Mechanical
Maintenance
Stores
CENTRAL AND NORTH¬
ERN DIVialCNS.
Traffic
Mechanical
Maintenance
Stoiee
CAIRNS DISTRICT.
Traffic
Permanent way
All general secretarial work of the railway
department.
Accounting
Auditing
Permanent-way timber and plant stores..
Rates and fares
Surveys, location, and construction of new
hnes of railway in all districts.
Construction and maintenance of signals
and lights in all districts.
All transportation of passengers and goods,
and station service.
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of all rolling stock.
Construction and maintenance of all way
and works.
Purchase, receipt, custody, and issue of
all stores for the southern district, and
all construction of new equipment.
All transportation of passengers and goods,
and station service.
Maintenance and operation of all district
rolhng stock.
Construction and maintenance of all dis¬
trict way and works.
Purchase, receipt, custody, and issue of
all district stores.
All transp9rtation of passengers and goods,
and station service.
Construction and maintenance of all dis¬
trict way and werks.
Titles of chief ofEcials.
Secretary.
Chief accountant.
Railway auditor.
Officer in charge.
Traffic superintendent.
Chief engineer.
Signal and light engineer.
General traffic superintendent.
Chief mechanical engineer.
Chief engineer.
Storekeeper.
General traffic manager.
Chief mechanical engineer.
Chief engineer.
Storekeeper.
Traffic manager.
District engineer.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a directory of the principal officers of the Queens¬
land Railways, arranged in the same order as the above diagram of
organization. The general offices are at Brisbane, Queensland.
76 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Position,
Ministerial Secretary for railways.
Commissioner for railways
Secretary for railways
Chief accountant
Assistant chief accountant
(•hief railway auditor
Officer in charge, engineering stores..
Traffic superintendent
Assistant traffic superintendent
Relieving traffic manager
Manager railway refreshment rooms.
Chief engineer
Officer in charge of surveys
Inspecting engineer
Signal and light engineer
Assistant signal and light engineer..
SOUTHERN DIVISION.
General traffic superintendent.
District traffic manager
Do
Do
Assistant traffic manager
Do
Do
Acting chief mechanical engineer.
Locomotive superintendent
Do
Do
Do
Acting works manager
Chief engineer
District engineer
Do
Do
Do
Relieidng district engineer.
Railway storekeeper
Maintenance and timber storekeeper.
Locomotive storekeeper
CENTRAL DIVISION.
Deputy commissioner for railways.
General traffic manager..
Assistant traffic manager.
Do
Chief mechanical engineer.
Running shed foreman
Carriage foreman
Chief engineer
District engineer
Do
Assistant to district engineer.
Railway storekeeper
NORTHERN DIVISION.
Deputy commissioner for railways...
General traffic manager...
Traffic manager
Assistant traffic manager..
Chief mechanical engineer.
Officer in charge
Chief engineer
Assistant
engineer
District signal Inspector
Acting railway storekeeper.
Hon. J. H. Coyul
Charles Bernard Evans,
C. M. 0.
A. J. Crowther..
W. A. Brown...
C. A. Murtone..
S. Davis
E. Frost
J. \V. Davidson.
J. P. Gregg
W. A. Hooper..
J. J. Fallon
R. E. Sexton...
C. B. Lethem...
J. F. F. Stokes..
F. G. Nevill
R. G. Cottew...
G. R. Steer
A. P. Tdoyd
J. McGrath
J. J. Pelford
G. Ross
M. K. Carmody
William C. Harvey.,
J. E. Rooinson
William King
William L. P. Mansfield.
A. W. Pigott
J. J. Smallwood
J. H. Hall
R. E. Sexton....
A. C. Raff
R. Mc.Arthur....
R. Millar
A. Y. LeGrande.
G. P. Forbes
B. Gallagher...
E. Frost
W. L. Marquis.
Charles Pemberton.
John Cham tiers..
R. K. Macalister.
H. Moran
F. W. Davidson.
D. G. Forbes
William Tarling.,
C. E. Quinlan
T. F. M. Stanley
D. P. Smith
Thomas E. Butcher.
F. C. Lodge.
W. Pagan.
P. J. Brown
J. Strachan
James Hudson.
R. A. Nelld
D. R. McGregor.
L. A. Bemays
O. H. Roehrlcht.
Simon Sampson..
J. Alder
Brisbane.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Toowoomba.
Maryborough.
Warwick.
Roma.
Maryborough.
Ipswich.
Brisbane.
Roma.
Maryborou^
Toowoomta.
Ipswich.
Brisbane.
Do.
Maryborough.
Toowoomba,
Roma.
Brisbane.
Do.
Do.
Ipswich.
R ockhampton.
Do.
Do.
Emerald.
Rockhamptco.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Emerald.
R ockhampton.
Da
TownsvUle.
Do.
Mackay.
Townsville.
Do.
Innlsfall.
TownsvlUa
Do.
Da
Da
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 77
Position.
Name.
Location.
CAIRNS DISTRICT.
Agent for commissioner of railways
Traffic manager
Locomotive superintendent
District engineer
Storekeeper
IN ENGLAND.
Agent-generai
Secretary
Executive engineer
P. McDermott
W. S. Pewett
K. Leitch
H. B. Eraser
N. W. Clayton
•V.
Maj. Sir T. B. Robinson
P. J. Dillon
James Tearoe
Cairns.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
tOlMlO Strand, Lon¬
don.
Do.
Do.
STORES.
REGULATIONS.
Queensland Railways Exhibit No. 6 is a copy of the stores regula¬
tions which became effective in January, 1916. These regulations
give in detail in parts 1 to 8 (30 pages) the organization and methods
of ordering and purchasing, inviting tenders, awarding contracts,
issuing, and accounting for all railway stores. The arrangement of
biennial contracts was discontinued, and the present arrangement is
to buy all stores by special contracts with Australian concerns or with
concerns having representatives in Australia or to indent on the
agent general in London, who places orders where goods can be ob¬
tained to best advantage. The following is a digest of the principal
features of the regulations, including the present personnel of the
several stores boards provided for in the different divisions.
ORGANIZATION OF STORES WORK.
The ordering, purchasing, inspection, custody, issue, and disposal
of all stores are under the control of a stores board in each of the
three divisions of railways, the personnel being as follows:
Southern Division.—General traffic superintendent, G. E. Steer,
chairman; chief engineer, R. E. Sexton; chief mechanical engineer,
J. E. Robinson; assistant chief accountant (secretary's representa¬
tive), C. A. Murton; railway storekeeper, B. Gallagher; officer in
charge, engineering stores, E. Frost.
Central Division.—General traffic manager, John Chambers, chair¬
man ; chief engineer, C. E. Quinlan; chief mechanical engineer, F. AV.
Davidson; railway storekeeper, F. C. Lodge.
Northern Division.—General traffic manager, P. J. Brown, chair¬
man; chief engineer, L. A. Bernays; chief mechanical engineer,
R. A. Neild; railway storekeeper, J. Alder.
The board in each division has a seci etary, whose duties comprise
all the secretarial work of the board.
The head of any other branch shall, if so required, attend at any
meeting of the stores boards at which any matter especially affecting
his branch may be brought forward, in order to inform or ad\ ise the
board as may be desired. The boards control in their respective divi-
78 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
sions the general working and economical management of the order¬
ing, purchase, custody, issue, and disposal of all stores according to
the details laid down in the regulations.
The board meets once per fortnight or oftener, if necessary, and
three members form a quorum. They keep and confirm minutes of
all business transacted at each meeting and submit them to the com¬
missioner or deputy commissioner for approval. In the absence of
the chairman, the commissioner or deputy commissioner appoints an
acting chairman (not necessarily one of the board) for the time being.
In the absence of a member of the board his seat upon the board is
taken by the officer performing his duties for the time being.
The deputy commissioners at Rockhampton and Townsville are
authorized to incur expenditure not exceeding $1,000 for stores, fuel,
and material chargeable to revenue, but in case of loan expenditure,
which must be ratified by the Minister, the commissioner's authority
must be obtained.
The chief mechanical engineer at Ipswich must furnish all informa¬
tion required in connection with locomotive stores at Ipswich. The
locomotive storekeeper at Ipswich is, however, directly responsible to
and receives instructions from the board in the Southern Division.
All correspondence to and from the board in the Southern Division
must be addressed to or signed by the Secretary for Railways and
in the Central and Northern Divisions the deputy commissioner.
The duties of the officer in charge of engineering stores, who is
under the control of and reports directly to the Secretary for Rail¬
ways, are to visit, inspect, and coordinate the workings and econom¬
ical use of all stocks of stores for the entire Railway Department,
particularly engineering, way, works, and plant stores of all kinds.
This jurisdiction extends to all portions and branches of the depart¬
ment.
FUNDS AND PAYMENT.
All purchases of materials, machinery, tools, appliances, and other
articles of stores and plant are paid for from the "Loan stores sus¬
pense account" and are accounted for in the books of the stores
branch as follows: General stores, plant, machinery, tools, and ap¬
pliances by the railway storekeepers at Brisbane, Rockhampton, and
Townsville; locomotive stores, including workshop machinery, tools,
and materials by the locomotive storekeeper at Ipswich; permanent-
way material, bridge timber, crossing timbers, and sleepers by the
officer in charge of engineering stores, Brisbane.
All such purchases are made and vouchers for payment passed
by the storekeepers above mentioned. Under no circumstances may
heads of branches purchase direct from vendors or pass vouchers
in payment of stores direct to the chief accountant.
PURCHASE.
All material required for stock must be requisitioned on proper
foims and submitted to the stores board for approval. The requisi¬
tion must show the stock on hand, under indent or order, and con¬
sumption for the previous six months.
Indents for special materials and articles, including machinery not
obtainable in the Commonwealth, must, after the authority of the
commissioner has been obtained, be prepared by the head of the
EAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 79
branch concerned and forwarded to the storekeeper. Shipping and
customs entries are passed by the railway storekeeper at the port of
discharge.
Purchases of $25 and under in value may, if necessary, be made
under oral quotations from known suppliers.
Plant not exceeding $25 and stores not exceeding $50 in value
may be purchased by the storekeeper on requisition by the head of a
branch without reference to the stores board. Storekcejiers may,
without further authority, purchase suspense stock up to $50 i'n
value, but no purchase for suspense stock exceeding $50 shall be made
by any storekeeper or other officer without the consent of the board
being first obtained.
Whenever practicable, and subject to the instructions of the com-
jnissioner in that behalf, storekeepers are required to obtain all plant
the estimated value of which exceeds $25, and all stores and material
the estimated value of which exceeds $50 but not $500, by means of
competitive quotations. All such quotations must be submitted to
the board for the commissioner's approval. Plant, stores, and ma¬
terial the estimated value of which exceeds $500 shall be obtamed
by means of publicly advertised tenders, but before such tenders are
invited the matter must be first submitted to the stores board for
the commissioner's approval.
Conditions of contracts and specifications must be prepared by the
head of the branch concerned and submitted through the stores board
to the commissioner for approval.
Upon the acceptance of any tender for the supply of stores a con¬
tract between the accepted tenderer and the commissioner is formally
executed wherever the condition of tendering so stipulates (as it
usually does).
CONTRACT NOTICE BOARDS.
Contract notice boards are provided at the following points:
Brisbane.—Commissioner's office; railway storekeeper's office; rail¬
way inquiry office (Edward Street).
Rochhampton.—Kailway storekeeper's office; courthouse.
Townsville.—Railway storekeeper's office; railway station; lands
office.
Caims.—District storekeeper's office.
On these boards storekeepers arrange to exhibit each day par¬
ticulars of quotations required for any plant, material, or stores
not under contract, stating the latest time quotations will be received.
As one day's quotations are cleared the notices must be removed and
fresh ones exhibited giving the requirements for the next day.
In addition to the quotations referred to in the preceding para¬
graph every advertisement relating to any tender that appears in the
public press must also be posted.
RESPONSIBILITY OF STOREKEEPERS.
Storekeepers are responsible for the receipt, quality, quantity, su¬
pervision, care, and custody of all stores and must see that the pro¬
cedure provided for the avoidance of unnecessary or excessive pur¬
chase is duly observed. They have full power to reject any stores
that are not in accordance with contract, reporting all important in-
80 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
stances to the board. The^ must see that a systematic method of re¬
ceiving, storing, and packing goods for dispatch is observed. Store¬
keepers are held responsible for the posting of all matters relating to
stores, quotations, tenders, contracts, etc., on the " contract notice
boards."
The offices of the commissioner and the Secretary for Railways
both keep a very close watch on the matter of purchases of stores,
and generally one or the other approves any invitations of importance
and later the contracts, except for well-established supplies.
VII. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
Railway construction in South Australia was first discussed in
1846, and the immediate outcome was the passing of the first Austra¬
lian Public Railways Act in March, 1847, which, in 11(4 sections,
embraced many obsolete provisions of English railway legislation.
Among the clauses was one to the effect that cacli engine must con¬
sume its own smoke under a penalty of per day; another em¬
powered private persons to use their own wagons, etc. In ists the
Adelaide City & Port Railway Co. was formed, and the promoter
secured the passage of a private act, which authorized the construc¬
tion of a railway from the city to the poi t of Adelaide and also
^veral branches. The company, howewr, regarded the undertak¬
ing rather in the light of a land speculation, and, as the government
would grant only sufficient land for tlie consti iiction of the line, the
company allowed the project to lapse. The government then under¬
took the work and, as previously mentioned, this became the first
government-owned railway on British soil. In the meantime a horse
tramway about 6^ miles long had been opened between Coolwa and
Port Elliot, with the idea that it would become a great outlet for the
Murray River trade, but as Port Auctor supersechal Port Elliot the
line was extended to the former place and opened for traffic in Au¬
gust, 1864. The government began the construction of the trunk line
to the north in 1854; the first section, of about 25 miles, to Gawler
was completed in October, 1857; and the line was continued with a
gauge of 5 feet 3 inches to Terowie, a distance of 140 miles from
Adelaide. There the gauge was changed to 3 feet 6 inches, and all
the lines north of that point were built to the latter gauge.
South Australia made great efforts to secure the Riverina country
trade. The Murray River Steam Navigation Co. for a time carried
on a considerable trade by means of its steamers navigating the
River Murray; but the want of a safe and commodious harbor at
the mouth of the river was soon felt as a serious obstacle, since river-
borne wool had to be landed at Goolwa, conveyed about 12 miles by
rail to Port Victor, and then lightered to ocean-going ships. The ex¬
pense and delay were so great that wool growers preferred to send
their produce by the Victorian route, the railway from iSIelbourne
to Echuca having been completed. In order, however, to retain at
least a part of the Riverina trade, the government underttxik the con¬
struction of the line from Adelaide to Morgan on the ^lurray River.
Another line undertaken for similar reasons was from Adelaide to
Servicetown on the Victorian border, where it now meets the inter¬
state line from Melbourne. With the view of securing New South
W^ales trB^dc a- line was constructed to the Barrier Ranges, and this
line was completed to Cockburn on the New South ales hot dei in
June, 1887, where it is met by the Silverton Tramway Co. s railway,
20186°—18 6
82 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
a privately owned line, from Broken Hill, which is the center of the
Barrier mines. As already mentioned, the tonnage over this Ime
from Broken Hill to Port Pirie is the heaviest on any line in Auara-
lia for a distance of 100 miles or more. This fact makes the oilver-
ton Tramway and this part of the South Australian Railways the
most profitable railway line in Australia. • i •
In June, 1888, a new Railway Act came into operation which re¬
moved the railways from political control and vested the manage¬
ment in the hands of three commissioners; this act, however, was
amended by the Railways Commissions Act of 1895, which provides
for one commissioner only, assisted by a board of advice.
EXTENT OF PRESENT AND PROJECTED LINES.
In addition to the lines radiating from Adelaide and the line from
Port Pirie to Cockburn on the Broken Hill route, there is a small
group of lines on the west side of Spencer Bay terminating at Port
Lincoln. These last lines are all of 3-foot 6-inch gauge. All the
lines south of and around Adelaide are of 5-foot 3-inch gauge, and
this gauge is continued to Terowie on the north, a distance of 140
miles; but all the lines to the north and on the west are of 3-foot
6-inch gauge, except the new line that is being built from Salisbury
to Port xVugusta, which will be a low-grade 5-foot 3-inch line.
Gradual extensions of the lines are being made in pursuance of the
general Australian policy of building railways to develop the coun¬
try. Because of the very limited rainfall in a considerable portion
of South Australia, and, on the other hand, the possibility of very
extensive mineral developments in the future, it is very difficult to
forecast what extensions of the South Australian Railways will ulti¬
mately be made. The most important extension at present in prog¬
ress is the above-mentioned 5-foot 3-inch gauge line from Salis¬
bury (a few miles north of Adelaide), where it connects with the
Adelaide-Terowie line, to Port Augusta to connect with the Com¬
monwealth Transcontinental line to the west. The distance is about
175 miles on an air line.
Regarding the construction of new lines of railway in South
Australia, an act of Parliament was passed in 1912, of which South
Australian Railways Exhibit No. 9 (see p. 162) is a copy, appointing
a parliamentary standing committee on railways whose duty it is
to inquire into the advisability of any railway construction proposal
submitted to them. The procedure is this: When the government,
in accordance with its policy, decides that consideration should be
given to the question of constructing any railway, the railway com¬
missioner is called upon for a preliminary report and estimate.
Should that report, in the opinion of the government, justify further
inquiiy, the JNIinister moves in the House of Assembly that the ques¬
tion be referred to the standing committee, and on the resolu¬
tion being carried it is notified to the latter body, which then takes
evidence Irom residents in the district, obtains estimates from re¬
sponsible officers of the railway department, and submits recommen¬
dations to the House. In the event that the recommendation is in
ta\or ot tlu proposal, the government calls upon the railway com¬
missioner for a parliamentary report and estimate, together with
plans showing the route and limits of deviation. These are sub-
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 83
mitted to Parliament with a bill to authorize the railway, and Par¬
liament then decides whether or not to carry out the undertaking.
The act for the construction of a railway usually prescribes that
tenders be invited for the work and in some cases fixes the limit of
the cost per mile to be incurred in the construction. The Kailway
Department usually puts in a tender for the work, and many of the
railways in South Australia have been constructed by the Eailway
Department.
In considering the desirability of constructing a railway the stand¬
ing committee is supposed to observe two governing factors—first,
the question of opening up new country or further developing partly
settled country, and, second, the providing of a line of convenience in
settled districts. In the former instance it should be understood that
the decision is governed by other considerations than that of the
immediate financial results, while, in the second case, if the construc¬
tion of a railway through settled country is not likely, in the opinion
of the railway officers, to pay working expenses and interest, it is
customary to include what are known as guaranty provision^ in
the hill authorizing its construction. These proxidc that the < on-
struction of the railway shall depend upon a favorable vote by the
ratepayers in the district afi'ected. undertaking or guaranteeing to re¬
coup the railway commissioner for any shorlage that may occur iji
the annual working result. There is also a provision limiting to fix e
consecutive years the period during which the railway shall he re¬
quired to pay working expenses and interest before the abolition
or withdrawal of the guaranty. Several railxvays have been con¬
structed in South Australia under these conditions, and three of them
have passed through what may be termed the probationary .■-tage of
five years and the guaranty has been lifted. Txvo have so far slioxvn
a surplus each year during their period of working, while txvo others
have in their first complete years of xvorking shown a deficiency, and
steps are now being taken to put the guaranty provisions into oper¬
ation and call upon the ratepayers in the districts concerned to make
good that deficiency. South Australian Kailxvays Exhibit No. 9 (see
p. 162) includes a copy of the act for the construction of one of the.-e
guaranteed railways from Laura to Booleroo Centre.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The restriction of the railways to the sections xvhere the most rain¬
fall occurs has confined railway building in South Australia to the
rougher portions of the country, so that the expense of construction
has been rather high and, as in all the other States. giade> of 2 per
cent or over occur on most of the lines, as xx ell as a good deal of sharp
curvature. The supply of water is one of the most difficult problems
in the construction of most of the S(juth Australian railxvays, and it
is neces.sary to make the adequate siipixly of xvater one of the main
considerations in building new lines, particularly noith of Adelaide.
The following is an analysis of the xvater from Bundaleer, one of the
main supplies of water on the 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines in the north;
it is a fair sample of the water available in this territory: Calcium
carbonates. 8.60; magnesium carbonates. 3.71; magnesiui sulphates,
12.90; magnesium chloride, 9.77; potassium chloride, 5.80; sodium
chloride, 72.16.
84 BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
The followinff is an analysis of the metropolitan supply of water
at Adelaide, which is one of -he best waters on the railways: AlkaUne
carbonates, 17.850; magnesium carbonates, 4.885; magnesium chloride,
0.413; calcium sulphate, 2.040; calcium carbonate, 3.250; iron and
alumina, 0.280; silica, 0.595; organic matters, 1.537.
Careful studies of the best methods of treating and neutralizing
these waters are being made by Dr. W. A. Hargraves, director of
chemistry at the University of oouth Australia, at Adelaide.
PERMANENT WAY.
On account of the very small amount of timber in South Australia,
the supplies of sleepers are largely jarrah wood imported from
Western Australia. There is a decided tendency in all the permanent-
way branch to find substitutes for wood, such as steel sleepers, iron-
pipe telegraph poles, and iron fence posts, and to use less wood in
the relatively few bridges. The small number of streams reduces
the number of bridges, although many openings have to be provided
for the running away of surface water when there is rain, for the
reason that, the ground being so hard and dry, the water runs olf very
quickly even with wliat might be considered light rains under or¬
dinary conditions. The white ant is very destructive of sleepers and
buildings in nearly all parts of South Australia, and, as has already
been mentioned, jarrah sleepers have been treated to some extent with
a solution of molasses and arsenic. This, however, is practicable only
in the districts of very light rainfall. In most years light rainfall
prevails over a considerable part of South Australia. Some steel
sleepers have been used on the 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines, with satis¬
factory results thus far, except as regards the first cost; this has been
so high that the railways find it much more economical to use the
jarrah tie, which, when not destroyed by the white ant, has a very
long life—probably from 20 to 30 years, as a rule. The railway
officials are very much interested, however, in the use of steel ties,
and it would seem that all conditions favor their use on the South
Australian railways if they can be furnished at a reasonable first
cost. The railway officials are also very much interested in steel
fencing materials, particularly spiraled fencing wire, which has not
been sold so far in Australia. The railways are required to fence
their reserve (or, as it would be called in America, their right of
way), and on account of the large amount of expansion to be taken
care of the practice is to use very expensive expansion adjuster posts
at fre(iuent intervals. The present standard weight of rail for the
5-foot 3-inch gauge lines is 80 pounds, with a substantial 6-hole
an^le bar. The supply of dog spikes is largely manufactured by the
Ishnton shops, although G. & C. Hoskins, of Lithgow, have had some
contracts recently for furnishing square dog spikes, which all the
State railways in Australia are showing a decided tendency to adopt.
The South Australian railways also are using a considerable num¬
ber of rail anchors and are verv much interested in the most efficient
device, for the reason that conditions conducive to excessive rail
creeping prevail over most of the State, and the railways are troubled
in that respect for the greater part of the year.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 85
SIGNALS AND SELECTIVE TELEPHONES.
As already mentioned, the terminal at Adelaide is equipped with
an up-to-date three-speed three-position system of siirnals and elec¬
tric interlocHng, which has now been in service more than two years
with unqualified success, and the arrangement and method are spoken
of in the highest terms by the traffic, locomotive, and maintenance
officials. Photographs of some of these signals are shown in South
Australian Railway Exhibit No. 1, the South Austral ian railway com¬
missioner's report for the year ended June 30, 1910. The signal prac¬
tice on the remainder of the South Australian Railways is similar, in
general, to that on the other Australian railways. One of the hardest
lines over which to direct traffic is the Cockburn-to-Port Pirie sec¬
tion, handling the ore concentrates from Broken Hill, and this would
seem aii exceptionally good situation for the installation of selei tive
telephones, with the present apparatus supplemented by "central
control."
ROLLING STOCK.
On account of the quality of water, all details of locomotive con¬
struction are given special consideration with a view to withstamling
the effects of the excessive scale and the corrosive action of the a\cr-
age water in South Australia. No superheaters are u-ed on any cla-s
of locomotives. The features of the 5-foot 3-inch gauge ]ias-cnger
carriages and goods wagons are very similar to those on the \'ictorian
Railways, one reason being the exchange of ecpiipment to a small ex¬
tent between these two States. The car coupler on the 3-foot '■>-
inch gauge equipment is of a semiautomatic type so far as coupling
is concerned, but has to be uncoupled by hand. The details of this
coupler are very much the same as in Western Australia and New
Zealand (the coupler used in the latter country being shown by the
blue prints constituting New Zealand Railways Exhibit No. 11) ex¬
cept that the South Australian arrangement has a double hooking
device instead of a single hook as in New Zealand and estern
Australia.
Walkers (Ltd.), of Maryborough, Queensland, have furnished South
Australia with a considerable number of both locomotives and goods
wagons for several years past. Martin & Co., of Gawler, South
Australia, have also furnished locomotives, passenger vehicles, and
goods wagons in considerable quantities for several years^ Ihe rail¬
way department at its own shops built 6 locomotives, 27 passenger
vehicles, and 132 goods wagons of all classes during the year ended
June 30, 1916, and in addition obtained on contract from Australian
concerns (mostly in South Australia) 8 locomotives, 9 passenger
vehicles, and 131 goods wagons.
WORKSHOPS.
The South Australian Government railway shops are at Islington,
a few miles north of Adelaide. These shops are well arranged and
equipped, particularly for the taking care of the locomotive-boiler
repairs, which form one of the very important features in caring for
South Australian railway equipment. A force of about 2,000 men
can be worked when necessary. The shops are arranged to handle
86 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
both the 5-foot 3-inch and the 3-foot 6-inch equipment of all cla^,
the 3-foot 6-inch engines being brought over the 5-foot 3-inch lines
by the use of a special arrangement to avoid the necessity of dis¬
mantling. l lu'se shops handle not only the work of the Railway
Department hut considerable work for other branches of the Depart¬
ment of Public AVorks, of which the railways are really a part, as
explained later in connection with the feature of organization.
WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the working results for the years ended
June 30, 1907, 1914, and 1916. The net results for the year ended
June 30, 1915, were very adversely affected by the drought and the
war, and the same was true of the year ended June 30, 1916:
Items.
Total miles of 3-foot fi-inch line open at end of year.
Total miles of .5-foot 3-incli line open at end of year.
Total miles of 1 ine open at end of year
Average miles of line open for year
Capital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Gross earnings
Working expenses
Prolit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio
Percentage earned on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Year ended June 30—
.per cent..:
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open.
Profit on working per average mile open.
Train-miles run
Number of passengers carried
Tons of goods and live stock carried.
Earnings per train-mile
Working cx])enses per train-mile
Profit on working per train-mile
Number of locomotives
Number of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and brake vans
Number of department wagons, tanks, cranes, etc.
1907
1914
1916
1,238
594.3
1, 8.32. 3
1,814.5
1,052
793
1,845
1,815
1,209.5
977
2,186.5
2,185
$66,789,310
136,450
$76,404,715
$40,409
$85,681,300
$39,200
$7,666,530
$4,224,145
$3,442,385
$2,335,435
-f $1,106,950
55.10
5.16
-fl.66
$11,374,230
$7,327,805
$4,046,425
$2,756,855
-l-$l,289,570
64.42
5.33
-fl.69
$9,564,720
$7,521,110
$2,043,610
$3,229,350
-$1,185,740
78.03
2.40
-1.35
$4,224
$2,326
$1,898
$6,268
$4,039
$2,227
$4,374
$3,435
$985
4,334,243
11,497,802
2,042,939
$1.74
$0.96
$0.78
6,731,284
19,809,533
3,103,471
$1.70
$1.10
$0.60
5,630,984
20,512,753
2,396,938
$1.70
$1.34
$0.36
328
429
6,140
221
403
590
8,603
276
470
629
9,033
356
ORGANIZATION.
The ministerial head of the South Australian railways is the Minis¬
ter of Public Works, who is also the ministerial head of the branches
haA lug to do with public buildings, hydraulic matters, southeast
draiuapt and wkter conservation, highways outside of the jurisdic-
district councils, labor exchange, and the care of aborigines.
All these branches have a common stores, conducted by one supply
and tender board purchasing for all branches, as explained later,
Ihe administrative head of the railways in South Australia, fre¬
quently spoken of ofticially as the railway branch, is the railways
commi^ion.r. The organization of the department is much the same
as in the other states already described, except the arrangement
EAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 87
of a stor^ branch common to all the government departments and
the fact that the chief engineers of the Department of Public Wf)rks
have in common a chief draftsman, a drawing room, and record
rooms. Following is a diagram of the organization of the railway
department, subordinate to the head officials mentioned above:
Branches.
Duties.
Titles of chief officials.
Secretary
Accounts
All general secretarial work
/Accounting
Secretary.
Paymaster and expenditure clerk.
Traffic auditor.
Solicitor for railways.
General traffic manager.
Chief mechanical engineer.
(Chief engineer.
(Chief assistant engineer.
Assistant engineer foreonstruction.
Chairman of board and 4 members.
Legal
Traffic
Mechanical
Way, works, and build¬
ings.
Stores
Transportation of passengers and goods
and station service.
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of rolling stock.
[Maintenance of all way, works, and bulld-
^ ings.
(Construction of new lines of railway
Purchase, Inspection, receipt, custody,
and issue of all stores for all departments
of the Soutlt Australian Government.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a directory of the principal officers, arranged in
the same order as the diagram of organization. The general ollices
are on Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia.
Position.
Name.
Location.
Minister of Public Works
Bailwnys commissioner (acting)
■eeretsry (acting)
Comptroller of accounts
Paymaster and expenditure clerk
TOifie auditor
BoUcitor for railways
Oeneral traffic manager (acting)
Goods superintendent
PassMiger superintendent
Inspector
Do
DlTiaian supermtendent
Do
Do
Do
CSilef meobaninal engineer
Works manager
Outdoor running superintendent —
Looomotive Insp^or
Do
Believing officer
Qdef dn^man
Aoooontant
Dlftiict locomotive sup^intendent..
Do
Do
Do
s?
Do
CSilef engineer
Cbief Bsnstant engineer
Aafstant engtaieer, yards and signals
Blictrician
GUsfdnftnnaa.
Hon. Harry Jackson, M. P..
James McGulre
C. J. Boykett
J. Pickering
J. Bennett
D. H. Simpson
F. W. Richards
A. N. Day
G. J. Smith
B. H. Gillman
J. W. Gordon
J. Wylie
J. Henderson
J. P. Mackay
P B. O'Malley
R. S. Ross
B. F. Rushton
O. J. Rankin
H. V. Hayman
W. Johnston
F. M. Russell
T. W. Russell
H. P. Green
A. Langman
W. H. Hill
W. J. Hooper
A. Martin
T. W. Messenger
W. J. MiUer
R. 0. Stropp
J. Sharp
J. C. B. MoncriefT
F. W. Stephen
C. O. Pilkmgton
T. Y. Dewhirst
A. £. Bormey
Adelaide.
Do.
Da
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Petersburg.
Naracoortp.
Quom.
Wallaroo.
Islin^on.
Adelaide.
Do.
Do.
Islin^otL
Do!
Petersburg.
Murray Bridge.
Islington.
Mile End.
Naracoorte.
Port Wakefield.
Quom.
Adelaide.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
88 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Position.
Resident engineer (maintenance).
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Assistant engineer for railway construction.
Resident engineer (construction)
Do
Do
Do
Do
Name.
A. E. Welboum.
F. Yeoman
W. TI. IToggarth.
C. B. Anderson..
R. B. f'aldwell...
E. Richmond
F. E. Ilayman...
W. W. Andrews...
C. S. Mann
J. D. Sommerville .
J. O. Dixon
T. A. Proctor
H. H. Tucker
South Australian Government Supply and Tender
Board:
Railways general traffic manager, chairman |*A. N. Day
General manager government produce departs
ment
Chairman of the destitute board
Revenue clerk for works and building depart¬
ment.
Secretary to the Commissioner ot Public Works..
Secretary
Chief storekeeper
In England:
Agent general
Secretary to agent general.
Inspecting engineer
G. A. W. Pope..
T. H. Atkinson.
J. N. Taylor
C. n. Dewhirst.
H. J. Day
M. Lukey
F. W. Young.
J. B. Whiting.
Location.
Adelaide.
Quom.
Port Lincoln.
Petersburg.
Mile End.
Murray Bridge.
Port Wakeflwd.
Adelaide.
Riverton.
Salisbury.
Adelaide.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
85 Grace Church
Street, London.
Do.
Do.
STORES.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK.
The purchase, receipt, inspection, custody, and issue of all stores
for all tlepartmcnts, except Posts and Telegraphs, of the South Aus¬
tralian government are under the control of a Supply and Tender
Board consisting of five members, a chief storekeeper, and a secre¬
tary. The board meets each week, and three members form a
quorum. The chief storekeeper is the chief executive officer of the
board and h:i.s a seat at its meetings but does not take part in the
proceedings. The secretary of the board keeps the minutes and per¬
forms all the secretarial duties.
Matters of importance calling for attention between meetings of
the board are dealt with by the chairman, who reports at the next
meeting the action taken by him. The board's staff, in addition to
the chief storekeeper, assistant chief storekeeper, and secretary, con¬
sists of a complete organization for receipt, inspection, custody, issue,
and accounting.
All stores purchased by the board are paid for by the chief store¬
keeper out of an account known as " Personal account public stores
and when issued to works are then charged to the appropriate au¬
thority and the above credited with the proper amount.
BIENNIAL CONTRACTS.
The heads of all government departments—except the Depart¬
ment of Posts and Telegraphs, which has its own stores branch—
submit to the chief storekeeper a statement of their estimated re-
quireinents for two years, and from this a summary is compiled for
the information of tenderers as regards the amounts likely to be re-
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 89
quired. Tenders for supply are then invited and accepted by the
board, and delivery of requirements (usually to standard samples),
as enumerated in schedule form and in such quantities as are re¬
quired, may be ordered during the currency of the contracts by the
chief storekeeper or authorized officers of other departments and' paid
for by him or them. The approximate quantities as set forth in the
invitation for tenders in no way bind the Supply and Tender Board
to order the full quantity specified, nor can the board order more
than the full quantity plus 50 per cent. Soutli Aastralian Kxliihit
No. 5 is a copy of the estimated requirements for the period from
July 1,1913, to June 30, 1915, and Exhibit No. 4 is a copy of the con¬
tractors' price list resulting from the awards for the above period.
There are 5,024 items covered by these lists.
SPECIAL CONTRACTS.
As regards supplies not included in the biennial contnu t-. the
board invites tenders by advertisement in the S(juth Australian (lov-
ernment Gazette for all large quantities of stores ami materials, in¬
cluding rails and fishplates, coals for railways, coke. ]ug iron, etc.,
and reserves the right to accept a part or whole of a tender. The
board also enters into the necessary contracts. In most cases the
quantities specified on the invitation are definite and represent the
actual quantities wanted. All coal is purchased by special contraets,
usually entered into for a period of two years, tenders being juiblicly
invited by advertisements in the South Australian Governnieut
Gazette.
Invitations for engine tires, wheel tires, axles, and other .similar
requirements are sent only to an approved list of bidders. The chief
mechanical engineer is the officer of the Railway Department who
decides the names of the concerns to aj^pear on this list of accepted
bidders. South Australian Railways Exhibit No. 6 is a copy of the
specifications for the above-mentioned articles. The requirements
for permanent-way materials are usually shown by set specifications
supplemented by plans where these are necessary.
PRIVATE PURCHASE.
Stores not provided for under either of the before-mentioned meth¬
ods are procured by the chief storekeej^er under what are known as
" Private purchases," and he has authority to .purchase under this
heading up to the value of $250 without reference to the board.
DELIVERY, INSPECTION, AND PAYMENT.
Invitations for all requirements are usually for delivery f. o. b.
Port Adelaide, South Australia, but when tenders can not be made
on this basis a clear statement of the conditions on which the tender
is made should be included, so that the net bid can be definitely de¬
termined by the board.
Goods are inspected by qualified representatives either at the place
of manufacture or the place of delivery to the stores branch. The
South Australian government retains R. W. Hunt & Co. to do its
inspecting in America.
90 EAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
When goods are obtained in the United Kingdom, on the Conti¬
nent, or in America, they are paid for by the agent-general in London
when they are accepted at point of manufacture or other specified
point of delivery. Customs duties are paid by the chief storekeeper
at the port of entry, unless delivery is to be made f. o. b. Port Ade¬
laide stores. The shipping papers should contain a clear statement
of the value of the goods in America, so that the information will be
available for the chief storekeeper to make a prompt and proper
return.
VIII. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS AND TRAM¬
WAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
Railway construction in M ostcrn Australia was initiated by the
government in 1873, when the line from Geialdton to Xorthanipton,
a distance of 34 miles, was authorized. M ork was comiiieiiced in
1874, but the line was not opened for traffic until July, l■^7'.'. This
was designed as a cheap 3-foot G-inch gauge line in order to suit the
rather small traffic of the district. ith a view to low initial cost the
line was located with a maximum of 3 per cent grades and 'J-'-degne
curves, with 35-pound rail and 6-foot 2-inch bv i-inch iiv 4-inch
jarrah sleepers. Owing to the small population and want of fund-,
but little progress was made with railway construction. In ls;»0
there were only 188 miles of governiuent railways open for traffic-
and 15 miles under construction. The discovery of gold fields had,
however, a marked influenee upon railway construction; the mileage
of the government lines had risen to 1,605 miles by June 30. T.»b."),
and to 3,332 miles by June 30, 1916. In 1S90 the government rail\va\'
returns showed a loss of $27,910 on working, wherea> the year ended
June 30, 1914, gave a net profit of 8623,69.") over working expenses
and interest.
The two most extensive privately owned railways evei' constructed
in Australia were both built in Western Australia on the arrange¬
ment of land-grant assistance from the government. The first was
the Great Southern Railway running from Perth in a southeasterly
direction to Albany on the south coast, a distance of 242 miles. This
is a 3-foot 6-inch gauge line, it was located with 2 per cent grade.-,
and 46-pound rail was used in its construction. The first work was
done in October, 1886. The entire ])roperty, including the rights to
about 2,700,000 acres of land, was taken over by the government in
1896, the purchase price being $.").3.")3,150.
The other private line is that of the Alidland Railway Co. (with
headquarters in London), extending northward from Guilford Junc¬
tion, a few miles from Perth, where it connects with the government
lines, to near Geraldton, a distance of 277 miles, where it again con¬
nects with the government lines. This is a 3-foot 6-inch gauge line,
laid with 46-pound rail, and the cost of construction was about
$17,500 a mile. The line was opened for traffic in 1894. The govern¬
ment granted the company 12,000 acres of land per mile of line con-
stnicted, to be selected along the entire route of the railway, with¬
in a belt of country extending 40 miles on each side of the line, the
total area being 3,316,464 acres. The work of construction was vig¬
orously pushed until financial difficulties compelled the company to
suspend operations. There has been a bill before Parliament recently
for the talcing over of this line by the government. As the line is
not profitable, however, an agreement as to the purchase price has
91
92 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
not been possible yet, particularly as the government has constructed
a line parallel the entire distance, the Midland Railway lying on the
coastal level and the government line a few miles farther back on the
table-land. There are a considerable number of other private rail¬
ways in Western Australia, amounting in all to something more than
600 miles, but these are more in the nature of lumber roads than com¬
mercial railways.
In recent years a Railway Act has been passed limiting to a cer¬
tain extent the powers of the commissioner of railways, instead of ex¬
tending them as has been done in all the other Australian States.
EXTENT OF PRESENT AND PROJECTED LINES.
The principal lines terminate at Perth, or rather its port, Free-
mantle. One group extends south to Albany and the productive
southwestern section; another group extends east to the gold fields
and to the connection with the Commonwealth Transcontinental Line
at Kalgoorlie; and a third group extends north and northeast. In
addition there is one short line on the southeast coast at Hopetown
and another short line in the north terminating at Hedland. The
Railway Department also works the government-owned tramways at
Perth. The Tramways Purchase Act of 1912 authorized the purchase
of the Perth Electric Tramways (Ltd.) for $2,311,588. This act
vests the management, maintenance, and control of these tramways
and any additions in the Department of Railways. The transfer to
the government was effected June 30, 1914. There were 14.86 miles
of single-track line and 8.32 miles of double-track line, a total of 23.18
miles of route when taken over. This has since been increased to
9.27 miles of double-track line and 18.13 miles of single-track line, or
a total of 27.34 miles of route. The gauge is 3 feet 6 inches, and the
population served is more than 60,000. The system is 550-volt direct
current, supplied by the new central power plant at Perth, recently
erected by the Western Australian government and operated by the
Railway Department.
On June 30, 1915, there were 786 miles of railway under con¬
struction or authorized. The railway commissioner in his annual
report that year severely criticized some of the new extensions,
cheapness of construction without regard to future working having
been the main object in view. But improved methods have been
adopted recently, and better construction is now being done. There
is some question as to whether the railway building in Western
Australia has not been pushed ahead of the actual needs, particularly
in view of the policy of allowing the taking up of land in large
blocks, with the holders developing only part and leaving the larger
part undeveloped. This practice has prevailed to a very consider¬
able extent. It will, however, require many miles of additional rail¬
ways to,develop all the immense territory of Western Australia, espe¬
cially the probably rich mineral resources that are not as yet un¬
covered. It may be noted, though, that the furnishing of water for
these possible mineral developments is a bigger problem than the
building of the necessary railways. One matter that no doubt will
retard the building of additional lines is the already very large pub¬
lic del it of Western Australia, which on June 30, 1915, amounted to
almost $500 per capita and which, on account of the war expense, is
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 93
being added to rapidly. Of this debt more than per capita is
for such works as railways, tramways, water supply, and .sewerage
alone"^^^ ^ represents expenditures for railways
One impro\ ement that has already had some consideration is the
electnhcation of the railways in the Perth metropolitan district
Midland Junction, a distance of about miles.
The electrification of these lines would no doubt be an admirable
undertaking, both on account of the high price of good locomotive
coal in Western Australia and also because the gfivornment has
already erected a large electric power house, buniing the low-grade
Western Australian coal and capable of carrying the load for this
electrification. This power house is now operated by the Railways
department in connection with the Perth Tramways. Another mat¬
ter that seems likely to receive very .serious further consideration is
the converting of the Freemantle-Perth-Kalgoorlie line to 4-foot
inch gauge on account of the completion of the (Vjinmonwealth Tran-
continental Line connections at Kalgoorlie. Sf) far as the Western
Australian Railways are concerned, this change, made onlv for this
part of the system, would be a distinct disadvantage, so it seems verv
likely that a compromise will be etfected (for the present at b ast i
by making the above line a combination 3-foot t.-meh and 4-f(i«>t
8^-inch three-rail line.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The fact that Western Australia is much less rotigh than the
parts of the other States where railways ha^ e been built has tended
toward the construction of hiwer-cost lines, althougli the construc¬
tion of permanent way and rolling stock is very largely up tn the
standard of the lines handling similar traffic in the other States.
The water supply is a very great problem in all parts of Western
Australia, particularly on the eastern lines, as is illustrated by the
Gold-fields Water Supply already mentioned. A very important
feature of the water supply is the fact that the impurities in the
waters from most sources are constantly cliangiiig. depending on
whether there are light, medium, or heavy rainfalls on the water¬
sheds from which the water is olttained. As an illustration of this,
the following table shows analyses of the IMundaring water over a
geriofl of several years. This is the feed supply to the important
old-fields Water Supply and is depended on by the railways for the
supply to several hundred miles of the eastern lines.
Grains per gallon.
Constituents.
Mar. 14,
1907.
Aug. 12,
1910.
Nov. 17,
1911.
July 29,
1912.
11.90
7.40
24.25
27.29
2.32
.75
4.22
6. 78
.24
.64
.81
1.26
.89
.80
2. 58
2.44
.59
06
.25
.39
.21
.17
.50
.0
.42
.43
1.15
.28
21.70
12.04
33.76
39.01
94 RAILWAY MATERIALS IK AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
It will be noticed from these analyses that during the interval very
decided changes occurred. Another illustration is afforded by the
analyses of water from Wagin:
CoMtituents.
Grains per gallon.
Aug. 12,
1908.
Dec. 7,
1912.
Sept. 26,
1914.
July 20,
1916.
9,80
92.66
11.48
5.74
1.45
.47
5.50
3.32
.69
Trace.
1.62
1.89
6.58
Calcium sulphate •
10.14
3.67
2.54
24.50
102.00 1 42.00^ 18.00
Note.—Since 1912 the salt content of this water has never exceeded 20 grains per gallon. This result has
been largely due to the control of the flood gate at the entrance of the dam.
These are good examples of the necessity of continual analyses, and
this matter is given constant attention by a corps of chemi.-^ts assigned
to the work by the mechanical branch. The matter given first con¬
sideration is the neutralizing of the corrosive effects, the officials
taking chances on the scale made; in fact, the corrosive effects are so
excessiie that frequently no scale is formed.
PERMANENT WAY.
A great similarity prevails between the permanent-way practices in
Western Australia and on the 3-foot G-inch gauge lines in South Aus¬
tralia. In both cases there is excessive rail creeping; hence the
necessity for the use of an effective rail anchor. White ants are also
destructive, but an ample supply of superior timber for sleepers pre¬
vents this from being the serious matter that it is in South Australia.
The very small number of streams limits the need for bridges.
Fencing is recjuired, but the ample supply of Wando timber, making
a A-ery excellent fence post, leaves the wire and the fastenings the
main question in this connection, and no doubt spiral fence wire
could be used to good advantage. Western Australian Eailways Ex¬
hibit Nt). 9 (see p.TtiG) comprises while prints showing the details of a
carefully worked out square-bearing round-body dog-spike used with
\ erv satisfactory results on the Perth Tramways, and if this style of
dog-spike or its equivalent could be furnished at a reasonable price
to the Western Australian Kailways the officers would probably adopt
it as standard for use on all lines.
SIGNALS.
The operation of the lines in Western Australia is entirely similar
to that in the other States—trains on double-track lines being run
with lock and block and on single-track lines with staff. There are
several situations where selective telephones in connection with the
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW l^EALAND. 95
present signal appliances could be arranged for the " central control "
of trains and probably expedite the traffic to a considerable extent.
If the electrification of the Perth metropolitan district is under¬
taken, it will create an excellent situation for the installation of
three-position three-speed signaling, and this method is regarded
with favor by the signal branch.
ROLLING STOCK.
The Western Australian rolling stock in general is very similar
to the 3-foot 6-inch equipment on the South Australian JRailways
except that vacuum brakes are used on all equipment. Notwithstand¬
ing the very serious water difficulties on all parts of the system, the
latest types of engines are being equipped with superheaters. For
handling the heavier traffic on some of the lines with the heaviest
grades and for use on mixed trains on some of the branch lines with
a very variable traffic, there are in service 13 Garratt-type engines.
These engines are arranged with a OOOo engine under what might
be called a tender ahead, carrying the front end of the boiler, and a
oOOO engine under a tender carrying the fire-box end of the boiler
and the supply of coal. The boiler is supported by pivoted bearings
at each end of the boiler on these tenders. These engines are equipped
with 39-inch drivers and seem admirably adapted for the service in
which they are used. Their total weight in working trim is about
156,500 pounds, and they have a tractive effort of 22,600 pounds.
They were furnished by Beyer, Peacock & Co., of Manchester, Eng¬
land.
The Western Australian Kailways erect part of their equipment in
their own workshops at Midland, near Perth, and the remainder is
usually bought from Australian manufacturers. Walkers (Ltd.), of
Karyborough, Queensland, have furnished a considerable part for
several years. The Government Implement Works at Freemantle
have furnished part of the goods wagons during the last few years.
The tramway electrical equipment is all bought abroad, a very con¬
siderable part of it coming from American concerns. The new tram¬
way car bodies have been built in the Midland shops.
WORKSHOPS.
The general shops are at Midland, about 12 miles east of Perth.
These shops are of recent construction and are very well arranged
and equipped, particularly for the handling of the excessive repairs
to the locomotive boilers required on account of the corrosive effect of
the water used in all parts of Western Australia. The shop plant
is complete in all particulars, including electric drive of all machine
tools—this with current formerly furnished from the shops' own
power house but now supplied by the government's central plant.
Tlie machine-tool equipment is ample and well arranged. A very
complete laboratory is provided for the analysis of samples of water
as sent in from the various sources of supply. The tramways have
small supplementary shops, but since the government has taken these
96 railway materials in Australia and new Zealand.
over a considerable amount of the heavier work is done at the Mid¬
land shops.
WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the working results for the years ended
June 30, 1907, 1914, and 1916:
Items.
Year ended June 30—
1907
1914
1916
2,967
2,910
3,332
3,332
$77,240,150
$26,045
$83,305,695
$25,000
$10,983,745
$7,650,175
$3,333,570
$2,709,875
4-$623,695
69.65
4.32
-40.81
$10,161,786
$7,356,465
$2,805,320
$3,042,780
-$237,460
72.39
3.37
-2.28
$3,772
$2,628
$1,144
$3,(»2
$2,210
$842
5,565,062
19,208, 420
3,538,630
$1.95
$1.36
$0.59
5,149,289
18,884,541
2,908,313
$1.96
$1.41
$0.54
416
400
10,032
424
409
10,050
Total miles of line open at end of year
Average miles of line open for year
Capital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Oross earnings
Working expenses
Profit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio per cent..
Percentage earned on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open
Profit on working per average mile open
Train miles run
Number of passengers carried
Tons of goods and live stock carried
Earnings per train mile
W or king expenses per train mile
Profit on working per train miie
Number of locomotives
Number of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and brake vans
1,764
1,674
$50,129,515
$28, 420
$7,481,430
$5,527, 890
$1,9.53, .540
$1,745,780
4-1207.760
73. 89
3.90
4-0.41
$4,463
$3,300
$1,163
4,1.80, 796
13,180.161
2,330,303
$1.78
$1.31
$0.47
321
324
6,322
For some years preceding 1915 there had been a satisfactory sur¬
plus, but the year ended June 30, 1915, resulted in a deficit of
and the fiscal year 1916 showed the still greater deficit of
$237,460. The last si.x months of the calendar year 1916 made a
somewhat better showing, although the management is now being
confronted with very insistent demands on the part of the wages
staff for increased wages in most branches.
1 he following table shows the working results for the tramways
during the first three years after they were taken over by the Gov¬
ernment ;
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 97
Items.
lines olMncie-track route...
UUes of do^le-track route,
fetel mUee of line
C^tal cost of open line
Cepital cost per mile of open line..
Oross earnings
Working expenses
Preflt on working
Interest charges on capital cost...
Netproflt
Operating ratio
Percentage earned on capital cost.
Percentage of net profit
Train miles run
Number of i>assengers carried
Nomber of passengers per car mile.
Bemings per car mile
Working expenses per car mile
ftofit on working per car mile
Number of four-wheel cars.
Number of bogie cars
.per cent..
Year ended June 30—
1914
1915
1916
8.32
14.86
23.18
8.32
16.79
25.11
9.21
18.13
27. 34
$2,464,220
$106,310
$2,576,910
$102,62.5
$2, 737, .505
$100,115
8.V1S, 280
8201.71.5
8101, 8,50
899. 86.-,
6.3. 98
8.31
4.05
$.5.54,88.5
$351,270
8173,610
$116,460
$57,150
68. 71
6. 74
2.22
$578, 790
$412, ,580
$166,210
$121,305
$44,905
71.28
6.07
1.64
1,573,266
10,700,915
6. 80
$0. 360
$0. 235
$0.125
1,620.620
10,799,06.5
6 66
$0.310
$0. 235
$0.105
1,676,400
11,243.138
6. 71
$0,340
$0,215
$0,095
52
11
52
11
52
11
ORGANIZATION.
The ministerial head of the "Western Aii>tr:ilian Kaihvays is the
Minister of Public Works and Industries. Tlie adininistrative head
is one commissioner of railways. With the exception of the stores
branch, as later explained, the organization is along tlie same general
lines as on the other State railways. The following is a diagi am of
the organization:
Branches,
Duties.
QENEEAL.
Secretary for railways...
Accounting
Auditing
Stores
Engineering division —
OovemmeiU. Tender
Board.
RAILWATS.
Traffic
Mechanical
Permanent way.
TRAMWATS.
Traffic
EUctrical.
All general secretarial work of the Rail¬
ways and Tramways Department.
Accounting, Railways and Tramways De¬
partment.
Auditing, Railways and Tramways De¬
partment.
Receipt, Inspection, custody, issue, and
account of all railway and tramway
stor6s
Surveys, location, and construction of new
lines of railways and tramways.
Invitation of tenders and purchase of
equipment, materials, and supplies for
the Department of Public Works and In¬
dustries.
All transportation of railway passengers
and goods, and station service.
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of all rolling stock.
Maintenance of all way and works and all
signals and Interlockers, lock and block,
electric staff, and other permanent-way
electrical equipment.
Transportation of all tramway passengers..
Construction, maintenance, and operation
of all tramway electrical equipment.
Ti ties of chief officials.
Secretary.
Chief accountant.
Auditor of receipts.
Comptroller of stores.
Engineer in chief.
Chairman (and five members).
Chief traffic manager.
Chief mechanical engineer.
I Chief engineer of existing lines,
[signal engineer.
Electrical engineer.
Tramway traffic superintendent.
Electrical superintendent of tram¬
ways.
98 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a directory of the principal officers. The gen¬
eral offices are at Perth, Western Australia.
Position.
Minister of Public Works and Industries .
Commissioner of railways
Secretary for railways
Chief accountant
Auditor of receipts
Comptroller of stores
Chief traffic manager
Superintendent of transportation
Relief district superintendent
District superintendent
Do
Do
Do
OfiBcer in charge
District station master
Chief mechanical engineer
Works manager
Superintendent of locomotive running..
Chief engineer of e.xisting lines
District engineer
Do
Do
Do
Signal engineer
Electrical engineer
Tramwav traffic superinfendent
Electrical superintendent of tramways..
In England:
Acting agent generai
Secretary
Inspecting engineer.
Assistant engineer..
"Name.
Location.
lion. James Mitchell Perth.
John T. Short Do.
C. B. Rushton Do.
L. n. Gwynne Do.
C.'H. Riggs Do.
C. S. Gallagher Do.
W. Lord Do.
J. T. Shillington Do.
W. C. Robinson Do.
II. C. Davis Narogin.
J. Wakeling Kalgoorlle.
E. W. Keatch Biuibury.
G.Moore Geraldton.
H. J. Brownlow | Port Hedland.
J. Porteus Ilopetown.
E. S. Hume Midland Junction.
E. A. Evans ; Do.
II. Rigg : Do.
E. E. Light -.. Perth.
S. Ogdcn Do.
II. A. Cresswell i Narogin.
Coolgardie.
H. Serjeant Geraldton.
T. F. Duncan Perth.
II. Dawson Do.
E. Shillington Do.
W. 11. Taylor Do.
M, L. Moss
A. C. Kessell..
E. E. Salter...
E. G. Brewer.
15 Victoria Street,
Westminster, 8.W.
London.
Do.
Do.
Do.
The duty of the signal engineer is to take care of interlockers
and the mechanical part of the signal apparatus, while the electrical
engineer is a part of the chief engineer's staff and looks after the
lock-and-block electrical apparatus and other electrical apparatus
in this connection.
The head of the engineering branch of the Department of Public
AVorks and Industries is James Thompson, engineer in chief, with
headquarters at Perth.
Following is a list of the members of the AA^stem Australian Gov¬
ernment Tender Board, referred to subsequently in connection with
the stores branch:
Position.
Engineer in chief, chairman
Comptroller of railway stores
Secretary for mines
Manager State savings bank
Inspector general of insurance
Engineer of water supply and sewerage
Undersecretary for apiculture
Secretary
James Thompson
C. S.Gallagher...
II. S. King
J. H. Leaim
Dr. -Anderson
J. Parr
T. S. McNulty...
S. Fisher
Location.
Perth.
Midland Junction.
Perth.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
STORES.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK.
With the exception of the stores for the Department of Posts and
Telegraphs and some important exemptions applying to the Railway
Department (as mentioned later), all tenders, indents, and-contracts
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 99
for stores fon all departments of Western Australia are dealt with
by a Government Tender Board appointed for this purpose. The
personnel of this board, as it is now constituted, is given above.
The head of the railway stores branch is the comptroller of stores,
who has under him a complete staff for the receipt, inspection, pay¬
ment, custody, and issue of all railw^ay and tramway stores. He is
a member of the Government Tender Board and also has chai L'e of
the Railway Department's sawmills and the staff for fheir operation.
There is another stores organization for the handling of all tr'>v-
ernment stores other than those above mentioned. Tliis includes the
stores for the building of new railway lines coming under tlie engi¬
neering division of the Department of Public AVorks and Indu-tries.
Mr. G. AA"". Simpson is the comptroller of the government st(ire> at
Perth, and he has a complete organization for handling them. Tliis
stores branch is a subdepartment of the Treasury.
Purchases for the Railway Department are paid for by funds from
the Treasury, carried under what is known as the "Railway stores
account." The stores issued are charged against the approj)ri.ite
accounts and credits made on the Treasury books to the railway stores
account.
BIENNIAL CONTRACTS.
General contracts are entered into to cover supplies for two years.
These cover all general goods for all government depart mi nt<.
Western Australian Railways Exhibit No. 4 (see p. ) is a rojiy of
contract rates and a list of 3,5G1 items on tlie biennial citntiact run¬
ning from July 1. 1913, to June 30, 191,5. Tenders are invited and
opened by the Tender Board, and matters pertaining to the Railway
Department's requirements are submitted to the commissioner of
railways and if he approves he so advises the Tender Board. Sup¬
plies estimated and contracted for the use of one department can not
Derequisitioned and used by another department without the appro\al
of the department for which they were estimated.
Other biennial contracts are made exclusively for the Railway
Department, particularly for materials used only by that depart¬
ment.
SPECIAL CONTRACTS.
Special contracts are made by competitive quotations. The gov¬
ernment stores make all purchases by the action of the Tender Board,
but there is an exemption to the efl'ect that the Railway Department
can make purchases up to $5,000 by action of the commissioner of
railways himself and up to $500 by action of the comptroller of
stores. In practice, however, such matters are handled by competi¬
tive bids and, as a rule, referred to the Tender Board with recom¬
mendations for action. All tenders opened by the Tender Board are
submitted to the commissioner of railways for approval before ac¬
ceptance by the Tender Board.
Tenders are called for locally or abroad, as may be determined.
Indents are sent to the agent general in London. Materials from
abroad are preferred f. o. b. Freemantle, but when manufacturers
can make better tenders under other conditions they should clearly
explain their tenders so that the best net bid can be determined,
"^en tenders from American concerns include a provision for inspec-
100 railway materials in australia and new zealand.
tion at tlu'ir factories, it is preferred to have the Pittsburgh Testing
Laboratories make such inspection in America.
Tenders for the requirements of the mechanical branch for engine
tires, wheel tires, axles, and similar materials are invited only from
concerns whose names appear on the list of accepted bidders. Names
are added to this list only by action of the chief mechanical engineer.
Kequirements for the permanent-way branch are covered by specifi¬
cations, all materials are bought subject to inspection, and there is
no list of accepted bidders in this connection. It is necessary, how¬
ever, for concerns wishing to receive invitations to bid to keep their
names before the heads of the engineering branch, the Tender Board,
or the agent general in London.
IX. TASMANIAN RAILWAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
While the Tasmanian Government Railways amounted to a total
of only 533 miles on June 30, 1915, their history is rather interesting.
The building of a railway to connect the two most important ports,
Hobart and Launceston, was advocated in the first Parliament in
1856, but the act for its construction was not passed until 1809, when
the enterprise was taken in hand by a private company. In the mean¬
time a 5-foot 3-inch gauge line, called the I.aunceston & Western
Railway, was started in January, iSdS, in the northwestern part of
the island by a private company; it ran from Launceston to Delor-
aine and opened for traffic in February. 1871. This company, how¬
ever, soon found itself in difficulties and about a year after the open¬
ing the railway was taken over by the government under special
arrangements. In 1809 an act was passed empowering "The Tas¬
manian Main Line Railway Co." to construct a line. 122 miles in
length, from Hobart to Evandale, a station on the Launceston &
Western Railway. 11 miles from Launce.ston. Owing to the very
rough nature of the country between Ilobart and Launceston the
3-foot 6-inch gauge was adopted, and, as the aet gave tlie .Main Line
Co. running rights over that portion of the Launceston & Western
lying between Evandale and Launceston, a third rail was laid between
the rails of the Launceston & Western line in order to allow the
narrow-gauge stock of the Main Line Co. to run to Launceston.
This arrangement continued for a number of years until the .'1-foot
6-inch gauge was adopted as the standard of Tasmania; the Laun¬
ceston & Western Railway was then changed to the narrow gauge
and no railway has since been built with the wider gauge.
The Main Line Co. undertook the work under a guaranty limited
to 5 per cent on a capital of $3,163,225, for a period of 30 years. The
railway was begun in 1872 and opened for traffic in Xovember. isTO.
The government purchased the line in 1890 for the sum of $").28I.T7.'i.
but the cost of construction amounted to $5,791,135.
After the completion of the above lines some time elapsed before
any more were built. In 1892 several proposals were taken up by
Parliament, with the result that the building of new lines has been
gradually extended until on June 30, 1915, there was a total of
miles of government-owned railways and, in addition, a few miles
of private lines staffed and operated by the government. In con¬
nection with the mining industries several private lines have been
constructed, their total length being about 220 miles. Se\ eral reasons
may be given for the slow jirogress of railway construction in Tas-
jnania. The area of the island is only 26,215 square miles, the popu¬
lation is only 197,497, and there are many good harbors around the
island. The railways have to face severe competition with' the sea¬
borne traffic, and there are no large centers of population except on
the seaboard.
EXTENT OF LINES.
The most important section is the 133 miles from Ilobart to Laun¬
ceston, and the next is the line from Launceston to Bernie and the
points along the northwestern coast. There are 24.5 miles of 2-foot
gauge tramways (so-called) in the northwestern part of the State
that are included as part of the 533 miles of government lines; m
102 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
addition, there is a small mileage of 2-foot privately owned tram¬
ways in this same section that are operated for the owners by the
government staff. . j ui. u u -i
^Vdditional railway mileage in Tasmania will no doubt be built
gradually from time to time as actually needed to develop the coun¬
try. While there may be lines built on account of the growing min¬
ing and smelting interests, it is very likely that such lines will be
built by the concerns requiring them. On account of the possible
hydroeiectric developments, some of which are already in service, it
wouhl seem that the natural place in the Commonwealth of Aus¬
tralia to consolidate the electrolitic-smelting process plants should
])e in Tasmania, and this has already been done to a certain extent
bv two strong concerns. A great deal of good fruit is grown in Tas¬
mania, and jam factories constitute one of the principal industries.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The island of Tasmania being very rough and the amount of avail¬
able money always being small, the lines are more cheaply built than
in any other State, with the result that curvature is excessive and the
grades on many of the lines very steep. Grades of 2J per cent and
IS-degree curves are frequent on the line from Hobart to Launceston.
Tbe present standard weight of rail is 61 pounds, but much of the
track is still laid with 41 and 46 pound rail. Bridges are largely of
wood and designed for a maximum axle load of 27,000 pounds.
PERMANENT WAY AND SIGNALS.
The maintenance practices of the Tasmanian railways are much
like those on the 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines in the other States. Points
and crossings and a considerable amount of similar permanent-way
materials are manufactured in the railway shops at Launceston. The
skepers are 6 feet 6 inches by 9 inches by 5 inches and are usually
of " stringy-bark " or " blue-gum," both very excellent timbers, but
on account of the moist and deteriorating climate the average life is
only about 10 years as against a life of more than double this time
in all the other States. The creeping of the rail is very troublesome,
and the Vaughn rail anchors have been used to an extent with very
satisfactory results.
The practice for train running on all parts of the system is lock
and block for double-track lines and staff for single-track lines. Elec¬
tric control of the lock and block is installed only on a very small
portion of the lines.
ROLLING STOCK.
Vacuum brakes are used on all equipment. Schmidt super¬
heaters are used on new locomotives, with Wakefield lubricator/
and Deqn & Metcalf injectors. The coupling and other carriage
and wagon equipment is very similar to the older equipment on
the (^leensland Eailways. The Tasmanian Railways have built no
new carriage, and very little new wagon, equipment in the last few
years. All carriages and goods wagons are built in the department's
own shops at Launceston, but all new locomotives are bought, Beyer,
Peacock A Co. having furnished much the larger number of all loco¬
motives now in service.
The lasmanian Railways have four Garratt locomotives, one with
60-inch driving wheels used for passenger service, one with 42-inch
KAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALU AND NEW ZEALAND. 103
driving wheels used for goods and passenger service, and two used
on the 2-inch tramways in the northwestern part of the State.
The 3-foot 6-inch gauge engines have both given trouble on ac¬
count of their frames breaking, and one serious derailment has
occurred on one of the sharp curves and steep grades between
Hobart and Launceston. These engines do not impress one as be¬
ing so well adapted to the service they are performing as the simi¬
lar locomotives in AVestern Australia that have 39-inch driving
wheels and are not required to make a speed in excess of 1.5 miles
an hour. The 2-foot gauge engines h.ave two 31^-inch drivers ahead
and two of the same diameter in the rear, weigh about 7('..iiOO
pounds, have a tractive power of 17,9.50 pounds, and seem to be very
well_adapted for the service in which they are being used. Tas-
manian Railways Exhiliit Xo. 4 (see p. 103) comprises blue-print
outline diagrams of the above engines.
WORKSHOPS.
The workshops are located at Launceston, which is about the
^ographical center of the lines. Tliey are principally arranged
for the making of all classes of repairs to all rolling stock and the
building of the necessary new carriages and goods wagons. AVhile
the shops are somewhat old and are not very well arranged, still
they are fairly well equipped for performing the service re(iuired.
The machine tools are all electrically driven with current supplied
from the city of Launceston's hydroelectric plant.
WORKING RESULTS.
The working of the Tasmanian Railways has resulted in a deficit
for a number of years, the average for the five years ended June
30, 191.5, being $.343,000. The figures for 1910 were not available
when the writer visited Tasmania in February, 1917. The follow¬
ing table gives a summary of the working results for the years
ended June 30, 1907, 1914. and 1915:
Items.
Total miles of line open at end of year
Average miles of line open for year
Capital cost of open line
Capital cost per mile of open line
Gross earnings
Working expenses
Profit on working
Interest charges on capital cost
Net profit or deficit
Operating ratio per cent
Percentage eam^ on capital cost
Percentage of net profit or deficit
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open
Profit on working per average mile open
Train miles run
Nomber of passengers carried
Tons of goods and live stock carried
Earnings per train mile
WorUng expenses per train mile
Profit on working ^r train mile
Number of locomotives
Number of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and brake vans
Year ended June 30—
1907
1914
1915
462.50
469. 75
519
524. 70
538
535.83
$19,190,355
$41,495
$21,882,.'<70
$42,165
$2-2.526,5.85
$42,265
$1,256,640
$902,735
$353,905
$722,615
-$368,710
71.83
1.84
-1.93
$1,606,765
$1,083,835
$522,930
$823,745
-$31X1,815
67. 45
2. 39
-1.37
$1,573,170
$1,099,805
$473,365
$838,735
-$365,370
69.90
2.10
-1.62
$2,675
$1,920
$755
$3,061
$2,064
$997
$2,936
$2,052
$884
981,379
951,823
428,387
$1.28
$0.92
$0.36
1,000,740
1,708,334
408,864
$1.60
$0.98
$0.62
1,005,145
1,750,905
408,069
$1.56
$0.99
$0.57
76
80
186
175
1,600
1,735
104 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
ORGANIZATION AND DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
Tl>o ministerial head of the Tasmanian Eailways is the Minister of
Eaihvays, and the administrative head is one commissioner of rail¬
ways in cliarge of the maintenance and operation of the department,
who has the usual branches constituting his staff. All new lines are
built by the Department of Public Works, and when completed are
turned over to the Railway Department for the latter to equip with
rolling stock, maintain, and operate. The Railway Department
does all reconstruction, double tracking of lines, and similar work.
The general offices are at Hobart. No diagram of organization is
thought to be needed, and the following is a directory of the prin¬
cipal officers:
Position.
Name.
Location.
Minister for Railways.
Commissioner of railways
Secretary for railways
Railway storekeeper
Assistant railway storekeeper
Chief accountant
Traffic superintendent
District traffic superintendent
Chief engineer of existing lines
Assistant chief engineer
Resident engineer
Electrical engineer
Department of Public Works:
Engineer in chief
Assistant engineer in chief
Engineer in charge of railway construction.
Architect
Tasmanian Government Tender Board:
Chairman
Member
Do
Do
Do
In England;
Agent general
Hon. William B. Propsting,
M. L. C.
George W. Smith
.\. J. Winterson
Samuel R. Fisher
•t. B. Rapp
W. H. Lovett
Samuel Mann
C. H. Harrison
Charles C. Nairn
\. H. Wherrett
W. P. Hales
John J. McDonald
Thomas W. Powder.
W. Ross Reynolds..
F. Groom Butler
R. T. Richards
Thomas W. Fowler.
R. M. Johnston
E. A. Counsel
W. H. Wallace
G. H. ReUly
Secretary
Indent agent.
Sir John McCall, Knt. M. D.
Herbert W. Ely.,
R. W. Giblin.....
Hobart.
Do.
Do.
Do.
I.aunceston.
Hobart.
Do.
Launceston.
Hobart.
Do.
Launceston.
Hobart.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
56 Victona Street,
Westminster, Lon¬
don.
Da
Da
STORES.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK.
The chief storekeeper is the head of the Railway Department stores
branch, whose stores are bought independently of the Government
Tender Board mentioned above. He reports to the commissioner of
railwiivs and has charge of the purchase, receipt, inspection, custody,
issue, and accounting of all railway stores. The chief storekeeper and
most of his statf are located at Hobart, but there is an assistant store¬
keeper at Launceston with the necessary statf and stores for taking
carv of the northern parts of the lines and the system workshops at
Launceston.
An account is kept and funds are provided by the Treasury known
as the " Railway stores account." Stores issued are charged against
the appropriate account and the proper amounts are debited to the
above account. Orders for the agent-general are prepared by the
chief storekeeper, who furnishes an estimate of the value of each
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 105
order, and the Treasury is requested to provide the agent-general
with sufficient funds from the " Railway stores account " to meet the
liability.
METHODS OF PURCHASING.
Only such items as fuel, oil, uniforms, and similar established
articles of set consumption are covered by biennial contracts. Ten¬
ders for these are invited by circulars. Other goods, as a rule, are
purchased for prompt delivery. No biennial or annual contracts arc
made for merchandise requirements, but at times special contracts
running for six months or so are made for some articles; these are
always for fairly definite amounts. Tenders for special requirements
are invited by circulars sent to all known tenderers from time to time.
All timbers, except imported softwoods, are bought in Tasmania.
This includes all sleepers and bridge timbers.
Schedules of tenders are prepared by the chief storekeeper and for¬
warded with his recommendations to the commissioner of railways
for the latter's approval. Whenever the goods are of a special char¬
acter the recommendations of the bead of the branch re<|uiririg them
is first obtained by the chief storekeeper.
For purchases from abroad tenders are invited by the agent-gen¬
eral in London, covering any goods that may be considered more suit¬
able for the use of the railways or that represent a better value than
is obtainable in Australia. Some of these materials are fencing wire,
paints, painters' brushes, linseed oils, telegraph materials, tarpaulins,
electric-light materials, and similar articles. As a rule, new locomo¬
tives, rolling-stock supplies, shop machinery, and rails and fa-tenings
are obtained in England through the agent-general.
The chief storekeeper makes considerable purchases in America,
by first making inquiries direct and then acting on them in a way
quite similar to the method of making purchases Ikuii concerns in the
mainland States of Australia. Such purchases, however, are con¬
fined in a measure to concerns with which considerable business has
been done in the past. Payment for such purchases is frequently
made by allowing sight draft to be drawn, and letters from some
well-known American concerns say that the arrangement is satis¬
factory.
Customs duties on stores imported are prepared and passed by the
chief storekeeper.
X. AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE (COMMERCIAL) RAILWAYS.
The term " private (commercial) railways" is used to describe pri¬
vately owned and operated railways that, in some cases, do a general
common-carrier business or, in other instances, have been built for
special pur2^oses but do, in addition, a certain amount of general busi¬
ness. In addition to this class of lines, there is a rather indefinite
number of {irivately owned lines that do little or no general business
hut were built and" are used for the special purposes of the owners;
this class of lines will hereafter be referred to as " industrial tram¬
ways." The term "tramway " is used in Australia to describe three
classes of lines—(1) the narrow-gauge feeder lines of some of the
State railways, (2) street railways of all classes, and (3) the class of
lines referred to above as industrial tramways. In the use of this
term hereafter, there will be an indication as to which class of lines is
meant.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
SILVERTON TRAMWAY CO.
The Silverton Tramway has already been referred to in connec¬
tion with the movement of ore concentrates from Broken Hill to Port
Pirie over this line and the South Australian Government Railways.
It is no doubt the most important privately owned railway in Aus¬
tralia at this writing. It was opened for traffic in 1888. There are
36 miles of main line and about 25 miles of sidings to the mines at
Broken Hill. It is a well located, constructed, maintained, and oper¬
ated railway. The equipment consists of 20 locomotives (6 of which
are required for the switching service at the several large mines at
Broken Hill), 1 j^assenger carriage, and 680 goods wagons consisting
mostly of open four-wheel ore wagons. The South Australian Rail¬
ways run their passenger equipment through from Cockburn to
Broken Ilill over the Silverton Co.'s tracks. The ore wagons of
both railways are j^oolod for moving the ore and coal over the Port
Pirie-Broken Hill route, and the South Australian Railways stand¬
ards for 8-foot 6-inch equipment are very largely followed by the
Silverton Tramway for all its wagon equipment. The locomotive
equipment was among the best the writer saw in Australia, both as to
application and maintenance. The water supply at Broken Hill is
obtained from the New South Wales government supply to the
Broken Ilill mines, for which the regular charge is $1.21 per 1,000
gallons; this affords a good illustration of what a valuable commodity
water is in a good many parts of iVustralia.
In 1890 legislative sanction was obtained for the construction of a
private line from the tlux quarries at Tarrawingee to Broken Hill, a
distance of 40 miles. The line was purchased by the government in
1901 and is operated by the Silverton Tramway under lease from the
chief commissioner of railways of New South Wales, who pays the
working expenses and receives the earnings and one-half the net
re<cii)ts on special and holiday traffic. The gauge of this line is 3
feet 6 inches. All the other lines owned by the New South Wales
government are 4 feet 8^ inches.
106
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 107
The capital stock of the Silverton Tramway Co. is $1,216,625,
issued in 250,000 shares. The company has paid regular dividends
at a liberal rate for a considerable pak of its history—recently at
the rate of 35 per cent. The present market value of the stock is
about four times the par value. There is a surplus of more than
$750,000. It is estimated that the capital cost of the property was
$2,258,500, and no doubt much of the cost was paid for out of income.
The gross earnings for the year 1914 were $879,575, and the working
expenses were $362,435. The question of the government's taking
over this property has been discussecj frequently, hut as it was con¬
sidered a highly speculative undertaking when built, there was a pro¬
vision in the act that only allows the government to take it over at a
fair capitalization on the basis of the dividends paid, with the result
that the government has never been Avilling to pay such a price to
acquire the line. It is believed by some that the new line in Xew
South Wales from Condobolin to Broken Hill will divert a consider¬
able portion of this business, but this seems doubtful.
The head office is in the Equitable Building, Collins Street, Mel¬
bourne, Victoria. The principal officers are as follows:
Position.
Chairman Hon. D. E. McBryde, M. L. C..
Director E. F. Miller
Do .Vlex. Campbell
Do V. J. Saddler
Do J. C. Syme
Acting Secretary L. H. M. Avery
Location.
Melbourne, Victoria.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
General manager Charles Eley ' Broken Hill, New South Wales.
Accounts and stores James Cole Do.
Traffic manager A.U.Allen I Do.
Locomotive engineer A. O. Nesfield Do.
Permanent-way engineer S. J. Berry | Do.
.Stoics are purchased as needed, and this is done by the storekeeper
under the personal direction and approval of the general manager,
who has been in charge of the property for many years and is
thoroughly acquainted with the needs and requirements.
DENILIQUIN-MOAMA RAILWAY.
In 1874 permission was granted b}' the New South Wales govern¬
ment to a private company to construct a line of 5-foot 3-inch gauge
and 45 miles long from Deniliquin, in the Riverina disti'ict, to
Moama, connecting with the Victorian Railways at the Murray
Bridge near Echuca. Ihe line was ojjened for traffic in iSiU. the
land required being granted by the New South V ales go\ eminent.
The capital cost was $791,440, the gross earnings in 1914 were
$109,475, the working expenses were $58,105. and as there were
interest charges of only $512 this left a profit of $:)n,s(;o. Dividends
of 5 per cent are paid, and there is a surplus of $227,10.). 'Ihe com¬
pany owns its own locomotive and passenger equipment, hut the
Victorian Railways goods equipment is used, this railway being a
feeder of that system.
The entire management of the lines is in the hands of Mr. David
Tennatt, secretary and manager, at Deniliquin, New South Wales.
108 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
COMMONWEALTH OIL CORPORATION'S RAILWAY.
This is a 4-foot 8|-inch gauge line using Shay geared locomotivea,
running from Newnes Junction on the Great Western Line of the
New South Wales Government Railways to the oil company's re¬
finery, a distance of 33 miles. This line was built and is used largely
for handling the business of the oil company, which is now in the
hands of a receiver undergoing reorganization. This oil company
spent about $6,500,000 in developing its property, of which $946,580
was the capital cost of the railway. In 1914 the earnings were $2,890
and the working expenses $10,480. The future of this line is entirely
dependent on the success of the oil company. Owing to the reorgani¬
zation that was in progress the writer was unable to learn the names
of the officers in charge of this railway.
BURRINJUCK TRAMWAY.
The only other line in New South Wales (except a number of
industrial tramways in tlie coal fields) is the Goondah-Burrinjuck
2-foot gauge line built and worked by the New South Wales Depart¬
ment of Public Works in connection with the very large dam in
course of construction at Burrinjuck. This line, in addition to the
purpose just indicated, serves the community through which it passes.
VICTORIA.
KERANG-KOONDROOK TRAMWAY.
This line connects with the Victorian Railways at Kerang in north¬
western Victoria and extends a distance of 14.25 miles to Koondrook
on the Murray River on the New South Wales border. The line was
opened for traffic in 1889 and is of 5-foot 3-inch gauge. The cost of
construction of this line up to September, 1915, was $190,420, paid
out of a loan advanced by the Victorian Government. The groas
earnings in 1914 were $19,355, and the working expenses were $13,105.
The line at present is controlled by the Kerang shire council, but
proposals have been recently made for its transfer to the railway
department.
YARRA JUNCTION-POWELLTOWN TRAMWAY.
This line connects with the Victorian Railways at Yarra Junction
and extends 10.5 miles to Powelltown, and while it handles whatever
general business there is to be done it is worked mainly for the
handling of timber. The capital cost was $214,125, the earnings for
1914 were $18,395, and the working expenses were $12,520.
QUEENSLAND.
CHILLAGOE RAILWAY.
This is a 3-foot 6-inch gauge line connecting with the Cairns
District lines of the Queensland Government Railways at Mareeba
and running to Mungana, a distance of 103 miles. It is the most
important private railway in Queensland. It was constructed under
the Chillagoe Railways Act of 1897 and was opened for traffic in
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 109
1901. The capital cost was $2,015,275, the gross earnings in 1011
were $207,620, and the working expenses were $101,385. The line is
operated with joint officers with the Cairns District of the Queens¬
land Government Railways, Mr. P. McDennott being the general
manager of the Chillagoe Railway as well as tl)e agent for tlie
Queensland commissioner for railways. Tlie members of the Cairns
District staff look after their respective branches on liotli properties.
There have been negotiations for the government to take over this
property, but no agreement has been arrived at thus far with iciranl
to the terms; from current reports, however, it is probable tliat the
government will take such steps as may be necessai v to acf|uire con¬
trol of the property in the near future. The heiid offices of tlie
Chillagoe Railway are at 39 Queen Street. iNlelbourne, Victoria, and
the officers are as follows:
Position.
Name.
Location
Ohalnnan
Director
Do
Do
Secretary
Inspecting engineer
London secretary
J. S. Reid
H. F. C. Keats
Col. F. G. Hughes
J. V. Saddler
C. L. Hewitt
T. P Robson
E. Habben
Melliotime, Victoria.
1 '0.
Do.
Do.
1 >0.
s I'nion t'ourt. Old Rroad st , I.ondon. E. r.
I'alinerston House, Old liroad st , London, E. C,
STANNARY HILL RAILWAY.
This is a 2-f<iot gauge line connecting with the Chillagoe Railway
at Boonmoo and running via Stannary Hills to Rocky Blutf. a dis¬
tance of 21 miles. An addition of 8 miles has been contemplated.
The grades on this line are very steep (some as much as 4 per cent),
and the curvature is also very sharp, some being as high as 65 de¬
grees. The capital cost of the line was $3l7.Sh(). the gross earnings
for 1914 were $16,040, and the working expenses were $1^.320. From
this it would seem that there is not much likelihood of very consid¬
erable extensions.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
IRON KNOB & HUMMOCK HILL TRAMWAY.
This is the only private railway of any kind in South Australia.
It is a 3-foot 6-inch gauge line from the Iron Knob iron-ore deposits
to the seaboard at False Bay near the head of Spencer Culf, a dis¬
tance of 34 miles. This line is owned by the Broken Hill Pro¬
prietary Co. (Ltd.) and is employed for the carriage of iron ore
and flux used in connection with the smelting works at Port Pirie
and the steel works at Newcastle. It does very little (in fact prac¬
tically no) commercial business, for the reason that the country
through which it passes is very sparsely settled, with no agricultural
products whatever. South Australian Railways Exhibit No. 12
(see p. 163) is a copy of the act under which this line was built
and affords a very good example of the care now being taken in all
the States to see that no more situations such as that of the Silverton
Tramway Co. occur in the future. At present the rolling stock
consists of 4 locomotives, 1 passenger coach and 2 combination vans,
85 goods and iron-ore wagons, 4 water tanks, and 1 traveling crane.
110 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
As there are very large deposits of high-grade iron ore at '
it is quite probable that this line will be a very important industrial
traniwav in the future, particularly as the Broken ITdl Proprietary
Co. (Ltd.) is very strong financially, with a very able and energetic
management. This concern is listed on the Melbourne Stock Ex¬
change as a silver-mining company, although silver now forms one
of its smallest sources of income. Dividends have been paid in excess
of $.50,000,000. The present capital has a par value of $2,298,940,
divided into 1,181,006 shares, and the stock has a present market
value in excess of $14,500,000. _ . . ^
The head office of the company is in the Equitable Building, Col¬
lins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, and the secretary is Mp. H. S.
Dickson. The London office of the company is at 3 Great Winchester
Street, E. C.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
MIDLAND RAILWAY CO.
This line has already been referred to at some length as being
one of the private railways in Australia built on the land-grant
arrangement involving assistance from the government. The pres¬
ent capital charges on this line now amount to $6.-265.590, bringing
the cost from the original figure of $17,500 a mile up to $21,900 a
mile. The gross earnings for 1914 were $4S0.345 and the working
expenses $330,140, leaving a balance of only $150,205 to pay the
interest on this capital cost.
The rolling stock consists of 17 locomotives, 20 passenger car¬
riages, 1 sleeping car, 12 brake vans, and 361 goods Avagons. Vacuum
brakes are used on all equipment. The carriages and goods wagons
are interchanged with the Western Australian Government Rail¬
ways; they therefore conform to the requirements of the govern¬
ment e<]uipment and are very similar to it in many respects.
The officers of this line are as follows:
Position.
Name.
Location.
Chairman
Deputy chairman
Director
Do
Secretary
Consulting engineers
General manager
Locomotive superintend¬
ent.
Sir W. Capet Slaughter
Andrew Williamson
William Mendel
George A. Touche, M. P...
A. J. Barber
Hawkshaw <t Dobson
G. W. Stead
William Brown
18 Austin Friars, London, E. C.
25 Bisho^Kgate, London.
Basildon House, Moorgate Street, London, E. C,
Do.
298-303 Winchester House, Old Broad Street,
LondoUjE. C.
Millbank House, Westminster, London, S. W.
Midland Junction, Western Australia.
Do.
Stores are usually bought under the direction of the general man¬
ager, and any important purchases are given his personal attention.
These, as a rule, are obtained from local concerns or from Australian
concerns in other States that have representatives in Western Aus¬
tralia. No annual or biennial contracts are made for any require¬
ments (except fuel and other set supplies); when needed, these are
usually bought in the actual quantities wanted.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. Ill
While there are a number of other private lines in AVestern Aus¬
tralia they all come under the industrial-tramway classification. For
the most part they are lines for handling lumber, and as a rule it was
rather difficult to obtain any definite information regarding them,
but they will be referred to later in some instances.
TASMANIA.
EMU BAY RAILWAY CO.
This company operates 103.5 miles of 3-foot G-inch gauge line, of
which 48 miles are leased and the remaining 55.5 miles are owned
by the company. The line connects with the Tasmanian Government
Eailways at Bernie on the northwest coast and extends southwardly
to Zeehan, where it connects with another gi'oup of detaclied Tas¬
manian Government railway lines. This comjiany has outstanding
$973,300 of debentures bearing 5 per cent interest, $G48.1tG.') of or¬
dinary stock, and $480,050 of preferred. The capital cost of the
lines is given as $-2.!»T4,920. The gross eai-nings for 1014 were
$232,365 and the working expenses $130,715. Interest charges are
reported as being $96,955, which would leave a deficit of $1.305 for
the year.
The rolling stock consists of 9 locomotives, 0 passenger carriage^,
and 156 goods wagons. One of the locomotives is very old, having
been in the service of the original company. Four of the others
were furnished by the North British Locomotive Co. and 4 by James
Martin & Co., Glasgow. Vacuum brakes are used on all equipment.
All passenger carriages and goods wagons are along the same gen¬
eral lines as the Tasmanian Government Railways equipment, with
which business is exchanged, requiring interchange of e(iuipment.
The rule in all instances of this kind in all the Australian States is
to require the private company to confonn to the requirements of
the government railways.
The head office is at 39 Queen street, Melbourne, Victoria, and the
officers of the company are as follows:
Positioii.
Location.
flhidmiftn
Dliector
Do
Do
Do
Do
Baeretary
Oonenl manager
BaUent Mcretary
LooamoUve superintend-
«Dt
lecretaiy, London office..
John Grlce
James S. Reld
Bowes Kelly
William Jamieson
W. M. Kibble
William Douglas Beid
W. B. Arnold
J. Stirling
A. C. Kent
A. Richardson
E. Habben
Melbourne, Victoria.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Palmerston House, Old Broad Street, London,
E. C.
Melbourne, Victoria.
Bemle, Tasmania.
Do.
Do.
Palmerston House, Old Broad Street, London,
E. 0.
Small workshops are located at Bernie, where repairs of all kinds
are made to the rolling stock. Stores are kept at Bernie, except such
112 KAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
local supplies as are needed along the line. The purchase of stores
is largely handled by the personal attention of the general manager;
such matters as he can not handle are referred to the Melbourne
office.
MOUNT LYELL MINING 4 KAILWAY CO.
This railway connects with the Tasmanian Government Railways
at Stachan; the main line extends a distance of 22 milas to Queens-
town, and another line runs from Kelleys Basin to Linda, a dis¬
tance of 28 miles. The main line was constructed in 1895-96, and
the Linda line was taken over from the North Mount Lyell Copper
Co. in 1903 at the time of the amalgamation of these two companies.
The main purpose of these two railways is to perform the transpor¬
tation service of the important and successful Mount Lyell Mining
Co. The gauge is 3 feet 6 inches. There are miles of Abt rack-
rail construction, and there are about 5 miles of combination 3-foot
6-inch and 2-foot gauge three-rail tracks. In addition, there are
about 12.5 miles of 2-foot industrial tramways around the mines and
smelters. The 3-foot 6-inch rolling stock consists of 7 adhesive en¬
gines and 4 Abt engines, 3 small motor cars, 10 passenger vehicles,
and 183 goods wagons. The 2-foot Tolling stock consists of 8 loco¬
motives, 3 passenger cars, and 319 wagons, mostly used for handling
ore from the mines to the smelters. A number of the locomotives
are of American manufacture, and are giving excellent service not¬
withstanding the considerable prejudice against the "Yankee" de¬
sign of locomotives that is prevalent throughout most of Australia.
The capital cost of the main line was $1,041,585, the gross earnings
for 1914 wei'e $146,375, and the working expenses were $108,026.
The capital cost of the other 28 miles was $1,.540,920, the gross earn¬
ings for 1914 were $22,750, and the working expenses were $28,885.
The Mount Lyell Co. is classified as a copper-mining company on
the Melbourne Stock Exchange. The plant has a capacity of about
1,500 tons (of 2,240 pounds) of blister copper a month, and in addi¬
tion produces a considerable quantity of gold and silver. The com¬
pany owns its own hydroelectric plant at Lake Margaret, which
transmits the power 7 miles. In addition to the very complete plant
in Tasmania, the company owns its own plant for making coke at
Port Kembla, a part of Newcastle Harbor, and also operates large
chemical works near Melbourne, Victoria, and at Freemantle, West¬
ern Australia, for the manufacture of sidphuric acid and land fer¬
tilizers. The company has outstanding $5,787,215 of stock, fully
paid, and in the past has paid dividends of more than $15,500,000.
The practical management of the company is in the hands of the
general manager, Mr. Robert Sticht, an American engineer. The
officers of the company are as follows, the head office being at Collins
House, Collins street, Melbourne, Victoria:
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 113
Position.
Location.
Qiairman
Diractor
Do
Do
Do
London chairman
liond"" director
Do
Do
Boeretary
Assistant secretary
General manager
Saperintendent railway
engineering.
Locomotivesuperintend-
ent.
Superintendent of smelt¬
ers.
Superintendent of mines.
Accountant
Inspecting engineer
Bowes Kelly
William Jamieson
1'. C. Holmes Hunt
Colin Templeton
Linsay Tulloch
Andrew Williamson
Sir John Alex. Cockbum
K. 0. M. G.
W. Douglas Reid
John Ball
D. G. Lumsden
W. G. Moss
Robert Sticht
E. Games DrifBeld
R. C. Eyes
Basil Sawyer
R. M. Murray
A. Davy
T. P. Robson
Melbourne, Victoria.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
25 Bishopsgate, London, E. C.
12 Pelham I'lacc, London, W.
Henley Hall, Henley, Ipswich.
1 Gresham Buildings, Basing!
E. C.
Melbourne, Victoria.
Do.
ildings, Basinghali St., London,
Quecustown, Tasmania.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Gormanston, Tasmania.
Queenstown, Tasmania.
8 Union Court, London, E. C.
The shops for both lines are at Queenstown. Tlu v are i erv com¬
plete for a railroad of this extent but are really more for the purpose
of taking care of the mining and smelting equipment. Sture> are all
kept at these shops; purchases are under the direction of the general
mnager, and any matters of importance are given his personal
attention. A very considerable part of the railway, mining, and
smelting equipment is of American manufacture.
MAGNET SILVER MINING CO.'S RAILWAY.
This line runs from Magnet Junction on the Emu Bay Railway
to Magnet, a distance of 10 miles. It handles whatever general
taisiness is offered, but the line is used principally for the hauling of
ore and mining materials. The capital cost of the line was $01,2.30,
the gross earnings for 1914 were $1,620, and the working expenses
were $10,265.
20186°—18 8
XI. AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER TRAMWAYS.
GENERAL INFORMATION.
The term "tramways" is tised in Australia to describe railways
for the transportation of passengers in cities, towns, and suburban
districts—what are usually called " street railways" in America.
There are no lines in Australia that can be called "interurban lines"
as the term is used in America, particularly in the Central West.
The nearest approach to such lines are some of the outlying lines at
Sydney, especially the ones now operated with steam.
The use of the word " trust" in Australia also requires some ex¬
planation as compared to its use in reference to a concern that has
acquired a monopoly of some product. It is employed in Australia
in this sense, but is also used in referring to such organizations as
harbor boards and similar bodies. This latter is a very proper use
of the word, meaning that such a body is a "trust" in the sense of
being trusted to perform a public duty or service. The term will
be so used hereafter in this report.
Exclusive of the lines operated by steam and horses and the Mel¬
bourne Cable Tramways, there were 386.5 miles of electrically oper¬
ated tramways in the Commonwealth of Australia on June 30, 1915.
The capital cost of these was $62,262,500, the number of passengers
carried for the year ended on that date was 415,443,000, the gross
earnings were $13,306,000, and the working expenses were $10,600,-
000. These figures are not exact but are approximately correct.
There was in service a total of 2.120 vehicles, and all employees num¬
bered 12,225. The particulars of the various lines are given here¬
after so far as the writer was able to obtain the information, which
was rather difficult to get in a number of instances. There is a
very great similarity in tramway methods and practices on all the
lines in Australia, and this also applies fully to New Zealand. The
zone method of fares is universal. The fare for the shortest ride
usually is Id. (2 cents), but on some lines the minimum fare is 2d.,
the Diclbourne Cable Tramways being one instance of this. The
number of zones depends on the extent of the system, and the fares
in some cases run up to 9d. (18 cents). The tramway conductor in
collecting fares inquires the destination of the passenger and col¬
lects fare for the entire ride, giving the passenger a colored idehtifi-
cation check which the latter keeps to the end of the ride. These
checks are called for by traffic inspectors who make frequent sur¬
prise audits of the cars en route. No fare registers are used on
most of the lines, and when used they are supplementary to the
colored numbered checks. Each passenger being given a check, the
stubs are used to audit the tramway conductors' collections. This
is a rather laborious process and impresses one at first as being very
cumbersome, but the details have been well worked out on most of
U4
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIGS 21 AND 22.—QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS: BOGIE SHEEP WAGON AND
HEAT-INSULATED WAGON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF FROZEN MEATS.
Special Agents Series No. 156.
FIG. 25.-GRIP-CAR AND TRAILER ON THE MELBOURNE CABLE TRAMWAYS
(PASSING MAIN RAILWAY STATION).
bailway materials in australia and new zealand. 115
the lines and it is really not so unwieldy a method as it appears
to one unfamiliar with it. The Adelaide Tramways have adopted
and built an automatic cash receiver for the quick depositing of the
conductors' cash receipts and reports when they finish their runs at
night after auditing hours. This arrangement was designed by Mr.
J. J. Wakelate, manager of the tramway lines in Auckland, New
Zealand.
The zone system of fares, as worked out in Australia and New
Zealand, has much to commend it and is undoubtedly an incentive
for persons to ride when going short distances, particularly as the
service in all the capital cities is very good. It also has the advan¬
tage of being a fairer arrangement of fares, charging the passenger
in proportion to the distance traveled.
There is a very decided tendency to use semiopen cai-s on all lines.
The climatic conditions permit the use of such cars all the year,
which is not practicable in America except in such southern cities
as New Orleans. The seats, as a rule, are set across the cars, dividing
them into compartments, the conductor having to collect the fares
from the running board as is done on the so-called open summer cars
in America. Figure 23 shows one of the latest types of cars on the
Sydney lines, with two double compartments front and rear pro¬
tected with raised sliding curtains and four single middle compart¬
ments protected with side sliding doors. No heating apparatus of
any kind is provided. The cars are very well ventilated during all
kind^ of weather, and this is a feature that is demanded of all classes
of railway equipnaent, as the Australians are fond of fresh air. Fig¬
ure 24 shows a very general practice on the Sydney Tramways—tlie
running of two cars, both electrically equipped, as a two-car tram
train. These cars are good examples of a common type of car, with
open front and rear compartments and a protected middle compart¬
ment with the seats lengthwise of the compartment, allowing consid¬
erable standing room into which the passengers can crowd during bad
weather.
The Brill trucks have been used very extensively in all parts of
Australia in the past, but there is the same tendency with the tram¬
ways as with the railways to erect their own rolling stock or contract
with Australian concerns. This includes the manufacture of the
trucks. A great deal of American electrical apparatus has been used
in the past, for the reason, as already stated, that some of the
American electrical companies have been ably represented and have
secured a large part of the business in this line.
The track-work practices are very similar to those in America,
especially the tendency to use hardened steel for special work in
streets; while occasionally some of this has come from America,
Hadfields, of England, has furnished the larger amount. There
seems to be the same tendency as with the railway departments to
obtain the hardened parts abroad and to manufacture the other
parts and do the assembling in Australiar One reason for this may
be iound in the high freight costs on such heavy and cumbersome
materials as points and crossings. A Pennsylvania steel company's
special street railway rails seem to be preferred over all other makes
for street and curve work by the Australian tramways.
116 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
GOVERNMENT TRAMWAYS.
With one very minor exception all the tramways in New South
ll^ales are owned and operated by the State government. The his¬
tory of the Sydney Tramways is briefly as follows: The first line
was operated by steam; it was opened in 1879, and, in the few years
following, the steam tramways were considerably extended. In the
meantime, on other important streets, underground cable lines were
built, and it was not until 1899 that electrification was taken in
hand. Since that time all the lines have been electrified except two
unimportant lines in the suburbs—both still operated by steam. The
first line at Newcastle was opened in 1887, and all the lines there
have always been operated by steam. The first line at Broken Hill
was opened in 1902, and the lines there have always been operated by
steam.
The details of working results and the directory of officials have
alreafly been given in connection with the New South Wales railway
department.
PARRAMATTA TOWNSHIP TRAMWAY.
This is the only privately oAvned tramway in New South Wales.
It is a 4-foot 8^-inch gauge line, 3.2.5 miles in length, opened for
traffic in ls83, and starts at the Park Gates in Parramatta and runs
to Duck River. The number of tram-miles run in 1914 was 18,100,
and the number of passengers carried was 144,724.
SYDNEY HARBOR FERRIES.
The very extensive ferry service on the waters of Port Jackson (as
Sydney Harbor is called) is owned by four private companies, who
have a total of 71 boats licensed to carry an average of 667 passen¬
gers per boat. The number of passengers carried in 1914 was
36,547,178—an average of 102,129 per day. The gross earnings for
that year Avere $1,637,260, and the expenses $1,233,750, leaving a net
return of $405,510. These boats have been constructed in recent years,
and are double-ended screw boats. The ferry companies are well
managed and give the traveling public prompt and attractive service.
VICTORIA.
As has already been mentioned, the metropolitan district of Mel¬
bourne is the only large center of population in Australia where
a unified system of tramways has not been developed. In addition
to the suburban railways now being electrified, there are or will be
seven distinct systems or lines of tramways, and two more have
been suggested. The general details of the several systems are given
below.
MELBOURNE CABLE TRAMWAYS.
The first line of the Melbourne Cable Tramways was that to Eich-
inond, opened in November, 1885, and the whole system was com¬
pleted in 1891. At present there are 43.5 miles of double-track cable
lines, and 4.5 miles of double-track horse lines, all of 4-foot 8^-inch
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 117
gauge. This system was constructed by a Tramway Trust, acting
for the municipalities, which borrowed the money to build the fixed
property, and the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Co., the operat¬
ing company, was required to find the capital to furnish the rolling
stock and equip the lines and engine houses. The liability for in¬
terest on the loans commenced July 1,1884, and expired July 4, 1916.
The total amount expended by the Trust was $8,301,250, of which
$271,520 represented premiums realized on the sale of the securities.
This mone}^ was raised by selling debentures bearing 4^ per cent in¬
terest. This amount had been expended by the end of the year 1893,
when expenditures ceased, as the above was all that the trust was
empowered to borrow. The outstanding stock of the company con¬
sists of 960,000 shares, wfith a par value of $4,667,840, of which 50
per cent has been paid up. On July 1, 1916, the government exer¬
cised its right and took over the property, which is now being man¬
aged and operated by a temporary board, the chairman of which is
Mr. Colin Templet on, of IMelbourne. The claim of the company was
for $2,121,525, and Mr. Justice Cussen, who made the award, allowed
$1,630,275. From this award the government has apj^ealed to the
State Full Court, and the case was being heard before Chief Justice
Hood and Mr. Justice Hodges when the writer left Australia in
March, 1917.
The number of passengers carried in the year 1914 was 91.42,s.777,
the gross earnings were $4,007,890, and the working expenses were
$1,947,585. The rolling stock consists of about 1,000 grip cars and
trailers, seating 20 and 22 passengers, respectively. Figure 25 shows
cars of this type on Flinders Street, in front of the Melbourne Main
Railway Station. In view of the fact that most of this equipment is
30 years old and that it was known that the property would be
taken over by the government, the rolling stock is in surprisingly
pood and serviceable condition. The frontispiece of this book shows
the Elizabeth entrance to the railway station. The Hawthoi'ne Fdec-
tric Tramway, mentioned below, is one square to the left, on the ap¬
proach to the Princess Bridge over the Yarra River.
Since the government has taken over the Melbourne Cable Tram¬
ways, it seems very probable that electrification will be taken in
hand in the near future and that steps will also be taken at the
same time to unify the tramways in the Melbourne metropolitan
district.
HAWTHORNE TRAMWAY TRUST.
This trust has 6.75 miles of double-track, 4-foot 84-inch gauge line
from the Princess Bridge, above mentioned, to Burwood, and also
2 miles of single-track line. There are 24 cars in service and 12
more ordered. Th^ system is the ordinary 600-volt direct current
trolley contact. The permanent way is substantially built and well
maintained. On the electrification of the cable tramways it will be
an easy matter to connect this line so that cars can be run into the
center of the shopping district, which is only two blocks distant
from the present terminus. The chairman of this trust is Mr. C. E.
Dereau and the manager and engineer is Mr. J. A. McCarty, who is
in charge of operation and under whose direction all stores are
bought, subject to the approval of the trust board.
118 BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
PRAHRAN-MALVEEN TRAMWAY TRUST.
This is the most important electric tramway system in the Mel¬
bourne metropolitan district. It serves the southeastern part of
the city. The first section was opened for traffic in May, 1910, and
on September 30, 1916, there was a total of 27.37 miles of double-
track line and 4.6!) miles of single-track line, making a total route
mileage of 32.06. The system is owned by the municipalities of
Prahran, Malvern, Caufield, Hawthorne, St. Kilda, Kew, and Cam-
berwell, and each municipality has a member on the trust board.
In addition, there are a chairman, secretary, and engineer and man¬
ager. These officials are as follows: Chairman, Alexander Cameron;
Prahran member. E. Naylor; Malvern member, E. S. Thompson;
Caufield member, E. C. Murphy; Hawthorne member, Percy J. Kus-
sell; St. Kilda member, H. F. Barnet; Kew member, W. G. Hiscock;
Camberwell member, A. Bowley; secretary, K. H. Shackell; engi¬
neer and manager, H. S. Dix.
The system is 600-volt direct current, which is supplied by the
Melbourne Pilectric Supply Co. (Ltd.). There are two substations—
one at Malvern and one at Kew—the latter completed in 1916.
The gauge of the track is 4 feet 8^ inches, and the permanent way
is well constructed and is being well maintained. The rolling stock
consists of 79 trolley cars, all of substantial design and mostly built
on a plan by which about three-fifths of the car consists of open
compartments and the remainder of closed. The population served
is about 140,000, and the number of passengers carried during the
year ended September 30, 1916, was 23,095,442. The scale of fares
is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 pence, and the average distance a passenger
was carried per penny was 1.1322 miles. This appears to be an
argument for the system of zone fares as a revenue producer. The
gross receipts were $736,300, and the expenses were $515,485. The
capital ex]umditure is $3,572,985, and the present interest charges
are $140,140 per annum. The Trust has accumulated a sinking
fund of $38,070 and a renewal reserve fund of $186,340.
The fact that the system does not reach the center of the city
makes it, to a marked degree, a feeder system for the railway sub¬
urban service and for the cable tramways. With the electrification
of the cable lines the cars of this Trust, like those of the Hawthorne
Trust, could then be run to the business section of the city. This
possibility constitutes another obvious reason for the unification of
all the Melbourne tramways.
Australian Tramways Exhibit No. 1 (see p. 164) is a copy of this
Trust's report for the year ended September 30, 1916, and Appendix
No. 14 of this report is a copy of the demands of the Australian
Tramways Employee^' Association.
BRUNSWICK-COBVRG TRAMWAY TRUST.
This Trust's lines are in Northern Melbourne. There are 7 miles
of route, and the rolling stock consists of 18 cars. The system is
600-volt direct current, w'hich is taken from the Melbourne Electric
Supply Co. (Ltd.) This system is another feeder to the cable tram¬
ways, and on the electrification of the latter through cars can be
run by the building of a very short connection.
EAILWAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 119
Mr. Straun Robinson is general manager for the Trust and Mr.
C. Andrews secretary. All stores are bought by Mr. Robinson sub¬
ject to the approval of the board.
NORTH MELBOURNE ELECTRIC TRAMWAY & LIGHTING CO. (LTD.).
This is the only remaining private tramway in the Melbourne
metropolitan district. The system serves the municipalities of Essen-
don, Flemington, and Kensington, a portion of the northwestern
section of Melbourne. There are 7.24 miles of route, the gauge of
the track is 4 feet inches, and the system is 600-volt direct current,
supplied from the company's own power house, which also furnishes
the commercial current used in this section of the city. The rolling
stock consists of 15 trolley cars and 10 trailers. This system was
first opened for traffic in the latter part of 1906. It is a feeder to
the cable tramways, and here again, with a short connection, cars
could be run to the center of the city.
Mr. A. D. Murdoch, of Melbourne, is managing engineer in charge
of the property, and he looks after the purchase of all stores.
RAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S ST. KILDA TRAMWAYS.
The St. Kilda line, as already mentioned, is an extension of the
Railway Department's St. Kilda suburban line. This tramway is
5.16 miles long, and is the only tramway whose tracks are of 5-foot
3-inch gauge. The entire length is double-tracked. The working
r^ults were included in the Railway Department's figures.
In addition, the Railway Department is building another line
about 7 miles long—an extension of the Sandringham suburban line.
Mr. W. A. Stone, electrical engineer of the Railway Department,
has general charge of the electrical work on these tramways.
GEELONG ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.
These lines are owned and operated by the Melbourne Electric
Supply Co. (Ltd.) and were opened for traffic in January. 1912.
There are 5.5 miles of route, and 2.5 miles of extensions are con¬
templated. The gauge of the track is 4 feet 8^ inches. The system
is 600-volt direct current, supplied from the company's Geelong city
power plant. The rolling stock consists of seven trolley cars, four
trailers, and three motor busses. The capital cost, exclusive of power
plant, on August 31, 1915, was $287,005, the gross annual earnings
were $60,125 and the working expenses $44,740.
Mr. F. W. Clements,'docated at Geelong, is general manager and
chief engineer in charge of operations, and Mr. W. J. Mountain, of
19 Queen Street, Melbourne, is secretary. Purchases of all stores
are initiated by Mr. Clements, but are passed through the general
office of the company at Melbourne.
BALLARAT TRAMWAYS.
This system is also owned by the Melbourne Electric Supply Co.
(Ltd.) of Melbourne. There are 15.27 miles of all tracks, mostly
single-iine route. The gauge is 4 feet 8J inches, and the system is
600-volt direct current, supplied from the company's city commercial
120 BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
power plant. The rolling stock consists of 23 trolley cars and 8
trailers. The population served is approximately 40,000. The capi¬
tal cost on March 31, 1914, was $2,709,595; the gross earnings for
the same year were $651,305 and the working expenses were $512,245,
leaving a balance of $149,060 for interest charges, depreciation, and
surplus. Extensions of this system are not probable for the reason
that the mining resources of this district are being gradually worked
out.
Mr. P. J. Pringle is general manager and chief engineer, Mr. D.
.Maxwell is resident engineer, and Mr. William Knox is chief ac¬
countant. All are located at Ballarat, Victoria. Purchases of stores
are initiated by Mr. Pringle at Ballarat, but are passed through the
head office at Melbourne.
BENDIGO TRAMWAYS.
This is still another system owned by the Melbourne Electric Sup¬
ply Co. (Ltd.), of Melbourne. There are 10.6 miles of all trac^,
mostly single-line route. The gauge is 4 feet 8^ inches, and the
system is 600-volt direct current, supplied from the company's city
commercial power plant. The population served is about 35,000,
and the capital cost on March 31, 1914, was $3,008,110. The rolling
stock consists of 18 trolley cars and 5 trailers. The gross earnings
for the year ended March 31, 1914, were $547,760 and the working
expenses were $380,205, leaving a balance of $167,555 for interest
charges, depreciation, and surplus. As Bendigo also is a mining
center where the mines are being gradually worked out, it is not likely
that any extensions of the system will be made.
Mr. P. J. Pringle is general manager and chief engineer and Mr.
William Knox is chief accountant; both are located at Ballarat.
Mr. G. F. Cole is resident engineer, located at Bendigo. Purchases
of supplies are initiated at Bendigo, but are passed through the head
office at Melbourne.
QUEENSLAND.
BRISBANE TRAMWAY CO. (LTD.).
This is a private company, and it has the distinction of operating
the only privately owned tramway system in a capital city in Aus¬
tralia. The first section was opened for traffic in June, 1897, and at
the end of 1916 there were 40.45 miles of route, with 68.04 miles of all
tracks. The rolling stock consists of 172 trolley cars, 3 sprinklers,
3 work cars, and 1 freight car. The company owns its own power
house and uses Queensland coal, brought on a short haul over the
Queensland Government Railways. The permanent way is sub¬
stantially constructed, is well maintained, and is now being improved
by the laying of heavier rails and the use of improved frogs and
switches.
The population served is approaching 160,000. The capital cost
of the system on December 31, 1914, was $4,111,890. The number
of passengers carried during 1914 was 48,162,065, the gross earnings
were $1,690,800, and the working expenses were $941,020. The head
office of this company is in London, but Mr. J. S. Badger is general
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 121
manager and chief engineer; he is intrusted with the entire manage¬
ment of the property in Australia, which he has handled with marked
success. He has been in charge since the first construction and is
thoroughly familiar with the property in all its details.
The officers of the company in Brisbane are as follows: General
manager and chief engineer, J. S. Badger; assistant manager, A. G.
Stephens; assistant engineer, W. M. Nelson; traffic superintendent,
A. S. Slade; chief electrician, W. Arundel; superintendent of over-
bead construction, A. L. Dibley; purchasing agent and storekeeper,
E. B. Booth.
The stores are kept at the storerooms in car barns and general
offices, which are close to the power house in Brisbane. Mr. Booth
is in direct charge of stores and purchases, but Mr. Badger gives
very close attention to the purchase of all supplies. As the latter
is an American engineer, he ordinarily makes trips to the United
States every two or three years. He was in the service of American
electric railways before he went to Australia in about 1890 and is a
very good judge of what the property's requirements should be.
Mr. Badger left for a several months' trip to America about February
1, 1917.
ROCKINGHAM MUNICIPAL TRAMWAYS.
These tramways are owned by the municipality of Rockingham and
were opened for traffic in 1909. The length of track is 7.5 miles, the
gauge is 3 feet 6 inches, and the motive power is steam. The capital
cost, to December 31, 1911, was $"203,080. During 1914, 1.335.407
passengers were carried, the gross earnings being $47,510 and the
working expenses $38,155.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
ADELAIDE MUNICIPAL TRAMWAYS TRUST.
This Trust operates all the electric tramways in South Australia,
including 3J miles of horse tramways that ha\e been taken over
and are now being electrified. From an all-round standpoint the
Adelaide tramways constitute the model tramway system of Aus¬
tralia and form an excellent example of the unification of the tram¬
ways of an entire metropolitan district. The system is very sub¬
stantially constructed, is being well maintained and operated, and
is giving its patrons first-class service in every res])ect. The popu¬
lation now served is thought to be apiuoximately 135,000, although
it was estimated to be 145,000 in 1914 before the beginning of the
war.
Up to the year 1906 there were a number of horse tramways in the
principal streets of Adelaide and its suburbs, run by various private
companies. Power to acquire part of these lines, with a view to their
unification and electrification, was given the Adelaide Corporation
by the Municipal Tramways Trust Act of 1906. In accordance with
the provisions of the act, a Trust consisting of eight members (two
of whom were appointed by the governor, two elected by the city
corporation, and two each chosen by the suburban corporations and
the district councils) was formed in 1907, and a length of 49 route
miles of horse-traction tramways was purchased from the private
companies at a cost of $1,382,570. The first electric service was
inaugurated on the Kensington line in March, 1909. On July 1,
122 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
1916, there were 54.4 miles of route and 96.3 miles of all tracks, and
extensions amounting to about 20 miles are now in progress. The
rolling stock now consists of 170 trolley cars with a very complete
work equipment, including a Woods-Gilbert rail planer and oxy-
acetylene joint welding outfit. There is a central power plant with
two very complete converter stations, including a liberal reserve of
storage batteries.
The number of car miles run in 1916 was 4,719,043, the number of
passengers carried was 43,141,885, and the range of fares is from
Id. to 6d. (2 to 12 cents). On August 1, 1916, the net capital cost,
allowing proper credits for sale of land and salvage of materials
and equipment of the acquired companies, was $8,718,545. There
has been returned by the Trust to the government $991,220 paid
from accumulated sinking funds, leaving the outstanding obliga¬
tions $7,727,325, and in addition there is a further accumulated re¬
serve for renewals of $523,545 and an accident reserve of $43,625.
The gross earnings for the year ended July 31, 1916, were $1,570,705
and the working expenses $924,635, leaving a profit on working of
$626,775. It is estimated that the loss of revenue for this year, on
account of the drought and the war, was $177,640. The interest
charges were $300,295.
One of the reasons for the success of this Trust may be found in
the energy and ability of the chief engineer and general manager,
who has been in charge of the property since it was taken over by the
government. The members of the Trust Board and the officers in
charge of the property are as follows: Trust Board—Chairman
Alex. B. Moncrieff, R. Cruickshank, W. W. Forwood, Thomas Gill,
J. A. Harper, H. J. Holden, F. B. Moulden; chief engineer and gen¬
eral manager, W. G. T. Goodman; secretary, Charles R. Moyes; ac¬
countant, C. A. Smith; chief assistant and station superintendent,
E. S. Moulden; traffic superintendent, A. E. Ford; rolling stock
superintendent, C. H. Wickham; permanent way superintendent,
AV. Dailies; overhead superintendent, C. F. Hursthouse; chief drafts¬
man, J. A. MacDonald; comptroller of stores, G. S. Lindsay.
The stores are under the charge of the comptroller of stores, and
the storerooms are located in the general car barn in Adelaide, where
there is a very complete equipment for taking care of all classes of
the rolling stock. A very well-selected stock of stores is carried
and kept on hand for the making of prompt repairs to the rolling
stock and power equipment. The purchase of stores is handled by
the comptroller of stores, but Mr. Goodman gives the purchase of
any important items his personal attention. A very considerable
amount of the equipment is of American manufacture. Mr. Good¬
man made one trip to America several years ago and was preparing
to make a trip of several months' duration when the writer left
Australia.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
PERTH GOVERNMENT TRAMWAYS.
These tramways, owned and operated by the government, have
already been referred to in connection with the AVestern Australian
Railway Department. These lines were first opened for traffic by
the private company in 1899 and, as already explained, were taken
over by the Railway Department on June 30, 19lk
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 123
FREEBIANTLE TRAMWAYS.
The Freemantle Municipal Tramway & Electric Light Board con¬
trols these tramways, which were opened for traffic in 1905. There
are now about 13.75 miles of all tracks and about 9.75 miles of route.
The population served is about 30,000. The total capital cost of
the tramway and lighting plant on August 31, 1916, was $762,715,
the total gross earnings were ^67,140, and the total working ex¬
penses were $224,435. The rolling stock consists of 25 four-wheeled
cars, 1 bogie car, and 4 trailers. The system is 600-volt direct cur¬
rent. Current has been supplied from the board's commercial plant
at Freemantle but arrangements are now in course of construction
to take power from the government's central power plant at Perth.
This is probably not so good a method for the board as that of fur¬
nishing its own power, but it was confronted with the entrance of
the government into its territory and a division of the business;
therefore, as a matter of policyj to keep a monopoly of the district,
an agreement was concluded with the government for a long term
of years.
The members of the board and the officers in charge of the prop¬
erty are as follows: Board—Chairman E. H. Fothergill, W. E. Wray,
R. J. Lynn, J. F. Allen, W. C. Angwin; manager and engineer, A.
Mitchell; secretary and treasurer, J. T. Bold.
Stores are all bought by the manager under the approval of the
board. Mr. Mitchell is an Englishman, but has had several years'
experience in Canada and the United States and is generally fa¬
miliar with American practices. A very considerable part of the
equipment is of American manufacture.
KALGOORUE ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS (LTD.).
The Kalgoorlie and Boulder City Tramways are run by the above-
named private company, the first line having been opened in 1902.
At the beginning of 1904 legislative authority was given for the
construction of lines in Boulder City and suburbs, and in November,
1904, the last section of the Boulder system was completed. At the
end of the year 1914 the whole system amounted to 14.75 miles of
route anci 20.5 miles of all tracks. The capital cost was $2,199,580,
the gross earnings were $154,875, and the expenses were $128,105.
The population served is about 23,000. The system is 600-volt direct
current, supplied by the Kalgoorlie Electric Power & Lighting Co.
The rolling stock consists of 25 trolley cars and 7 trailers. The
gauge of all tracks is 3 feet 6 inches.
LEONORA-GWALIA TRAMWAYS.
This line was formerly a steam tramway, but was changed to elec¬
tric operation in October, 1908. It is under municipal control, and
the gauge of the track is 3 feet 6 inches. There are 2.75 miles of
route, and the capital cost on October 31, 1914, was $28,225. For
the year encled on that date 66,342 passengers were carried, the gross
earnings were $6,040, and the working expenses were $8,525.
TASMANIA.
HOBART MUNICIPAL TRAMWAYS.
The first electric tramway service in Australia was initiated by
the Hobart Electric Tramways Co. (Ltd.) in September, 1893, and
124 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
it is interesting to note that some of the cars, electrical car equip¬
ment, and generating apparatus are still in service. The present
general manager, Mr. A. C. Parker, has been in charge of the prop¬
erty from the beginning. The private company had a rather hard
time for a number of years. At one time the stock was of only a
nominal value, anfl the finances of the concern were such that it was
necessary to obtain supplies of essential materials, such as new rail,
on what might be called the installment plan. The company was
gradually placed on a secure footing, until, on July 1, 1913, the
municipality of Hobart took the property over as a going concern at
a price of $1.0-21,965. There is now a total of 16 miles of all tracks,
with a route mileage of 13..5. The track is of 3-foot 6-inch gauge.
The system is 600-volt direct current, supplied from the government
hydroelectric plant near Hobart; in addition, the old power house is
kept as a reserve. The rolling stock consists of 38 trolley cars, 10
of which have been built in the last few months. Twenty-five of
these are double-deck cars, this style of car being used a great deal
throughout the year. A bow current collector of very unusual design
is used (jn all cars instead of the usual running trolley wheel, and the
use of this device very much simplifies the overhead construction.
This is now a profitable property and is paying working expenses
and interest on capital cost and, in addition, is making improA'ements
out of income. Recent figures, however, are not available. The
officers of the Trust in charge of operation are as follows: Manager,
A, C. Parker; engineer, C. B. Davis; accountant, J. W. Gould.
All stores are purchased under the personal direction of Mr,
Parker, but any large items are subject to the approval of the Tram¬
way Board. Considerable American equipment and materials have
been used in the past, and when the writer visited Tasmania in the
latter part of February, 1917, Mr. Parker was very desirous of re¬
ceiving some American trucks the shipment of which had been held
up at the works in Philadelphia on account of the freight embargo
at New York Harbor.
LAUNCESTON MUNICIPAL TRAMWAYS,
lender the authority of the Launceston Tramway Act of 1906, the
Launceston City Council entered into an agreement with a private
cumjiany for the construction of a system of electric tramways in the
city and suburbs of Launceston, The agreement provided that the
company was to run the tramways for a period of 25 years, when the
council could purchase the lines and stock at cost price. The electric
power was to be supplied by the council. This agreement lapsed,
however, and the council has constructed the tramways and is run-
ning them as a municipal undertaking. The first lines were opened
in August, 1911, and there is now a route mileage of about 8,5 miles
of 3-foot 6-inch gauge track. The system is 600-volt direct current,
supplied from the city's hydroelectric plant a few miles from Launce¬
ston,
This property is in charge of Mr, C, St, John David, city engineer,
assisted by Mr, R, J, Stricke, city electrical engineer. The purchase
of all supplies comes under their direction, subject to the approval
of the city council.
XII. AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL TRAMWAYS.
WTiile there are a number of industrial tramways in different parts
of Australia, definite information was very difficult to obtain and
the time required to investigate them was entirely out of proportion
to their importance as compared with the several classes of railways
already covered. The lines can be classed, according to the products
handled, in the following order of importance: Lumber, sugar, min¬
ing (including coal), and manufacturing. Since there are no exten¬
sive manufacturing establishments covering large areas, there are no
plant railways along the lines of some operated by large concerns
in America.
NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA.
The industrial tramways in New South Wales are confined almost
entirely to the coal-mining companies. The Commonwealth Oil
Corporation's line, already mentioned, is the only line of ainy extent
that is used for other purposes.
The coal-mining companies, in both the Newcastle and the south-
coast districts, have a number of short stretches of tramways used in
connection with their mining plants. These lines amount to some¬
thing like 1'25 miles in the Newcastle district and 35 miles in the south-
coast district. The gauge of nearly all these lines is 4 feet 84 inches.
The names of some of the most important companies having Tines are
as follows: Seaham Coal Co., Newcastle-Wallsend Co., Warratah
Coal Co., all in the Newcastle district, and the Mount Kembla Coal
Co., Australian Smelting Co., Mount Keira Coal Co., and Mount
Pleasant Coal Co., all in the south-coast district.
With a continuance of the present methods, involving small min¬
ing operations instead of large consolidated plants, there is very
little probability of these tramways becoming of any particular im¬
portance, especially with the continued use on the railway of the
small coal wagons now employed, which in reality perform the func¬
tion of an industrial tramway. The coal companies own these wagons
in the Newcastle district. It would appear, however, that if the coal
mining in New South Wales is to be handled in the most economical
way the companies will need to adopt larger wagons ^and automatic
couplers to expedite the classification at the terminal and the loading
of the vessels. This will appear particularly desirable as the haul
becomes longer, as it will when the coal approaches exhaustion close
to Newcastle.
There are no industrial tramways in Victoria except a few very
minor lines, principally used for handling lumber, stone, and similar
products.
QUEENSLAND.
There are about 170 miles of 3-foot 6-inch and 140 miles of 2-foot
gauge lines in Queensland, a considerable number of which come
125
126 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
under the heading of shire tramways and are used for^ industrial
purposes, particularly along the east coast in the sugar-raising coun¬
try. These shire tramways are bought, or built and operated, under
the provisions of the Local Authorities Act of 1902, whereby not
fewer than one-third of the ratepayers in any district may petition
the local authority to apply to the Governor for the constitution
of a tramway area. The Governor may define the area and may
also approve the plans and specifications of the proposed tramway,
llie amount that may be advanced by the government for the con¬
struction or purchase of a tramway may not exceed a sum equal to
$14,600 for every mile of its length. As regards repayment of these
loans, no sum need be paid during the first three years, but after
the expiration of that period the principal and interest must be
repaid by half-yearly installments on the basis provided for by the
Local Works Loans Act, 1880 and 1899. For the purpose of raising
the money to pay these installments the local authority may levy
a rate upon all ratable property within the tramway area. The
money required for the tramway may be raised by the local authori¬
ties by the issue of debentures. This has resulted in a considerable
number of such lines coming under the control of the shire councils,
and in some instances these have been operated for the shires by
the Railway Department. In addition, since the beginning of the
war the Commonwealth Government's control of the output of sugar
has brought these tramways under the control of the Federal author¬
ities so far as they are used in connection with the production of
sugar.
These tramways have always been operated by steam, but some
inquiries have been made recently into the use of petrol (gasoline)
industrial locomotives similar to some of the types used for mine
hauling in the United States, and it would appear that some of the
situations might be very well handled by the employment of such
engines.
The Plane Creek Tramway (44.5 miles of 2-foot gauge) and the
Ingham Tramway (53.5 miles of 2-foot gauge) are the two longest
lines; both are used chielly for handling sugar. The Bowen Tram¬
way (38.5 miles) and the Beaudesert Tramway (33 miles) are the
two most important 3-foot G-inch gauge lines, the former being used
to haul sugar and the latter lumber.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
There are no industrial tramways in any part of South Australia
such as those above described. The only ones are those operated
by the Railway Department as feeders, their total length being about
17 miles.
The Broken Hill Amalgamated Smelters are located at Port Pirie,
and they have a considerable amount of plant tramway for handling
ores, flux, fuel, products, and waste materials. When the writer
visited this plant in January, the managers were interested in the
several types of industrial locomotives, such as gasoline, storage-
battery, or compressed-air. The general manager of this plant is
Mr. J. Robinson, and the assistant manager, to whom the rearrange¬
ment of the plant track facilities is intrusted is Mr. Guy C. Riddell;
both are located at Port Pirie, South Australia.
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 127
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
In Western Australia there are about 600 miles of 3-foot 6-inch, 45
miles of 2-foot, and 20 miles of 1-foot 8-inch gauge tramways, all
used for lumber operations, although at present such operations
in Western Australia are almost at a standstill on account of lack of
water transportation since the early part of the war. The Millars
Timber & Trading Co.'s lines, mentioned later, are the most impor¬
tant. The other leading lines are as follows: Western Australia
Goldfields Firewood Supply Co.'s line of 87 miles of 3-foot 6-inch
gauge; Western Australia Timber & Firewood Co.'s line of 60 miles
of 3-foot 6-inch gauge; Kalgoorlie & Boulder Firewood Co.'s lines
of 56.5 miles of 3| and 2 foot gauges; Bunning Bros.' lines of 35.5
miles of 3-foot 6-inch gauge; Western Australia Jarrah Sawmills
Co.'s line of 32 miles of 3-foot 6-inch gauge; Miirchison Firewood
Co.'s line of 27.5 miles of 3-foot 6-inch gauge; Sons of Gwalia Gold
Mining Co.'s line of 21 miles of 1-foot 8-inch gauge; Timber Cor¬
poration Co.'s lines of 19 miles of 3-foot 6-inch gauge; Southwestern
Timber Hewers Cooperative Society's line of 18 miles of 3-foot 6-inch
gauge.
The Millars Timber & Trading Co. (Ltd.) has about 250 miles of
3-foot 6-inch gauge lines in eight different sections. It has 25 loco¬
motives and 600 wagons, all used in lumber operations in different
parts of Western Australia. The head office of the company is at
Pinners Hall, Great Winchester Street, London. The principal offi¬
cers are as follows: Chairman, James White, Bank Buildings, Lud-
gate Circus, London; joint managing directors, Joseph Temjserley,
Charles Temperley, No. 87 Bishopsgate, London; secretary, K. L.
Allen, Pinners Hall, Great Winchester Street, London; local direc¬
tors in Australia, Sir Edward WittenooA, Alex. J. McNeil, W. Mac-
Murtrie, St. Georges House, Perth, Western Australia.
TASMANIA.
In addition to the lines already mentioned, there are about 70 miles
of 3-foot 6-inch and 15 miles of 2-foot gauge lines, mostly in the
northwestern part of Tasmania and used for lumber and mining
operations. The most important of these lines are as follows: Houn
Timber Co., 30 miles of 34-foot gauge; Marrawah Tramway. 25
mUes of 3J^-foot gauge; Sandfly Collier Co., 12 miles of 2-foot gauge.
XIII. DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL DESCRIP¬
TION.
INTRODUCTION.
Most people in the United States think of New Zealand and Aus¬
tralia as being the same in general characteristics, while a great
many persons consider them the same community. This impression
is faV from the facts, as they are entirely separate communities and
very different in many respects.
The first permanent settlement was made by missionaries in 1814.
British sovereignty was declared by proclamation in May, 1840, by
Uapt. WillTam Hobson, making New Zealand a dependency of New
South Wales. Another proclamation, in May, 1841, made it a sepa¬
rate colony. It continued a colony until September 26, 1907, when by
royal proclamation the designation "Dominion" was granted. The
Dominion now consists of two main islands, called the North and
South Islands, a smaller principal island called Stewart Island,
and several groups of smaller islands lying at some distance from
the main inlands.
The approximate boundaries of the main islands are: On the north,
34'^ south latitude; on the south, 47°; on the east, 179° east longi¬
tude; on the west, 166°. The limits of latitude of the main islands
are comparable with Wilmington, N. C., for the most northerly or
warmest portion, and Caribou, Me., for the most southerly or coldest
portion. Auckland and Wellington, the two main ports, are 1,281
and 1,239 miles, respectively, from Sydney.
The areas of the several islands are as follows: North Island and
adjacent islets, 44,130 square miles; South Island, 58,120 square
miles; Stewart Island, 662 square miles; Chatham Island, 372 square
miles; other islands, 577 square miles; total area of the Dominion,
103.861 square miles. This area is about seven-eighths the area of the
United Kingdom.
TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE.
New Zealand, particularly the North Island, is one of the newest
parts of the world geologically, while, as stated previously, Aus¬
tralia is one of the oldest. The geological structure of New Zealand,
owing to its complexity, is difficult to summarize. The North Island
is, to a considerable extent, volcanic in origin, and in some localities
volcanic activities still continue on a small scale. As a rule, the soil
of all parts of the Dominion is very productive, and even the poorer
soils are capable of profitable utilization by reason of the ample rain¬
fall and the coinparatively mild and equable weather conditions.
In contrast with Australia, New Zealand has sufficient high ground
to assure an ample rainfall, and a real drought is unknown in the Do¬
minion, although there is a small part of the Canterbury Plain on the
South Island where the average annual rainfall is less than 20 inches,
and over a considerable part of this very rich plain the annual rain-
128
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 129
fall is from 20 to 30 inches. All other parts of the Dominion have
ample rainfall. A considerable part of the North Island consists
of table-lands Ijdng from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level, and in¬
terspersed over this area are groups of mountains from 4,000 to 8,000
feet in height. This results in some of the best watered and grassed
country in the world. Along the entire west coast of the South
Island is a range of snow-covered mountains known as the Southern
Alps, which frequently reach an altitude of 10,000 feet; Mount Cook,
the highest point, is 12,350 feet. The rainfall on the western
slopes of these mountains is excessive, in some places going over 100
inches per annum. There are very considerable possibilities in the
way of hydroelectric development in all parts of New Zealand,
particularly along the Southern Alps in the South Island.
The climate of New Zealand impresses the traveler from the east¬
ern or central-western parts of the United States as very unusual
when the latitudes are considered. Heat of over 90° is practically
unknown, and 85° is frequently the maximum for a year. On the
other hand, cold of 25° is very exceptional, and in many regions the
temperature seldom goes below 35°. Light-weight, light-colored
clothmg is little worn in any part of the Dominion; instead, me¬
dium-weight underwear and outer clothing are worn most of the
year, and a light raincoat is a desirable article all the year round on
the North Island and a considerable part of the year on the South
Island.
Small streams of clear water abound in all parts of New Zealand,
but there are few rivers navigable for even small vessels, so inland
water transportation is nil. The large number of streams and the
fact that some of them are very crooked have a decided effect in
making railway construction both difficult and expensive.
As is oln ious. the coast line of New Zealand is long when com¬
pared with the land area, and good harbors are quite frequent.
New Zealand Railways Exhibit No. 12 (see p. 164) is a copy of the
New Zealand laws regarding the scope and authority of harbor
boards. This act was passed in 1908 and provides for a total of 31
harbor boards. The principal harbors oi New Zealand, especially
Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton (Christchurch), are much bet¬
ter equipped with shore machinery than is the case in Australia.
The Municipal Handbook of New Zealand, issued annually by the
New Zealand Government Printer, gives an up-to-date directory of
the membership of all these harbor boards.
FAUNA.
The value of the native animals of New Zealand is nil; in fact,
there were very few animals, birds, insects, or fish before the advent
of the white man. The growth of domestic animals, particularly
sheep, cattle, and horses, is little less than phenomenal, and m one of
the reasons why New Zealand is so prosperous as a lesult of its pas¬
toral industries.
TIMBER AND GRASSES.
While New Zealand has some 80 varieties of trees few of these are
of commercial value, and the greater part of the timber necessary for
20186'—18 0
130 EAILWAY MATEEIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
railway construction and maintenance is imported from Western Aus¬
tralia. This applies especially to jarrah sleepers. Softwoods are
imported from the west coast of America.
1 he native grasses of New Zealand make very good pasture, and
planted English grasses probably do better than in any part of the
United Kingdom. It was estimated that the total area of ground
sown with English grasses in the Commonwealth of Australia in 1911,
which was probably the maximum, was about 2,700,000 acres; while
in New Zealand it was estimated that there were 14,200,000 acres sown
in English grasses, and in addition 24,000,000 acres of unimproved
land in tussuck and native grasses. It is also estimated that the area
sown in grasses in the United Kingdom at this same time was only
about 20,000,000 acres. The statement is made, and seems to be war¬
ranted, that the value of the New Zealand grassed land for pasture
is about nine times that of Australian pasture land. Probably the
best result obtained in Australia is the support of two sheep to 3
acres, while in New Zealand six sheep to the acre is very common.
POPULATION.
The population of the main islands on December 31,1914, was esti¬
mated to be 1,095,994, exclusive of Maoris who were estimated to num¬
ber 49,844. The population of Cooks and the other outlying islands
was estimated to number 12,600, of whom about 230 were classified as
Europeans. The principal cities are Auckland and Wellington on
the North Island and Christchurch and Dunedin on the South Island.
There are seven other important towns. The following population
figures are estimated as of April 1, 1915: Auckland and suburbs,
117,793; Wellington and suburbs, 74,811; Christchurch and suburbs,
87,756; Dunedin and suburbs, 69,159; Wanganui and suburbs, 16,235;
Invercargill and suburbs, 18,067; Timaru and suburbs, 13,123; Napier
and suburbs, 12,701; Palmerston North, 12,206; Gisborne and suburbs,
11,802; Nelson, 8,748.
On account of the large number of good harbors, and the strong
probability that pastoral and agricultural pursuits will be followed
by a large part of the population for a considerable period to come,
it is not likely that any large centei-s of population like those in Aus¬
tralia will develop; on the contrary the population will probably con¬
tinue along the present lines of distribution.
PASTORAL RESOURCES.
The largest source of New Zealand's prosperity in the past has been
its pastoral products. This is true to an even greater extent than in
the case of Australia, and such products will undoubtedly continue
to be the largest source of wealth in the future. The three chief prod¬
ucts in the order of their importance are wool, frozen meat, and dairy
products. New Zealand is certainly a country specially favored for
primary production on account of the fertility of the soil and the
unusual growth of both animal and vegetable life. The number of
the principal kinds of live stock in New Zealand for the year 1914
and, for comparison, a close approximation of the same kinds of live
stock in the Commonwealth of Australia follow: New Zealand—
24,798,763 sheep, 2,020,171 cattle, 404,284 horses, 348,754 hogs; Com-
RAILWAY MATEKIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 131
monwealth of Australia—78,600,334 sheep, 11,051,613 cattle, 2,521,272
horses, 862,447 hogs. This is certainly a remarkable showing when
it is considered that Australia is about 29 times as large as New
Zealand.
The climate is undoubtedly eminently suited for sheep raising,
and all the better bi-eeds seem to thrive, reach full growth at an
unusually early age, and also produce full clips of wool notwith¬
standing the fact that the sheep are not actually exposed to any
really cold weather. The value of the wool exported amounts to
more than one-third of the total exports as a general rule, the figures
for the years 1913 and 1914 being as given below (the price of wool
for each of these vears was lower than the average) : M'ool ex¬
ported, 1913, $38,730,160; 1914, $45,346,602. Total exports, 1913,
$110,875,102; 1914, $126.4r)4,()29. From these^ figures it is obvious
that sheep raising is the most important occupation and that wool
is the most important product.
During the year ended March 31, 1915, a total of 3,999,460 sheep
and 4,471,861 lambs were slaughtered for food purposes, of which
2,522,448 and 3,692,003, respectively, were exported. During the
same year 347.553 cattle were slaughtered, of which about one-third
were exported. The total value of frozen meat exported was about
$27,750,000. To give a comparative idea of the magnitude of New
Zealand's exports of mutton during the year 1914, it may be noted
that there were shipped to the United Kingdom 2.884.832 carcasses
of sheep and lambs from South America, 3,721,009 from Australia,
and a total of 6.180.924 carcasses from New Zealand, or more than
double the number from both South America and Australia.
All the standard breeds of cattle do well in all parts of New Zea¬
land. Stock shows are held in many parts of the country. The total
of the dairy products exported for the year ended iNlarch 31, 1915,
was nearly $25.000.000, thus making the value of wool, frozen meat,
and dairy products exceed $100,000,000, or more than two-thirds of
the total exports for the year. The best dairy lands are selling at
what appear to be very high prices, $200 to $300 per acre being very
frequent; in certain cases the prices paid have been as high as $500
per acre and, while this latter price no doubt was for very excep¬
tional land, still it impresses one as being somewhat speculative.
AGRICULTURE.
New Zealand having developed generally into a pastoral country,
the result has been the cultivation of such crops as naturally go with
the raising of stock, particularly dairy cattle and sheep in a mild
temperate climate. Very large yields of grain crops, especially oats
and wheat, are obtained in parts of the South Island, but the areas
are rather small. Certain concerns on the South Island, notably on
the Canterbury Plains, in the neighborhood of Christchurch, are
making a specialty of raising for export very high-grade grass seeds.
MINERAL RESOURCES.
Coal ranging from anthracite to lignite is found in New Zealand,
but on account of the formation of the country the layers of coal
are very broken and hard both to prove and mine. The annual
132 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSIRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
production is running close to 2,500,000 long tons, of which about
10 per cent is exported. The total production to the end of the
year 1911 was about 10,000,000 tons, and it is estirnated that, with
the known coal now proved and in course of investigation, the sup¬
ply will be exhausted in about 100 years. The two most important
mines, producing more than GO per cent of all the coal mined (in-
I hiding practically all the bituminous coal), are owned by-the Do¬
minion Government. These mines are located on the west coast of
the South Island, and the haul to seaboard is only 5 miles for the Grey
mine and 20 miles for the Seddonville mine. The developments in
connection with the other coal mines do not involve any considerable
amount of railway transportation.
I'en companies have been engaged in drilling for oil at various
1)1 aces on the North Island, but only one of these, the Taranaki Oil-
Wells Co. (Ltd.), can be considered successful. This company had
produced 776,161 gallons of oil up to March 24, 1915, of which
525.175 gallons were refined at a refinery of modem design with a
capacity of 10,000 gallons per day. It is said that 97 per cent of
the oil is capable of distillation. The supply of petroleum is no
doubt very limited and will never be a matter of consequence as
respects transportation or fuel for the railways.
There are as yet no iron-mining developments in New Zealand, and
the prospects are very lemote for any future developments of any
magnitude. While there are some other mining operations, particu¬
larly gold placer mining, none of these are of such a nature as to
involve any transportation worth mentioning.
MANUFACTURING.
The remarks regarding manufacturing in Australia also apply
very generally to New Zealand, with the exception that some of the
New Zealand duties are lower than the Australian. There is one
inqaortant point to be borne in mind—namely, that the New Zealand
Government Railways, which constitute practically all the steam
railway mileage in the Dominion, pay no duties on their imports^
Tiiis does not apply to the municipal tramways mentioned later.
The stores branch of the Railway Department, however, states that
it should be understood that a preference is usually given to New
Zealand manufacturers over British manufacturers, who in turn are
gi\en a 10 per cent preference over foreign manufacturers, so that
American bidders may be working against a total preference of 15
per cent if there are New Zealand bidders.
Tariff Series No. 8, issued in 1908 by the Bureau of Manufactures
of the United States Department of Commerce, is a very complete
compilation of the present New Zealand customs tariffs.
Aside from the State coal mines and a few other very minor in¬
stances, the Government of New Zealand has never gone into the
manufacturing business to the extent that this has been done by
the Commonwealth Government of Australia and also most of the
State governments. Without doubt, however, the Railway Depart¬
ment will, so far as possible, erect its own locomotives, passenger
carriages, goods wagons, and other equipment, and will next give
preference to New Zealand manufacturers before importing. At
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 133
present Australian manufacturers are considered the same as other
British manufacturers and are given no preference on account of
their being Australian.
It can hardly be said that there are any industrial centers in New
Zealand, although it might be claimed that Auckland, Wellington,
Christchurch, and Dunedin are such. Price Bros. (Ltd.), at Thames,
on the North Island, have the largest engineering manufacturing
plant in the Dominion. This concern builds annually for the Kail-
way Department about 12 locomotives.
In New Zealand, as in Australia, all classes of vocations are organ¬
ized under laws giving the accredited representatives powers to act
for their organizations. This applies to all classes of railway em¬
ployees except the administrative officers.
COMMERCE.
The internal trade of New Zealand consists largely in the distribu¬
tion of manufactured and imported products and the collecting of
products to be exported and consumed. Tbe main centers are the
four largest cities mentioned, but the smaller centers are very im¬
portant factors in the general trade of the Dominion.
Since the elimination of Belgium by the war, the per capita foreign
trade of New Zealand is the largest for any community in the world.
This is very remarkable when it is considered that the exports are in
such large measure pastoral and that land products and manufac¬
tured articles enter into the exportation hardly at all. Since 1886, a
period of 30 years, the balance of trade has been continuously in
favor of New Zealand except for the year 1908, when the balance was
$0.04 per capita against the Dominion. The following table shows
the exports, imports, excess value of exports over imports, and excess
value of expoi ts over imports per capita of mean population (exclud¬
ing Maoris) for the years 1906 and 1910 to 1916, inclusive. Specie is
excluded from these figures.
Years.
Exports.
Imports.
Excess of
exports
over
imports.
Exces.s of
exports
per
capita.
1906
$87,500,404
107,805,010
92,367,070
104,686,328
111,006,632
127,764, 726
152,958,095
161,962,264
$69,606,377
81,505,227
91,405,502
100,135,922
105,377,400
102,898,381
100,535,661
121,883,454
$17,9.54,027
26,299,783
961,508
4,550,406
5,629,232
24,866,345
52,422,434
40,078,810
$20.04
26. 48
.93
4.38
6.27
22. 81
47.67
36.46
1910
1911...
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
W.hen it is considered that such a 1916 trade balance per capita in
favor of the United States would mean an amount approaching
$8,700,000,000, the statement seems warranted that New Zealand
Was the most prosperous community in the world during the year
1916.
The labor supply at present is not altogether adequate. The Rail¬
way Department has practically suspended the superannuating of old
employees and is holding all such men in the service; in fact, experi¬
enced help is so scarce in this connection that in some cases retired
men have been recalled.
134 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
The New Zealand Official Year JBook for the year 1915 shows that
the prices received for New Zealand pastoral products were 50 per
cent higher in 1915 than in 1900.
dlie Dominion's imports from its principal sources of supply for
the three years 1914, 1915, and 191G were as follows:
Countries of oriRin.
1914
1915
1916
158,329,606
3,376,371
2,331,735
11,110,054
912,473
30,302,452
$54,218,002
3,554,635
3,882,571
12,654,107
1,480,9^3
29,953,173
167,496,708
19,476,566
3.685,333
19,319.639
2,739,712
15,463,169
106,362,691
105,743,371
128,180,121
It will be noticed that while the imports from the United States
have almost doubled during this period the imports from Japan
have more than trebled.
On account of a change in the method of keeping statistics, be¬
ginning with the fiscal year 1914, it has been possible to identify
imports for railway purposes only for the fiscal years 1914 and
1915, and it is very probable that these figures do not include all
the imports for railway purposes, particularly some of those ob¬
tained on biennial contracts and others bought out of the stores of
local concerms. The imports identified are as follows:
Articles and countries of origin.
1914
1915
Quantity.
Value.
Quantity.
Value.
Rails, lay-out points and crossings;
United Kingdom tons..
Australia do
United States (east coast) do
United Kingdom do
Australia do
Wagons, cars, trucks, and wheels:
United Kingdom
5,133
117
342
S, i::s
x'yi
$206,973
4,592
20,43.5
f9t,904
7,S24
12,419
5
4,803
2,587
111
15
18,608
462
$299,903
6,190
1,523
740, sa
10, m
11,543
Australia
United .States (east coast)
307
346
1,460
Unitcci States (west coast)
SI, 102
1,062
United States (east coast)
I.ocomotives:
United Kingdom numher
2
8,473
United States (east coast) do.
1
14 147
United States (east coast) do..
id
165,481
16,794
29
1,314
287
258,197
21,768
sao
Other miscellaneous railway materials:
United Kingdom
13,076
883
6,662
Australia
United States (east coast)
United States (west coast)
United Kingdom
155,825
17,646
Australia
Canada
United States (east coast) 1
2,S22
United States (west coast) 1
to
Total
791,180
1,542,531'
Items in the above table printed in italics indicate shipments for
the New Zealand Government railways on which no customs duties
were paid. The above shows a total of $49,431 from the United
States in 1914 and $169,328 in 1915. The details for the fiscal year
1916 weie not available when the writer left New Zealand in Novem-
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 135
ber, 1916, but it was stated informally that the above figures were
considerably exceeded that year. It is likely that New Zealand will
continue to be very prosperous for a considerable number of years.
INCOME TAX PAYABLE BY COMMERCIAL TRAVELERS.
At the first port of arrival the commercial traveler is supplied with
forms of return and a warrant of proper form and is required to
lodge with the collector a deposit of $50, for the receipt of which
a prescribed form is used. This amount is paid into the local branch
or the Bank of New Zealand to the credit of the "Deposit account
of land and income tax " by means of a lodgment slip or, at ports
other than Wellington, in the form known as a " trader's draft."
The following forms are sent to the Commissioner of Taxes at Well¬
ington ^(a) Bank receipt; (h) copy of receipt handed the depositor;
ic) copy of the warrant; (d) the commercial traveler's business
card, the firm's letterhead, and any further information that may be
of use to the Department of Kevenue. This, of course, is done by the
collector, but the commercial traveler must of necessity furnish the
required information. In the event that the business done by the
commercial traveler does not amount to enough to absorb the $50 in
income on the business actually secured, any residue is returned upon
the making of proper claim when the traveler leaves New Zealand.
The collectors are instructed that in every case in which a commercial
traveler neglects or refuses to pay such deposit a report should be
made to the Commissioner of Taxes; but in no case should the com¬
mercial traveler's samples be detained after the customs require¬
ments have been satisfied.
GENERAL TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS.
The general transportation problem of New Zealand is one almost
entirely of the distribution of articles required by the several com¬
munities and the collection of the pastoral and agricultural products
of the country. No commodity business is handled by rail in any
part of New Zealand except for very short distances. On all the
lines the principal business is the distribution of manufactured
articles to the country served and the collecting of products at the
shipping centers. A very considerable amount of passenger business
is done on all parts of the lines, particularly on the main lines
between Auckland and Wellington and between Christchurch and
Dunedin (between which places express-train service is maintained).
In addition there is a considerable tourist business during parts of
the year. The railway lines are supplemented by ratensive motor-
bus lines and in several instances these motor-bus lines connect dif¬
ferent parts of the railway lines. This is called coaching service,
and with one exception all these lines are in the hands of pri^■ate
companies. For the service performed the charges are very reason¬
able These runs vary from very short distances up to 100 miles,
and'there are many runs of 50 to 60 miles New Zealand Railways
Exhibit No. 14 (see p. 164) is a copy of the Official Railway Tiine
Table, in which 10 pages are devoted to the time-tables of these cobb¬
ing Imes including the length of the runs and the fares charged. The
136 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
service afforded by these lines formed one of the reasons for the
statement on page 71 that railway building plans probably might
be modified to advantage in the western part of Queensland through
the use of motor busses, the country there being better adapted to
this method of transportation than is the greater part of New
Zealand.
RAILWAY OWNERSHIP AND POLICY.
It has been the general policy from the first for the Government
to own and operate the steam railways. All lines now doing a com¬
mon-carrier business are owned by the Dominion Government, and
all important tramways, with the exception of those at Auckland, are
owned and operated by the municipality or corporation in which
they are located.
The lines in the past have been built to develop the resources of
the country, and no doubt this policy will be continued in the future.
There seems little doubt that considerable additional mileage will be
built to develop some of the very rich country still without adequate
transportation facilities, particularly as regards the bringing of the
products to the exporting ports.
COASTAL WATER CARRIERS.
In New Zealand, as in Australia, the coastal sea-borne business is
in the hands of very strong shipping concerns, the two principal ones
being the Union Steam Sliip Co. and Hnddart, Parker & Co. (two of
the concerns mentioned in this connection in the report on Aus¬
tralia). With the ample number of good harbors all along the New
Zealand coasts, the natural and economical method of handling the
trade is through railways and motor busses to the main and second¬
ary ports, as is now done, and then through a further concentration,
by railways and coastal carriers, at the main shipping ports. This
results in a large amount of the oversea business being done from the
harbors at the four largest centers of population. Previous to the
war the coastal service was reasonably adequate, and, while the rates
vere probably soinewhat high, still they were lower than the rates on
fhe railways. Railway rates have been raised since the beginning of
the war, and the water rates (as everywhere else) have been variable
and the service very much reduced by the withdrawal of ships.
XIV. NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.
OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT.
There are many points of similarity between the New Zealand Gov¬
ernment Railways and the several Australian State railways. The
standard of construction for permanent way and rolling stock, the
methods of maintenance and operation, and the signaling practices
are the same in most details. The system is basically English, modi¬
fied by experience to meet the conditions and trafiic of New Zealand.
The contract for the first railway construction was let in 1860, but
up to the year 1870 only 46 miles were in operation. In that year
the construction of new railway lines was put in the hands of the
Department of Public Works (which arrangement still prevails),
and by 1876 there were 718 miles of lines open for traffic. In the lat¬
ter year the general Government took over the operation of all the
jrovernment-owned lines, the control before that time having been in
the hands of the several provinces into which New Zealand is divided.
In 1908 the Government acquired control of the Wellington-Man-
awatu Railway, a private line 84 miles in length; since then all steam
railways have been owned and operated by the Dominion Govern¬
ment, and there is little doubt that all new railways built in the fu¬
ture will be so controlled and operated.
EXTENT OF LINES—IMPROVEMENTS UNDER WAY.
The Railway Department's annual report for the year ended
March 31, 1916, shows 1,211 miles of line open on the North Island
and 1,759 miles on the South'Island, a total of 2,970 miles for the
Dominion. The main trunk line on the North Island connects Auck¬
land with Wellington, a distance of 426 miles, with important
branches to Napier, Plymouth, Rotorua, and Thames. On the South
Island the main line connects Christchurch with Invercargill, Dunedin
being on this line 230 miles from Christchurch. The travel between
Wellington and Lyttelton, the port for Christchurch, is handled by
the Union Steam Ship Co., with service nightly except Sunday.
There are several detached sections of lines on both islands, but most
of these no doubt will be connected up with the main lines in the
course of time, as is now being done with the west-coast lines on the
South Island.
As already suggested, as soon as conditions again become normal
additional railway mileage will doubtless be constructed to develop
the resources of the very rich parts of the country not now provided
with adequate transportation facilities. This will apply to both is¬
lands, although the South Island, with the lines completed and now
in course of construction, will be better provided for than the North
Island. At present a line connecting the main lines of the South
Island with the west-coast coal-field lines is in course of construction,
with a tunnel more than 5 miles in length at Arthvir Pass, which it
is proposed to electrify by using current from a hydroelectric plant
to TO developed close to the tunnel.
138 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
In 1914 an act of PfUiliament provided an amount of $15,816,125
under the head of "Additions to open lines," and up to March 31,
1916, only $1,897,810 of this had )>een spent, leaving an unexpended
balance of $13,918,315. Some of the improvements are increased
terminal facilities at Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton, line re¬
visions, imj^roved shop facilities, and additional rolling stock. On
account of the difficulty in finding sufficient staff to man the present
service, very slow progress is being made in carrying out these im-
])rovements. The expenditure of this sum is under the direction of
fhe Railway Department and not the Department of Public Works.
Funds for new lines constructed by the Department of Public Works
are provided by jiarliamentary enactment for each project. In the
carrying out of the above improvements very considerable land is
being reclaimed at Auckland and Wellington, and between Lyttelton
and Christchurch a long tunnel will be double-tracked. There was
considerable public discussion concerning the electrification of this
tunnel, but the Railway Department decided that the best method of
expenditure was to gain relief by first double tracking.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
On account of the rough and broken country, interspersed with
numerous streams, railway location and construction in all of New
Zealand, except the Canterbury Plains, has been both difficult and
expensive, requiring an unusual number of bridges and tunnels. All
the lines are of 3-foot 6-inch gauge, and many of the grades are very
steep, 2J per cent occurring on most of the important lines. There
is also a great deal of sharp curvature, the most important lines in
some instances having curves as sharp as 20 degrees. Very consider¬
able amounts have already been spent in line and grade revisions, par¬
ticularly on the line between Wellington and AucKland, and no doubt
very much larger sums will be spent in the future.
TRAFFIC.
About 45 per cent of the gross earnings are from passenger business
and r)5 per cent from goods traffic. The North Island, with the
smaller mileage, has larger earnings than the South Island. Consid-
erinjT the amount of passenger travel, the accommodations are not
comfortable, even for 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines. This is particularly
true of the through-express trains between Auckland and Wellington
carrying sleepers. The handling of live stock, particularly sheep,
to the killing points and the handling of frozen meats and dairy
products from points of production to expoiTing points is done very
expeditiously, and, as a rule, with equipment specially designed for
this service. .Vs stated pre^ iously, there is no long-haul commodity
business.
PERMANENT WAY.
The permanent way branch of the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways has a much nearer approach to a well worked out system of stand¬
ards and practices for construction and maintenance than is the case
with any of the Australian State railways. New Zealand Railways Ex¬
hibit No. 6 is a copy of a small handbook issued by the chief engineer's
office, which gives a good idea of many of the standard practices that
ha\ e been adopted and are in use. The roadway is well constructed
and drained; the track is substantial and usually well ballasted.
eailway materials in australia and new zealand. 139
There is now a considerable number of wooden bridges, but these are
being replaced with standard steel bridges designed to carry an axle
load of 31,500 pounds. The standard designs of the various types
of girder bridges are shown in the above-mentioned handbook, and it
is proposed to buy these bridges in lots and use them interchangeably.
Very considerable public agitation is going on for the elimination of
grade or level crossings, of which there are a great many. Their
elimination will involve a verv large expenditure. It is interesting to
note that, although the railways are government owned, every pos¬
sible effort is made to have the Railway Department bear the ex¬
pense so far as possible rather than to divide it with the municipali¬
ties, corporations, and Provinces involved.
At present there is a very great variety of rail in the track; the
standard rail now being used is 70-pound, 4-hole drilling, British
Section, but if the rail is bought in America 70-pound American
Railway Engineering Association Section will be accepted. The
angle bar is of robust design and the spike is the typical English
dog spike, but a very considerable number of fang bolts and three-
fourths-inch screw spikes have been used. The details of the screw
spike are in the same proportion as the standard screw spike of the
American Railway Engineering Association. The details of all the
above parts are shown in Exhibit No. 6. All points, crossings, guard¬
rails, switch stands, and derails are made in the department's work¬
shops, except a few hardened frogs bought from Hadfields. A large
part of'the sleepers are of jarrah wood from Western Australia. At
present the supply is very difficult to obtain on account of the short¬
age of ocean transportation.
All the lines are fenced by the Railway Department, wbich is in¬
terested in materials and improvements in this connection. It would
appear that the spiraled fencing wire mentioned in connection with
the Australian Railways could be used to very good advantage on
the New Zealand Railways. Also, as in Australia, galvanized sheet
iron is much used for roofs, sides, and partitions of buildings. So
far as the writer was able to learn, no trials have been made in New
Zealand of specially protected sheet iron for building purposes, but
there is a growing tendency to substitute beaver board and similar
materials where the conditions will pjei mit. There seem te be prac¬
tically no applications of prepared roofing paper, such as is fre¬
quently used with good results in America, although it should be
borne in mind in this connection that a roofing i-equiring a sheeting
can not be used on account of the scarcity of lumber for this purpose.
SIGNALS, TELEGRAPHS, AND TELEPHONES.
The method of train running io by lock and block for double-
track lines and tablet for single-track lines. The operations in this
connection impressed the writer as being more expeditious, particu¬
larly the handling of the tablets on the single-track lines by means
of a special exchanging device, than on any of the Australian lines.
For the control of both the lock and block and the tablet there is a
growing tendency on the part of the simal branch to use electrical
control apparatus along the lines of the best approved practice.
There appears to be no reason why, in a number of cases, the appli¬
cation of Elective telephones for " central control" of trains might
not be installed to considerable advantage as an addition to the pres-
140 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
ent equipment. One point in favor of this arrangement is that the
signal branch has charge of all railway sisals, telegraph, telephone,
and electrical apparatus, which, in this instance, appears to be an
excellent working arrangement. The tablet exchange device men¬
tioned is a design of Mr. H. J. Wynne, signal engineer of the New
Zealand Eailways. The writer was on trains a numl^r of times when
the exchange was made at speeds in excess of 30 miles an hour, and
in no instance was a failure observed.
The New Zealand Eailways have one power interlocking plant at
Christchurch and two very large ones are contemplated, one in con¬
nection "with the terminal improvements at Auckland and the other
the terminal improvements at Wellington. The present arrange¬
ment for signaling is basically the English Board of Trade practice,
modified to an extent by Mr. Arthur Johnson when he was in New
Zealand as signal engineer of the railways. It is now a rather mixed
arrangement. The signal branch in its new signaling at the above
places is inclined to revert to the English Board of Trade practices
and at present is not inclined to take advantage of three-speed three-
position signaling, which could be done to very considerable advan¬
tage, as it would simplify the signaling in these complicated situa¬
tions and, in addition, would substantially reduce the amount of
apparatus required.
The plans of the Eailway Department contemplate a gradual im¬
provement of the signals and interlockings of the various parts of
the lines, especially the installation of controlling electrical appa¬
ratus. The signal branch has charge of all electrical apparatus, in¬
cluding the installation of electrical shop equipment and all electric
lighting.
ROLLING STOCK.
The rolling stock consists of 585 locomotives, 1,462 passenger
vehicles, 440 brake vans, 21,554 goods wagons (of which 1,452 are of
bogie construction), 2 petrol motor passenger cars, 4 lake steamers,
and 5 highway motor busses. In addition, there are work equipment
and roadway machines in the form of center-dump ballast cars, bal¬
last plows, pile drivers, several small steam shovels, 50 small locomo¬
tive cranes of H to 7^ tons capacity, and 20 hand cranes of 5 to 10
tons capacity. These cranes are used for shop and maintenance
work and also for the handling of freight. There is also consid¬
erable crane equipment for the handling of fuel coal at engine
terminals.
The present policy of the New Zealand Government is to build as
much as possible of the new rolling stock at the Eailway Depart¬
ment shops or to contract for its erection in the Dominion. For
some years past, therefore, the Eailway Department has built all
new passenger carriages, goods wagons, and special equipment such
as that mentioned for handling frozen meats. Price Bros. (Ltd.),
of Thames, on the North Island, have built about 12 locomotives a
year for several years,"but these, with the output of the department's
shops, have not been sufficient to supply the necessary new power to
handle the growing business, and in several instances purchases have
been made abroad, the last case involving 10 locomotives from the
Baldwin Works in 1915. The heaviest locomotive now in use is a
oOOOOoo type, with a total weight of 205,500 pounds, a maximum
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 141
wle load of 25, <50 pounds, and a tractive effort of 26,500 pounds.
The purchase of 10 Garratt type engines similar to those used in
Western Australia is contemplated, and it would seem that this class
of locomotive should be well adapted for the steep grades and sharp
curves of the New Zealand Kailways in such service as will not re¬
quire speed in excess of 15 or 16 miles an hour (which is the case with
a considerable amount of traffic).
It is claimed that the solid frames of the American-built engines
have not been strong enough and that, in view of the sharp curves
and steep grades, the frames—in fact, all parts of the locomotives—
should be particularly robust. The writer also noticed that the
driving-axle bearings on the engines built in New Zealand are very
robust, and was advised that some of the American-built engines had
given trouble from this standpoint when used on the lines with the
sharp curves and heavy grades. It was also stated that for the same
reasons it is desirable to have the wearing parts of the machinery
somewhat harder and tougher than is the American practice.
At present the railway department is building all new locomotives
at the Addington shops near Christchurch, but the Newmarket shops
near Auckland are being extended and equipped for the erection of
the locomotives needed on the North Island. All classes of locomo¬
tives are very well maintained; in fact, it would appear probable in
some instances that they are being used beyond their economical
life, even for the conditions prevailing normally in New Zealand.
Two Rogers locomotives, built in 1881, were seen undergoing repairs
in the Addington shops, and to all appearances these two machines
would be as serviceable as new when again put in service, if used
on runs that they were capable of handling.
All rolling stock is equipped with Westinghouse air brakes. The
coupler has already been referred to in connection with the account of
the South Australian railways (p. 85). Pintsch gas is used for
car lighting, no electric car lighting having yet been installed. The
general features of the passenger and goods equipment are much
uke those on the 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines in Australia. As already
noted, a large amount of the goods equipment consists of four-
wheeled wagons, but there is a considerable amount of special equip¬
ment for handling live stock, frozen meat, and dairy products. For
the two latter uses there is a small number of heat-resisting cars,
which are of very substantial construction and well adapted foi' the
service. The wharf workers are objecting to their use and want
three sets of doors instead of one set, so as to minimize the distance
they have to carry the contents. This change of design, of course,
would defeat the purpose of the car. The machinery for the cranes
of various types was bought, but the wagons on which they are
mount^ were manufactured by the department and the machinery
erected on these wagons:
Notwithstanding the considerable amount of rainfall in all parts
of New Zealand and the really heavy rainfall in some parts, open
wagons covered with tarpaulins are used to carry goods that are
subject to damage by water and dampness. It is interesting to note
that with a total of 21,554 wagons of all classes, about 50 per cent
of which are supposed to be in service requiring tarpaulins, the
department has a total of about 21,500 tarpaulins, of which approxi-
142 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
mately 50 per cent are in actual use and the other 50 per cent are
undergoing repairs or are in course of distribution or collection.
These tarpaulins are made of heavy cotton canvas painted with lin¬
seed oil to make them waterproof. The obtaining of suitable mate¬
rial for the manufacture of tarpaulins, which are all made in the
department's workshops, has been very difficult recently on aceount
of the war.
WORKSHOPS.
The main workshops are located at Newmarket near Auckland,
Pet one near Wellington, Addington near Christchurch. and Hillside
near Dunedin. In addition, the district shops at Wanganui are
being extended for the handling of additional wagon work. The
concentration of locomotive erection in the Newmarket shops for
the North Island and in the Addington shops for the South Island is
contemplated. The carriage and wagon work will be concentrated
in the Petone shops for the North Island and the Hillside shops for
the South Island. The Newmarket shops are being extended and
electrified, and it is proposed to improve and electrify all the other
shops; in fact, some improvements have already been made at the
Hillside shops, particularly in connection with the electric drive of
machine tools. While all these shops are now fairly well equipped
with machine tools, it is the writer's opinion that on account of the
scarcity and high wages of labor, the use of the best possible ma¬
chine tools will be given special consideration, and that New Zealand
is therefore a very promising market for this type of American
products.
WORKING RESULTS.
The following table shows the working results for the years ended
March 31, 1905, 1915, and 1916:
Items.
Miles of line open at end of year
Average miles of line open for year.
(^apital cost of open line
Capitai cost per mile of open line.
Gross earn ngs
Working expenses
Profit on working
Operating ratio
Percentage earned on capital cost.
.per cent..
Earnings per average mile open
Working expenses per average mile open.
Profit on working per average mile open..
Train miles run
Number of passenMrs carr.ed
Tons of goods and live stock carried.
Earnings per train mile
Working expenses per train mile
Profit on working per train mile
Number of locomotives
Number of passenger carriages
Number of goods wagons and brake vans.
Population per mUe of railway
Year ended March 31—
1905
1915
1916
2,374
2,347
2,955
2,917
2,970
2.960
$105,610,700
1-14,485
$166,112,260
$56,200
$169,635,965
$57,120
$10,751,225
$7,26.5,200
$3,486,025
67.58
3.30
$19,979,205
$14,212,395
$5,766,810
71.14
3.53
$22,134,575
$14,165,810
$7,968,785
64
4.72
$4,565
$3,085
$1,480
$6,882
$4,877
$1,985
$7,495
$4,791
$2,701
6,107,079
8,654,565
4,185,467
$1.75
$1.18
$0.57
9,383,420
13,878,684
6,453,472
$2.12
$1.51
$0.61
9,356,522
14,532,128
6,370,945
$2.35
$1.51
$0.85
389
864
13,885
557
1,397
21,226
585
1,452
21,994
370
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 143
From tins it will be noticed that the capital cost is over $57,000
per niile for 3-foot 6-inch gauge lines, indicating the high cost
resulting from the difficulties of construction. The interest charges
are not available and therefore are not shown, hut it has been the
set policy of the Government for many years to disburse all reason¬
able charges to working expenses and then to keep the rates and
fares at such a point as would give a return of between 3 and 4
per cent on the capital cost. In the last three or four years, however,
the effort has been to approximate 4 per cent, and it is probable
that a step further will be the future policy of making considerable
improvements out of income. The New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways are probably on a sounder financial footing to-day than any of
the Australian State railways.
ORGANIZATION.
The parliamentary head of the New Zealand 'Railways is the
Minister of Railways. The administration is in the hands of a gen¬
eral manager, who performs all the functions of a railway commis¬
sioner in the Australian States. As in Australia, the organization
is the branch arrangement, based on a long-established classified
sernce that would probably prove an insurmountable difficulty in
introducing the divisional or unit scheme of organization.
The present general manager has partly introduced a commercial
branch, which he has not been able to carry to a conclusion on ac¬
count of the war.
Following is the usual diagram of the organization, subordinate
to the head officials mentioned above. The New Zealand Railways
have no secretary for railways, as called for in the organization,
but the duties of the assistant general manager are in every way
similar to those of the secretary for railways in the organization of
the Australian State railways.
Branches.
Duties.
Titles of chief officials.
Secretary
Stores
Accounting
Traffic
Mechanical
Permanent way
Signal
All secretarial duties, and general record, rate,
and commercial clerical staff.
Purchase, receipt, inspection, custody, issue,
and accounting of all stores.
Revenue and operating accounts and general
ststistics.
All train and station employees, and the con¬
ducting of all passengers and goods.
Construction, maintenance, and operation of
all rolling stock.
Maintenance and reconstruction of all way
and works. , .. . ,
Construction and maintenance of all signals,
telegraphs, telephones, and electrical work.
Assistant general manager.
Comptroller of stores.
Chief accountant.
Chief traffic manager.
Chief mechanical engineer.
Chief engineer.
Signal engineer.
144 RAILWAY MATERIALS IK AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
The following is a diiectory of the principal officers, arranged in
the same order as the diagram of organization. The head office is at
Wellington:
Position.
Name.
Location.
Minister of Railways
tlcnoral manaeer
Assistant general manager
Comptroller of stores
Chief clerk, stores branch
Chief accountant
Chief traffic manager
Assistant chief traffic manager
Traffic superintendent
District traffic manager
Do
Do
Do
District manager
District traffic manaqfr
Do
Do
Do
Do
Chief mechanical engineer
Assistant chief mechanical engineer -
Locomotive engineer
Do
Do
Do
Workshops manager
Do
Do
Do
Do
Chief engineer
Assistant chief engineer
District engineer
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Signal engineer
Assistant signal engineer
In England:
Agent
Secretary
Consulting en^necrs.
Hon. W. H. Herries
E. II. Hilev
R. W. McVilly
H. Baxter
M. C. Rowe
J. Macdonald
H. Buxton
C. A. Piper
S. F. Whitcombe
A. Duncan
O. Brownlee
J. E. Armstrong
J. Bevin
W. Sword
W. .Stringleman
W. Bowles
T. W. Brebner
P. f.. Pavne
H. Mellor
if. II. Jackson
li. Pearson
F. F. Murison
.S. P. Evans
C. F. Richardson
P. I,. W. Ilaskins
T. T. McCarty
C. T. Bargh.."
D. Kvdd
W. T. Watson
.1. (^arson
F. W. Mcl ean
H. MacAndrew
D. T. Mcintosh
C. T. Jeffervs
A. C. Koch".
F. C. Waddop
A. J. McCretlie
F. J. Jones
C. M. Buizoni I
J. K. Lowe
II. J. Wvnne
G. W. Wylc
Sir Thomas Mackenzie, K. C.
M. G., High Commissioner for
New Zealand.
C. Wray Palliser
Carruthers & Elliot
Wellington.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Christchurch.
Auckland.
Ohakune.
Wanganui.
Wellington.
Whangarei.
Christchurch.
Dunedin.
Invercargill.
West port.
Westland.
Wellington.
Do.
Auckland.
Wellington.
Christchurch.
Westland.
Newmarket.
Petone.
Wanganui.
Addington.
Hillside.
Wellington.
Do.
Auckland.
Ohakune.
Wanganui.
Wellington.
Christchurch.
Dunedin.
Invercargill.
West port.
Wellington.
Do.
413 Strand, London.
Do.
13 Victoria St., Lon¬
don, S. W.
STORES.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK.
The comptroller of stores is the head of the stores hranch. He
reports directly to the general manager and has under his direction
a complete staff for the purchase, receipt, inspection, custody, issue,
and accounting of all railway stores. The head office of the stores
branch is at Wellington, but there are district stores branches at
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wanganui, and other minor points,
since it is not possible to handle the New Zealand railways frwn one
central point, as most of the Australian railways are handled.
RAILWAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 145
FUNDS.
A special fund account is j)rovided by the New Zealand Treasury
Department for prompt payment for all stores purchased, including
purchases by the agent general in London and purchases made in
America, whether these are made by the agent general fi-om London
or by the stores branch direct. The officers of the stores branch state
that in receiving tenders from American concerns they are desirous
of having these indicate the arrangement of payment that is pre¬
ferred. They desire to purchase to the best advantage, and, since
they always have the money in sight when making purchases and are
prepared to make prompt payment, they in turn want to obtain the
^nefit of the bfest quick-payment price, and think that the bidder
should be able to tell what terms of payment will enable him to
submit the lowest price.
TRIENNIAL CONTRACTS.
Triennial contracts are made for all merchandise requirements
and for a considerable amount of set articles that can be so purchased.
New Zealand Railways Exhibit No. 7 (see p. 163) is a sample form for
inviting these tenders, and special attention is called to the " line by
line" acceptance clause. Exliibits Nos. 8. 9, and 10 are accepted
tenders and the rates of pay for the supplies to be furnished at the
major points of Auckland, AVellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin
from April 1, 1911, to March 31, 1917. There are 2,270 articles cov¬
ered by each of these triennial contracts.
SPECIAL CONTRACTS.
When purchases can be made from New Zealand concerns acting as
agents for British or American manufacturers, or from concerns
having representatives in New Zealand, the business is preferably
handled by inviting tenders locally. A representative of the stores
branch stated very clearly that it was preferred, when possible, to
deal directly with accredited local representatives. AVhen contracts
can not be so handled, requirements are indented on the agent gen¬
eral in England, who then buys to the best advantage, or, for certain
lines of articles to be furnished by American concerns with which the
stores branch has done business in the past, the negotiations are
frequently handled directly. It was particularly impi essed on the
writer, however^ that the stores branches prefer to deal directly with
fully accredited representatives at Wellington.
Emergency requirements and small miscellaneous supplies are
bought as the circumstances may warrant. All regular invitations
for tenders and all awards of contracts are published in the New
Zealand Government Gazette from time to time.
20186°—18 10
XV. NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS.
GENERAL CONDITIONS.
The New Zealand tramways resemble the Australian in all features.
The zone system of fares is universal. Semiopen cars are used on
all systems. All are owned by the municipalities or corporations in
which they are located, except the one at Auckland, which is pri¬
vately owned and operated. In addition to the systems in the four
large centers of population, there are small systems at Napier and
In\ ercargill. There are no interurban lines, all such transportation
being performed by the motor-bus lines mentioned in connection with
the railways. It is not likely that any interurban lines, aside from
some extensions of the present city systems, will be built in the near
future, but in the course of a considerable number of years it is pos¬
sible that some of the bus lines may be converted into electric lines,
provided extensive hydroelectric development occurs in the mean¬
while.
AUCKLAND.
This system is owned and operated by the British Electrical Fed¬
eration, whose head office is atlOngs Row and Oxford Street, London.
The first electric service was opened in November, 1902, and the
work of construction and electrification was carried out by the J. G.
White Corporation, of New York City. There are 30 miles of route,
practically all of which is double tracked; the gauge is 4 feet 84
inches, and the system is the usual 600-volt direct current, suppliea
by the company's own central power plant and one substation. The
equipment consists of 166 trolley cars, 3 sprinklers, and 2 freight
cars.
The capital cost of the system on June 30, 1914, was $4,810,820,
and very little additional capital expenditure has been made since
that date, although some rather expensive city connections were in
progress in November, 1916, when the writer visited Auckland. For
the year ended June 30, 1914, the gross earnings were $1,344,710 and
the working expenses $1,009,970.
Mr. J. J. Wakelate is general manager at Auckland in charge of
the property, and iNlr. F. E. De Guerrire is electrical engineer. Im¬
portant stores are purchased by the home office in London, and the
J. G. White Corporation acts as agent for purchases made in
America, buying on orders from the London office.
The Auckland tramways impressed the writer as being worked
nearer to the limit of their capacity, especially during the evening
and morning rush periods, than any system of street railways he has
ever seen in a city of less than 125,000 population. There was con¬
siderable discussion of how relief might he obtained, but no sugges¬
tions were heard with regard to the pioperty being taken over by the
city.
146
BAIL WAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 147
NAPIER.
The tramways at Napier are owned and operated by the munici¬
pality. There are 3 miles of route of 3-foot 6-inch gauge. The
system is 600-volt direct current, and the rolling stock consists of
five trolley cars. Mr. J. W. Callgham is the manager in charge of
the property, and he attends to the purchase of all stores.
WELLINGTON.
All the tramways in Wellington and its suburbs, with the excep¬
tion of a small inclined cable system, are owned and operated by the
corporation of Wellington, the management being combined with
that of the city electrical department, which supplies all the elec¬
tricity for this territory.
On March 31, 1916, there were 10.01 miles of single-track line and
11.54 miles of double-track line, making a total of 21.55 miles of
route and 34.85 miles of all tracks. The gauge is 4 feet and the
system is 600-volt direct current, supplied from the city's power
plants. The rolling stock consists of 107 passenger cars, 2 freight
cars, 1 sprinkler, and 2 repair cars, a total of 112 vehicles. Ten of
the largest passenger cars and one freight car were built at the de¬
partment's shops at Newton (a part of Wellington), and ten more
passenger cars were in course of construction when the writer was in
Wellington in November, 1916. The tramway officials were experi¬
encing a great deal of trouble in obtaining the necessary materials
and electrical equipment, the greater part of which was ordered from
the United States. This applied both to delivery from the manu¬
facturer and water carriage after delivery by the factory.
The capital expenditure on March 31, 1916, was $3,480,030. Only
$2,486,795 of this amount, however, has been raised by exercising the
corporation's borrowing power, the other $993,235 having been ex¬
pended from income. The total tramway revenue for the year ended
on the above date was $914,240, the working expenses were $.578,225,
and the interest amounted to $99,555, leaving $236,460 for sinking
fund, depreciation, and surplus. The population served is about
75,000, and the total number of passengers carried was 28,687,773.
The following statement is made regarding the zone fares: The aver¬
age fare per mile is 0.89 penny (1.78 cents); for 1 penny (2 cents) the
average distance is 1.112 miles, for 2 pence (4 cents) 2.225 miles, for
3 pence (6 cents) 3.250 miles, and for 4 pence (8 cents), the highest
fare, the distance averages 4.650 miles.
The management of both the tramways and the lighting depart¬
ment is in th^e hands of Mr. W. H. Morton, general manager. Mr.
M. Cable is electrical engineer of the tramway department, and Mr.
Greorge Lauchlin is electrical engineer of the lighting department.
The purchase of all stores comes under the direction of General
Manager Morton, subject to supervision by a committee of the cor-
poratmn council. Both these departments have used a considerable
amount of American electrical and mechanical materials in the past,
as well as some track materials, especially rails.
148 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
CHRISTCHURCH.
The Christchurch tramways are owned and operated by the city
through the workings of a tramway board. The first line was opened
in 1906, and the original construction work was completed in 1907.
On iMarch 31, 1916, there were 51.63 miles of single track and 11.05
miles of double track, making 62.68 miles of route, with 74.09 miles
of all tracks. The capital expenditure on the above date was
$3,381,440, of which $2,765,145 was raised by exercising the city's
borrowing power and the remainder, $616,295, has been expended
from income. The population served is about 85,000, and the num¬
ber of passengers carried for the year ended March 31, 1916, was
17,831,644. The total gross earnings were $704,900, the operating
ex])enses were $405,450, and the interest paid was $132,260.
The rolling stock consists of 65 trolley cars (of which 57 are of
bogie construction), 72 trailers, and 8 small steam tramway locomo¬
tives, a small amount of service being still performed by steam. The
system is 600-volt direct current. In the past the current has been
supplied by the board's own power house, but there was completed
in the latter part of 1916 by the New Zealand Department of Public
Works a hydroelectric plant that will in the future supply all the
current for Christchurch, including the tramways.
The actual management is intrusted to a general manager and
secretary, although there is a tramway board of two members, as
well as two sinking-fund commissioners and three depreciation-fund
commissioners (only one of these commissioners is a member of the
tramway board).
Mr. Frank Thompson is general manager and secretary, and Mr.
E. P. Turner is engineer. The purchase of stores is under the direc¬
tion of Mr. Thompson, subject to approval by the tramway board. A
great deal of American materials and equipment was used in the
construction of this system of tramways.
DUNEDIN.
The Dunedin tramways are owned and operated by the corporation
of Dunedin. There are about 14 miles of route, and the system is
600-volt direct current, su])plied by the Waipori Falls hydroelectric
plant. The rolling stock consists of 49 trolley cars. The capital cost,
up to March 31, 1914, was $l,5r)().()85, the gross earnings for the year
ended on that date were $.">S().S90, and the expenses were $361,180.
The management is in the hands of Mr. C. F. Alexander, manager
at Dunedin. Mr. Alexander also is in charge of the purchase of all
stores, subject to the usual approval by a tramway board.
INVERCARGILL.
The Invercargill tramways are owned and operated by the munici¬
pality. There are 8.9 miles of route and 9.3 miles of all tracks. The
gauge is 4 feet 8J inches. The system is 600-volt direct current.
The capital cost is approximately $415,000. The property, including
the ))urchase of supplies, is in charge of Mr. E. G. Foster, engineer.
The privately owned railways and industrial tramways in New
Zealand are very few in number and all of minor importance.
XVI. CONCLUSIONS, SUGGESTIONS, AND RECOMMENDA¬
TIONS.
INTRODUCTION.
The preceding pages contain the salient facts concerning the opera¬
tion and requirements of the Australasian raihvays, with a presenta¬
tion of such data as seem necessary to enable anyone to form a just
estimate of the markets for materials, equipment, and supplies. In
the present chapter the writer will endeavor to give a summary of his
conclusions and to make such suggestions and recommendations as
the circumstances appear to warrant. In doing this two difficulties
arise—first, the possibility of covering so many subjects that few
persons would care to go over the whole in order to find the items
m which they are specifically interested; and. second, the disadvan¬
tage of making the treatment too brief and in this way eliminating
the real substance of many important situations. The following ob¬
servations represent an effort to bring out the essential points while
avoiding both of the undesirable exti emes.
In instances where it is believed that American concerns have a
chance to obtain future business, attention will be called to that fact,
and there will also be a definite indication of the cases in which no
such opportunity exists. As an example one may cite the erection
of rolling stock either in the railway departments' own shops or by
Australian manufacturers, with the restriction of the work in some
instances to the particular State (as in Victoria and New South
Wales). If the railway development of Australia jjroceeds gradually
for the next few years it is probable that little rolling stock will !)e
purchased outside the Commonwealth, but it is likely that, in order
to get the benefit of improvements, very considerable quantities of
accessory parts will be brought from overseas. In the case of Xew
Zealand it would appear that, if all the necessary railway equipment
is built in the Dominion, it will be done at the sacrifice of labor that
could be more profitably employed in other ways.
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE BUSINESS.
In forecasting future business it seems wise to consider the busi¬
ness done in the past and the methods employed in obtaining it. A
very considerable amount of railway business has been done in the
past, although statistics as to the actual value are difficult (in fact
practically impossible) to identify and si'gi egate. At one time a
great deal of rail went to Australia, and the supply of mineral oils
End lubricants has always come very largely from the United htates.
A varying amount of accessory rolling-stock parts and shop ma¬
chinery has come from America, and the electrical equipment Inis
come very largely from this country or from American concerns with
British branches.
149
150 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Past business has been obtained mostly in one of the three follow-
in<r ways: First, by concerns with direct representatives in Aus¬
tralia ; second, by agent concerns in Australia; third, by the medium
of indent orders, in which instances the purchasers either knew just
what they wanted or were able to give the indent agent definite
information or specifications so that the desired articles could be
obtained.
The present war conditions, involving high prices, long delivery.
United States export regulations, and almost prohibitive ocean
freight rates, are so unusual that one seems warranted in giving
them little consideration in forecasting what will occur when condi¬
tions again become normal. As regards some requirements, the Aus¬
tralian railways are compelled to obtain their present supplies in the
United States or do without, and there are really a good many things
which they are doing without or of which they are very much reduc¬
ing their consumption.
During the war and the period of adjustment after its termina¬
tion, there seems little doubt that American concerns can obtain
business if they offer reasonable prices and delivery and if ocean
transportation can be secured. What will happen after the end of
the war and the period of adjustment it is impossible to forecast,
other than to assume that in the course of time matters will again
become normal and the development of Australia will resume the
tendencies of the past. In this event there will doubtless develop con¬
siderable competition for the business of all classes, and apparently
much will depend on capable application engineering. Aside from
some special lines, such as electrical equipment and lubrication, it
would seem that the business in the past has been handled with very
little special engineering knowledge on the part of the selling con¬
cerns in Australia. This situation has been well illustrated by the
small sales recently of a concern that formerly did considerable busi¬
ness, but that now seems to pay very little attention to the application
of the products sold. On the other hand, one notes the very substan¬
tial increase in the business of another firm that is making excellent
applications in the sales it is handling. The manager of the first
concern stated that its policy is to furnish what the customer asks
for without giving any particular consideration to its application
and that, since the firm handles a first-class line of machine tools, it
is the customer's loss if the best application is not had; whereas the
other concern not only goes over the application with the customer,
studying the best macoine available for the purpose before the selec¬
tion is made, but in addition follows up the performance after instal¬
lation. The adoption of such a policy, carried out by seasoned and
experienced engineers, will, in the writer's opinion, be a necessary
arrangement in the future. In brief, it is believed that future busi¬
ness will be largely obtained by competent application or commercial
engineering. The adoption of such a policy for certain lines will
secure paying business, and, unless it is adopted where it does not
now prevail, new business will not be obtained and that which is now
being done will be lost in the future when the situation becomes nor¬
mal after the close of the war.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 151
THE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION.
The question of representation should be divided into two parts,
first as to whether American concerns doing business in Australia
will handle the business with their own representatives, negotiating
directly with the purchaser, or through agent or indent concerns, and,
second, what kind of representative should handle the business di¬
rectly with the customer, whatever arrangement prevails in the first
instance.
The answer to the first depends on circumstances to a very great
extent, but when the amount of business warrants there are usually
good reasons for the parent concern to have a representative in Aus¬
tralia, although a considerable amount of business may be done
through agent concerns. For the average American concern the
amount of business will only warrant its being handled by agent or
indent concerns, but in many instances it seems that the business
will justify the sending of special representatives to Australia, as
hereafter suggested.
In Australia, as in all other parts of the world, there are active,
indifferent, and poor agents now in the field, and much depends on
the capability of such representatives. In some instances it is prob¬
able that agencies were taken as filling-in lines and to fall back on
when the regular supply was not available.
A list of concerns handling railway business in Australia and
New Zealand has been submitted with this report, but it is obviously
impossible to make this list include all the com erns doing business
with the railways or to give sufficient information to enable the best
firms that are not now acting as agents for other concerns to be
selected for the handling of various lines. The financial responsi¬
bility of firms under consideration can be ascertained from mercantile
agencies. In the selection of representatives in the future, it is felt
to be of the greatest importance that assurance be had with regard to
the concern's capacity to follow up questions of application engineer¬
ing. This, as previously stated, will be one of the controlling ele¬
ments in the future in obtaining and holding business in connection
with the Australian railways.
With the conviction of the desirability and the probable necessity
of application or commercial engineei'ing as the best means of obtain¬
ing and holding railway business in Australia, and also the advis¬
ability of sending seasoned men who will naturally command good
salaries, the question arises how this can be arranged and made work¬
able without costing more than would be w^arranted. It is the writer's
opinion, based on investigation and discussion with several men ex¬
perienced in handling Australian business, that one high-grade man
could frequently represent several firms wdiose products can be
grouped—for example, an experienced mechanical-branch man could
represent all branches of shop machinery, another man could repre¬
sent all lines of locomotive and car appliances, or one man could
represent both permanent way and works materials and track ap-
phances. Also, with the conditions existing in Australia, there ap¬
pears to be no reason why a man of the proper adaptability could not
work with several concerns in Australia (even when these concerns
are handling competing lines), if such a man is sent out at the ex-
152 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
pense of the American concerns. This, of course, would require men
of good common sense but not necessarily men of any unusual ability.
Since there are a number of associations among the manufacturers
of railway materials, equipment, and supplies for furthering the
interests of these manufacturers with the American railways, it
would seem desirable that these same associations should get to¬
gether for the advancement of their foreign business. For insiance,
s-uch associations as the Railway Business Association, the National
Railway Appliance Association, the Electric Railway Manufac¬
turers Association, or even a community of the Associations might
get together and arrange for experienced application engineers to
visit Australia—doing so as actual representatives to obtain busi¬
ness for the interested concerns and working with such representa¬
tives as these concerns may have in Australia or arranging for addi¬
tional agents. There are also a number of concerns organized for
the handling of foreign business (particularly some of those recently
organized) that might arrange for the representation of complete
lines as above suggested, and then follow up by sending out special
application engineers.
In considering such an extensive field as railway materials, equip¬
ment, and supplies, a di^■ision into groups seems advisable. The fol¬
lowing grouping is based on what one experienced engineering sales¬
man might reasonably be expected to be familiar with, and is also
somewhat along the lines of that made by some of the larger concerns
handling railway business in America.
PERMANENT WAY AND WORKS.
CONTRACTING.
In the writer's opinion, with the present arrangement of handling
all public works and the prevailing labor conditions, Australia is not
an attractive field for American contracting concerns to enter into
and follow the present American practices of pushing the work to a
conclusion in the shortest possible time by the use of labor-saving
machinery, particulaxdy expensive outfits worked with day and night
shifts. There is no doubt that, to develpp fully the material re¬
sources of Australia, the situation warrants such treatment, but or¬
ganized labor objects to such procedure and public opinion supports
this position, or at least permits this condition to exist. It would
seem, however, that if some of the large projects contemplated, such
as the unification of the railway gauges, are undertaken, some conces¬
sions will have to be made.
ROADWAY MACHINES.
Steam shovels and other similar equipment are little used in Aus¬
tralian railway construction. MTiile this class of equipment could no
doubt be used to very considerable advantage, particularly in some of
the grade and alignment revision work being undertaken in several
of the States, it is very doubtful whether 'Such methods will be
adopted so long as the present labor conditions continue. The New
Zealand railways are much better equipped in this respect and may
increase this equipment if further extensive grade and alignment
revisions now under contemplation are undertaken.
railway materials in australia and new zealand. 153
BRIDGES.
As previously stated, bridges are not frequent, and those that do
occur are usually small, with few foundation difficulties. In addi¬
tion, there is a decided tendency for the railway departments to do
their own fabricating and erection. This is encouraged by the much
higher tariffs on fabricated materials than on plain materials. Also,
as explained, the New Zealand Kailways are the only system that has
adopted a set of standard designs and is prepared to buy bridges ex¬
cept in detail, as used. In the future the New Zealand Kailways ex¬
pect to buy their bridges in quantity.
Bridge paints, on account of the large proportion of dr\' weather,
last much longer in Australia than the average in America. This
does not apply to New Zealand, where on account of the amount of
wet and warm weather the life of bridge paint is probably shorter
than in America.
BUILDING MATERIALS.
The principal market for building materials is for galvanized or
substitute roofing material which will not require sheeting, and such
substitutes for wood as beaver board. The supply of Australian
hardwoods will take care of the needs for building wood, except
soft wood required for drawers, shelving, and similar uses where it
has to be worked and for which pine will probalily continue to be
imported from America. Just how far it is economical to go in
Australia in the use of protected materials as a substitute for gal¬
vanized iron is dependent to a very large extent on the location.
Where not subject to special deteriorating influences, galvanized
iron apparently has a longer life in Australia and New Zealand than
is the average in America, and its use is very much more extensive
in all parts of Australasia than in America; in fact, this is the case
everywhere in the Far East.'
COALING STATIONS.
The handling of locomotive coal is done to a very large extent by
the use of coaling trestles or man-powered handling outfits or, in
some instances, with small locomotive cranes, the latter being particu¬
larly the case in New Zealand. Thus far very few really up-to-date
coal and ash handling plants have been instalhal in Australia. At
many points it seems probable that these will be installed in the
future, but in a number of instances an impression seemed to prevail
that the present arrangements were much more reliable than the
more modern devices; therefore it is difficult to predict what the
future improvements will be along this line, although it would
appear almost a necessity to make improvements in some cases to
take care of the business as it grows.
WATER-TREATMENT PLANTS.
Considerable up-to-date water-treatment^ apparatus has been_ in¬
stalled in a number of the States and, with the water conditions
existing in a large part of Western Australia, South Australia, and
the western sections of Queensland and New South W ales, further
installations will no doubt be made. In some instances neutralizing
154 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
compounds are practicable, and an American company is introduc¬
ing its products, which, in view of some of the results obtained in
the United States and Canada, should make a decided success in
some parts of Australia.
GRAIN ELEVATORS.
The question of grain elevators was covered at some length, in^
connection with the New South Wales Railways. In the writer's
opinion, there is no doubt of the desirability of adopting arrange¬
ments to handle grains (particularly wheat) in bulk in all of the
Australian States, but the project of a wholesale conversion accord¬
ing to the plans now out for tenders for the erection of elevators
seems of doubtful practicability. It is advised, therefore, that Ameri¬
can concerns go over this situation very carefully before contracting
for erection complete, which would probably include the financing of
tlie project for the government of the State in which the work is
done. These remarks, of course, do not apply to the furnishing of
the machinery and materials for some one else to erect and finance.
WHARF AND PIER EQUIPMENT.
The use of wharf and pier machinery has been, to a considerable
extent, influenced by the labor situation, the wharf workers being
one of the most powerful unions in Australia and New Zealand. At
present, however, a necessity exists for speeding up the movement of
.sliipping. As already stated, the wharves in New Zealand are much
better equij^ped in this respect than those in Australia. To a certain
extent this is probably due to the authority exercised by the various
harbor boards in New Zealand, who have power to borrow money for
improvements and collect wharfage charges in a more comprehensive
way than is the case in Australia.
RIGHT-OF-WAY FENCING MATERIALS.
Practically all railway lines have to be fenced by the department
in all the Australian States and New Zealand. The present practice
is to use a rather heavy, smooth, straight wire with frequent anchor
posts equipped with expensive slack adjusters. In some instances
intervening strands of barbed wire are used, but in no case did the
writer see any of the special spiraled wire that is commonly used for
right-of-way fences on most American railways. On inquiry, not
a single case was found where attention had been called to this wire
by the sellers of fencing materials, and none of the sellers seem to
know of the jiroduct. (Consequently there appears to be a very good
opportunity for the general introduction of American fencing ma¬
terials. Tliese remarks also apply to the use of steel fence posts,
especially for the drier parts of Australia, where the ravages of the
white ants are most serious.
TRACK MATERIALS.
CROSSTIES (SLBSPERS).
In general, Australia has sufficient timber in sight to take care of
present needs, including those of South Australia and New Zealand,
both of which have to draw on outside supplies. The ravages of
the white ants, the favorable weather conditions, and the light traffic
would appear to make certain parts of Australia, particularly the
bailwat materials in australia and new zealand. 155
northern lines of South Australia, a good place for the use of steel
ti®s if they can be delivered there at a reasonable price. The en¬
gineering branch of the South Australian railways has already
looked into the use of steel ties and is satisfied with respect to their
practicability. Up to the present time, however, it has l)een found
more economical to use jarrah sleepers from Western Australia, cost¬
ing something over $1 each.
RAILS.
It is presumed that the two steel plants now in operation in
Australia will be able to take care of the normal rail requirements,
but in such case the entire production would apparently be required
for this purpose and other lines would not be produced. Such a con¬
dition seems very unlikely. During the present very difficult period
as regards the obtaining of materials, it is safe to say that the normal
rail renewals are not being made, although with the lighter wheel
loads and lighter traffic it is probable that the same relative wear
does not occur as takes place on the American railways, even when
allowances are made for the greater amount of curvature and the
steeper grades. New Zealand, having no steel plants, gets all its sup¬
plies from abroad, and it is not probable, for the present at least,
that New Zealand will depend to any great extent on Australia,
although this may possibly be the case when a scarcity of shipping
prevails.
FROGS AND SWITCHES (POINTS AND CROSSINGS).
The present practice is for all the State railway departments of
Australia and the New Zealand railways to manufacture in their
own shops, or to have manufactured by concerns in their respective
States, all their requirements in frogs, switches, crossings, switch
stands, derails, and guard rails, and there seems little doubt that
this practice, for the present at least, will be continued. It would
appear, however, that they might advantageously employ the special
types of light-weight guard rails now coming into general use in
America, that they would at least be warranted in installing har¬
dened-faced frogs and switches in some particular situations, and
that these could be produced by importing the hardened parts and
completing the work in the railway shops. A few of the lifting
type of derails, especially the " Hayes" design, have been used, but
these are very infrequent as compared to the total in service. Many
are of the complete switch type, which are more e.xpensive to install
and maintain than the most costly designs of the lifting type.
RAIL FASTENINGS.
As a general practice, the angle bars are bought with the rail. All
the Australian State railways follow the same c()urse with the manu¬
facture or purchase of their supply of dog spikes and track bolte
as with their frogs and switches. The supply in New Zealand is
usually purchased abroad, particularly fang bolts and screw spikes.
At present no guard rail clamps are used, and few tie plates, except
in some cases around turnouts. It would seem that both of these,
particularly the guard-rail clamps, could be adopted with much
156 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
advantage, and the track men to whom the writer explained the use
of guard-rail clamps were very much interested in their application.
The use of rail anchors is becoming very extensive, and most of
those used thus far are of the Vaughn design, furnished by the Kail-
way Track Supply Co., of London. One point that applies to the
maintenance of all the patented rail anchors, when employed on Aus¬
tralian railways, is the necessity of inspection to prevent the ballast
from loosening the rail anchor as the result of the very much fuller
ballast section used, because of the sleepers being only 5 inches in
thickness.
ROADWAY AND TRACK TOOLS.
The writer assumed at first that it would not be worth while to
follow up the subject of roadway and track tools, but after some
inspection and inquiry it was found that there was not the difference
in the design and equipment of tools that might naturally be expected,
and that in a consider3,ble number of instances the American track
tool would be very well received by the Australian " ganger," as he is
called. A very considerable use of American hand tools by all
classes of railway mechanics was also noted.
SIGNALS.
The subject of signals has been referred to at some length, and can
be summarized with the statement that materials and supplies for
mechanical interlockings, lock and block, and staff or tablet, will
probably be bought as in the past, particularly as all these.require¬
ments are fully standardized; but in the materials and supplies that
enter into power interlocking, automatic signals, electric parts for
the control of lock and block and staff or tablet, and all kinds of
electrical accessory parts, considerable business has been and wiU
continue to be done. This is one of the lines of business that requires
a very considerable amount of application engineering.
The signal situation is a good example of the inclination on the
part of some of the Australian State Railway Departments to manu¬
facture their own recpiirements. In some instances the signal branch
has a considerable manufacturing plant and manufactures not only
the well-established parts but the more ditlicult electrical parts as
well—this in some instances with apparent disregard of any existing
patent restrictions or objections to the adoption bodily of designs
that aie trade assets as a result of years of experience. The writer
has yet to find an American railway that has made a success of
this policy, although it has been tried in several instances and at
times seemed desirable on account of the apparently high prices
demanded by the manufacturers. It is not probable that the Aus¬
tralian railways will succeed any better, although they may in the
meanwhile accpiire a supply of poor (and in some cases possibly
unsafe) electrical railway-signal apparatus. These remarks re¬
garding patents also apply in connection with several other situa¬
tions, ])articulaily as regards patented locomotive and car devices.
As already stated, there seems to be a very substantial field for
the installation of selective telephone apparatus for the "central
control" of train movements, supplementing the signal equipment
or rather coordinating with the signal systems. The fact should be
^LWAY MATEBIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 157
^.ppreciated that this is not an introduction of the American method
cf train running, which is in bad repute with Australian railway
officials.
ROLLING STOCK.
With the statements made in the previous sections of this report,
it seems permissible to cover the rolling-stock situation in a general
way without going into the details of each division of equipment.
It is the general policy for the railway department of each State
to erect its own equipment in its own shops or to purchase in Aus¬
tralia or, in some cases, in the United States. It is probable that
no great amount of complete equipment will be purchased abroad.
South Australia and Western Australia will probably go to the other
Australian States for locomotives, and New Zealand and Tasmania
may go abroad. Purchases have been made in the past, are now
being made under the present modified conditions, and probably will
be made in the future, of much material and equipment in the form
of slabs for engine frames, boiler plates and flues, axles, tires, wheel
centers, air hose, injectors, lubricators, gauges, and similar parts,
notwithstanding the decided tendency to manufacture these parts as
well as to erect the rolling stock. The American raihvays have found
as a result of long experience that while they may l)e able to erect
their own rolling stock to advantage they seldom succeed in manufac¬
turing the specialties as well or as cheaply as the concerns that de¬
vote all their attention to such lines, with a specially trained staff.
There will probably be in Australia a growing realization of this
truth; therefore it seems warranted to conclude that a considerable
amount of this business will continue to go to the concerns prcxlucing
special lines unless inferior products are to be used. It seems prob¬
able that in the course of time improvements will be made in the adop¬
tion of automatic car couplers, particularly for the liandling of
coal to expedite its classification, and that air train signals will be
adopted.
In connection with any materials or equipment going to New
Zealand it may be noted that the North American hardwoods ex¬
perience the same short life in New Zealand as in the Tropics, and
therefore care should be exercised not to use such woods but, instead,
suitable woods that will resist the deteriorating influences of this
climate. These same remarks apjdy to agricultural implements,
which are often condemned on account of the failure to use woods
that will stand the New Zealand climate. It is also well, in furnish¬
ing locomotives, to consider the matter of very robust frames and
bearings, on account of the exctessive wear occasioned by the sharp
curves and steep grades on most of the lines. This applies especially
to New Zealand and Tasmania.
MACHINERY FOR SHOPS.
Among the imports from the United States during the last few
years, machinery constitutes the largest item, and in the writers
opinion this will continue to be the case, particularly if there is a
continuance of the present policy by which the railway departments
manufacture and erect their own rolling stock and similar require-
158 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
ments. It is believed that in this line competent application engi¬
neering will he necessary in Australia and New Zealand to develop
and hold the business for American products, though as a rule the
railway officials are inclined to admit the superiority of most of the
American machine tools.
OIL STORAGE AND HANDLING.
In general, very little modem apparatus for oil storage and
handling has been installed, and that which has been employed is
nearly all of special design, usually manufactured by the department,
and generally quite expensive. An American company now has a
representative in Australia and in time should build up a large line
of business with its excellent equipment, especially if it follows the
methods of application engineering that have characterized much of
its work in the United States.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
The line of business connected with power houses and substations
is well looked after by American concerns now in the field, which
have always obtained a considerable portion of the business either
directly or through British branches.
The same remarks apply to electrical car equipment.
As regards overhead-contact materials, substantially the same re¬
marks apply, although some of the American concerns manufactur¬
ing certain specialties might obtain additional business from Aus¬
tralian and New Zealand tramways.
Mention has already been made of the electrification of the Mel¬
bourne Suburban Railways and the Sydney metropolitan scheme and
also the probable electrification of the Perth suburban lines. For
this last-named project Mertz & McLellan are the consulting engi-
ri66rs.
FUEL AND LUBRICANTS.
For the present and for a long time to come all fuel for Austra¬
lian and New Zealand railways will be furnished locally or from
other Australian States.
At present a very large part of all the lubricants, and also a large
part of the mineral oils, used by the Australian and New Zealand
transportation systems are furnished by American concerns.
DISTRIBUTION OF CATALOGUES, HANDBOOKS, AND DIREC¬
TORIES.
There is one condition in Australia that seems to deserve special
attention—namely, the fact that the managers of the Australian
railways usually object to the sending of information directly to the
subordinate staff, preferring that this be sent to the heads of the
branches, who use their discretion regarding the distribution that
should be made. This no doubt results in desirable information
being withheld at times from the staff, but it is always better to con¬
form to the local conditions encountered when dealing with rail¬
ways in any part of the world. Another point is that catalogues,
handbooks, and similar publications, when going into Australia, pay
a duty based on their actual value, and this should be arranged for
before any general distribution is undertaken. As a rule the best
BAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 159
arrangement will be to send a sample of the publication to the Sec¬
retary for Railways, together with a statement of the number that
the concern is willing to furnish, as well as an estimate of the actual
value. There should also be an indication of the persons in the
Railway Department to whom the publication will be useful, and the
Secretary for Railways should be requested to state the number
wanted and how they should be forwarded. In some instances the
writer was informed that the Railway Department would be very
glad to pay the duty on publications if they are of the character of
some of the useful ones furnished in the past.
As a rule it was found that the Australian railway staffs make
very considerable use of good catalogues, handbooks, and instrm tion
books. An example was the constant use made of a certain Ameri¬
can firm's catalogues, of which a very well-jilanned distribution was
made several years ago when a representative of the company visited
Australia and New Zealand. In many instances evidences were
found that this catalogue had been used constantly, affording a con¬
clusive iUustration of the desirability of such advertising. There
was also noticed a decided tendency to refer to some of the American
trade handbooks. Among the American trade literature of which
there was apparently no distribution were the classified directories
of railway-supply manufacturers and their products. As the writer
had copies of these, he submitted them to some of the chief store¬
keepers with an inquiry as to whether they would be useful to them,
and in every case the reply was that they would doubtless be found
very useful; therefore a distribution of these publications to the
chief storekeepers of all the Government railways, as well as the
principal tramways, is especially recommended. In this connection
it was found that the Canadian trade commissioner at Melbourne
had made such a distribution of Canadian trade directories.
In view of the conditions outlined, it is urged that the subject of
catalogues, handbooks, and directories be taken up with the Secre¬
tary for Railways, as this will no doubt result in getting the infor¬
mation into the hands of the proper officials, will eliminate the send¬
ing of unnecessary copies, and will conform to the desire of the
management as regards the way in which advertisements should be
distributed to the staff.
The only Australian trade directory that the writer was able to
find which covered railway requirements was the one issue of the
Engineering Directory of Australia, published in 1913, of which
it was stated that there would be no further issues. Some of the
representatives of Australian business concerns expressed the opin¬
ion that such directories would be unprofitable in Australia, though
in some instances at least they have been decided financial successes
in the United States.
LISTS OF OFFICIALS.
The writer was unable to locate any published lists of railway
officials. The only approach to a complete list is the partial list of
all government departments of the Commonwealth and the several
Australian States that appears in the Australian \ ear Book, pub¬
lished by McCarron, Stewart & Co., of 22 Goulburn street, Sydney.
Tail's Electrical Directory of Australia and New Zealand has very
complete information on tramways and electric-lighting concerns.
160 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
In normal times it is published biennially and includes a fairly good
directory of the operating officials of the tramway and lighting com¬
panies. A new issue has recently appeared. It is published by
Peter G. Tait, of 90 William Street, Melbourne, with branches in
Sydney and Auckland.
The Municipal Hand Book of New Zealand is published annually
and can be obtained from the Government Printer at Wellington.
It gives a very good list of all the municipal officers of New Zealand,
including the members of the several harbor boards.
AA'alch's Almanac of Tasmania, published at Hobart, gives a fairly
good list of all government and municipal departments of Tasmania.
TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS.
Probably the most important publication for anyone just arriving
in Australia is " Tenders," published in conjunction with the Mining
and Engineering Review and the Commonwealth Engineer at a sub¬
scription price of $5 per annum. This appears every Wednesday.
Its size is quarto. It carries no trade advertisements. It is pub¬
lished only for the purpose of giving machinery supply houses in¬
formation on the demand for railway, mining, electrical, or indus¬
trial requirements by stating very briefly what is contemplated or
what has actually been decided on (when this latter information is
available). It also gives information concerning requests for tendecs
from the various government departments, stating when such tenders
are to be closed, and concerning government contracts that have been
made without public tenders. When government tenders are closed
it gives the rates on which the awards were made. Taken altogether,
this should be a very useful publication for a new man going to
Australia, and it is frequently referred to by the men who have been
in Australia for a considerable number of years.
The Commonwealth Engineer and the Mining and Engineering
Review (both published by the Tait Publishing Co., of 90 William
Street. Melbourne, with branch offices in Sydney and Auckland) are
the only real engineering papers published in Australia. The first
discusses such subjects as railways, tramways, public works, irriga¬
tion, harbor works, etc., while the second is clevoted to mining, smelt¬
ing, and subjects along that general line. Each of these papers
carries a good many advertisements.
The Australian Sugar Journal is published at Brisbane and has a
circulation of 5,000 copies monthly, reaching the sugar growers of
Queensland. This publication is very well gotten up, and it carries
rather extensive advertisements of all classes of sugar and tramway
equipment that is used in this territory.
Samples of all these publications have been included among the
exhii)its in connection with this report and are on file at room J34,
Customhouse, New York City.
The London Railway Gazette was found frequently in the offices
of the transportation officials, but very few copies of the Railway
Age-Gazette were seen. From a strictly engineering standpoint the
Engineering Review seemed to hold first place, with the Engineering
Record second. The Electric Railway Journal was apparently more
generally read by the tramway people than any other publication.
The Signal Engineer was found very generally in the hands of the
signalmen.
Appendix: LIST OF EXHIBITS.
In connection with the foregoing report, I'll exhibits were ob¬
tained, consisting of official reports, instructions, time-tables, con¬
tracts. legislative enactments, maps, diagrams, photographs, and simi¬
lar material. It is believed that they will be of very substantial
value in supplementing and illustrating the information contained
in the present monograph. The exhibits have been placed in the
sample room maintained by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce in connection with its New York district office (United
States Customhouse), and they may be examined there by all in-
tereste.. persons. Following is a list of the material:
CO:\ r M ON WE ALTH R AIL W A Y S.
1. Report, with appendices, on Coininonweolth Railways and prop:res*s of opera¬
tions to .Tune 30. 1916, by the engineer in chief and acting commissioner.
2. Instructions to resident engineers, district oflicers, and railway surveyors.
3. Conunonwealth Railways clearance diagram for 3' 6" gauge lines.
4. Outline diagram of OOOoo, class (i, locomotive pjr passenger service.
5. Outline diagram of OOOOo, class Iv. locomotive for goods service.
6. Map and views of Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta line and type of country
traversed.
7. Report on establishment of the Commonw ealtli Railways workshor)s at Port
Augusta or Quorn.
8. Report relating to the proposed city railways at Canberra, showing map of
the new capital city of Australia.
NEW SOUTH WALES ItATLWAYS.
1. Report of the Chief Commissioner for the year ended .Tune 30. 1916.
2. Rejport of the Chief Commissioner for tlie year endeil .June 30. I!il4.
3. Report of the Chief Commissioner for the year endial .iune 30. ihoT.
4. Classified list of employees of the New So\ith Wales Railways on Oecemher
31. 1914, including the wages of both the s.ilaried and wages staffs.
5. Clearance diagram for New South Wales Railways.
6. Details of 90-pound rail fastening used by the New South Wales Railways
on the Australian standard rail section.
7. Outline diagrams of Cass " NN " and " TI"'" locomotives and " TAM "
sleeping car.
8. Forms of tender for stores to the New South W ales Railways, including
electric-w ire sjieeilications.
9. Copy of New South Wales Railway ;ind Tramway Magaz.ine.
10. Cippy of present railway laws of New South Wiiles, including workmen's
comi»ensation act.
11. Samiile coiiies (three) of New South Wales labor awards to employees of
branches of the railway staff.
12. C.ipy of New South Wales Railways official time-table, including luggage
regulations.
13. Copy of railway section of New South Wales 191.") Year P.pok.
14. Report of royal commission of inriuiry into compltiints regarding the
working of the McMyler hoist at Newcastle.
lo. Copy of report on proitosed electric railways for the city of Sydne\, by
J. J. C. Bradfield, chief engineer of IMetropolitati Railways, of the New Soutli
Wales Railways.
16. Cofty of paper by J. J. C. Bradfield on the linking of Sydney with North
Sydney.
VICTORIAN RAILWAYS.
1. Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ended .Tune
30, 1916.
2. Reitort of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year endetl .Tune
30, 191 .Y
20186°—18 11 161
162 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
3. IL-port of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ended June
30. 1014.
4. Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ended June
30. 1006.
5. Report of the general manager of the Victorian State coal mines for the
year ended June 30. 1016 (mines operated under the direction of the Minister
of Railways).
6 Copx of the Victorian Railways stores contract from July 1, 1916, to June
30. 1018. Including list of contractors and prices.
7. forms of contracts for materials and supplies to be furnished to the Vic¬
torian Railways.
8. I'ictorian Railways: Regulations relating to the classification and rates of
pay of officers and employees, allowances, expenses, leave of absence, passes, etc,
9. Instructions, ways and works branch of the Victorian Railways.
10. riiite-layer's tools. I'ictorian Railways.
11. Photographs and diagrams of standard rolling stock, Victorian Railways.
12. Instructions for the guidance of employees In the service of the Victorian
Railways Commissioners In regard to the use of three-position signals.
13. Progress report of the royal commission on the marketing, transporta¬
tion. and .storage of grain In the State of Victoria; report dated May 28. 1913.
14. Pinal report of the royal commission on the marketing, transportation,
and storage of grain In the State of Victoria; report dated October 14, 1913.
1.3. Report on bulk handling of whe.-it In the State of Victoria, by John S.
Metcalf Co. (Ltd.) to the government of Victoria; report dated March 11, 1916.
16. Victorian Railways calendar, 1917.
QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS.
1. Report of the Commissioner for Railways for the year ended June .30, 1916.
2. Report of the Commissioner for Railways for the year ended June 30, 1914
3. Report of the C<immissioner for R.iilways for the year ended June 30. 1907,
4. Copy of Queensland consolidated railway act of 1914.
5. Classified list of employees in the service of the Queensland Railways on
.Tune .30. 1916. and the rates of pay.
6. ()neensland Railways: Regulation for the ordering, purchase, inspection,
custody, issue .disposal. :ind accounting of stores. Issuetl June. 1916.
7. Diagrams of typical rolling stock on the Queensland Railways.
8. Instructions for guidance of district officers, inspectors, and others In the
engineering branch of the Queensland Railways. Issued by the chief engineer.
9. (Rieensland Railways: Instructions to resident engineers and specifications
for construction of lines by day labor. Issued July, 1918.
](t. Notes on and tests of ()ueenslaml timbers used in railway works.
11. Official time-table and general Information of the Queensland Railways.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS.
1. Annual report of the South Australian Railway Commissioner for the year
ended June 3d, 1916.
2. .Vmmal rejiort of the South .Vnstralian Railway Commissioner for the year
ended .lune 30, 1914.
3. Annual report of the South Australian Railway Commissioner for the year
ended June 30, 1907.
1. List ef emuractors and prices for general supplies for railway and other
goveiiiment departments of South Australia for period from July 1, 1913, to
June .30. litl.l. '
.7. Estinialetl requirements, form of tender, conditions of contract, and sched¬
ule of supplies for railway and other government departments of South Aus¬
tralia for two years ended June 30, 1915.
6. Specifications for steel tires, steel axles for carriages and wagons, cast-
steel wheel centers, straight steel a.xle fm'glngs, volute springs, copper fire-box
plates, (Upper boiler tubes, and copper steam pipes as required by the South
Australian Rallnays.
7. Outline diagrams of South .Vustrallan Railways rolling stock.
8. Rlue prints of permanent-way standard rail, angle bars, girder bridges,
fencing, gates, and road crossings.
9. Copy of law for the building of community-guaranteed railways in South
Australia.
RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 163
10. Report ou the hulk handling of wheat in South Australia by Metcaif
Co. (Ltd.), made in 1915. and copy of speech by the Hon. H. Jackson in the
House of Assembly on August 23. 1916.
11. Copy of South Australian harbor and wharf laws.
12. Ciopy of Parliamentary act authorizing the construction of the Broken
Hill Pty. Co. (Ltd.) tramway from Iron Knob to Spencers Bay, South Aus¬
tralia.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RAILAVAYS.
1. Rei)ort on the working of the Western Australian Government Railways
and Tramways for the year ended June 30, 1916.
2. Report on the working of the Western Australian Government Railways
and Tramways for the year ended June 30, 1915.
3. Report on the working of the Western Australian Government Railways
for the year ended June 30, 1907.
4-5. Contract rates for government stores for two years from July 1. 1913,
to June 30, 1915, made by the Western Australian Government Tender Board.
G. White print diagrams of all types of Western Australian Hallway loco¬
motives.
7. White print diagrams of all types of Western Australian Railway pas¬
senger carriages and goods wagons.
8. Copy of specifications, conditions of contract, and form of tender for
furnisldng 60-pound rails to the Western Australian Department of Public
Work.s.
9. Copy of specifications, conditions of contract, and form of tender for
furnlslilng 4.5-pound rails to the Western Australian Department of Public
Works.
10. White print of round-body, square-bearing dog spike used on the Western
Australian Tramways.
11. Photographs of class M, Garratl type of engines used on the Western
.Australian Rallwavs.
TASMANIAN RAILWAYS.
1. Report on the working of the Tasmanian Government Railways for the
year ended June 30. 1915.
2. Report on the working of the Tasmanian Government Railways for the
year ended June 30. 1907.
3. Cdpy of Walch's Tasmanian Almanac for the year 1916.
4. Blue prints of outline diagrams of Garratt locomotives used on the Tas¬
manian Railways.
5. Twelve post cards, sljowing scenes on the Mount Lyell Railway, Tasmania.
NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.
1. Annual statement of the workings of the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways for the year ended March 31, 1916.
2. Annual statement of the workings of the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways for the year ended March 31, 1905.
3. Copy of special betterment report for the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways. made by E. H. Hiley. general manager, dated .August 1. 1914.
4. Blue iirlnts of diagrams of types of locomotives on the New Zealand Gov-
emment Railways.
5. Blue prints of diagrams of types of passenger carriages and goods wagons
on the New Zealand Government Railways.
6. Book of permanent-way standards of the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways.
7. Form of tender and list of stores to be covered by the three-year contracts
for supply of stores to the New Zealand Government Railways.
8. Accepted tenders and rates of pay for supply and delivery of stores at
Auckland or New Market and IN'elllngton or Petone for the New Zealand Gov¬
ernment Railways, from April 1, 1914, to March 31, 1917.
9. Accepted tenders and rates of !>;'>" for supply and delivery of stores at
Dunedln or Hillside and Invercarglll for the New Zealand Government Rail¬
ways from Ajirll 1, 1914, to March 31, 1917.
10. Accept^ tenders and rates of pay for the supply and delivery of stores
at Greymouth, Westport. and Nelson for the New Zealand Government Railways
from April 1, 1914, to March 31. 1917,
164 RAILWAY MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
11. Blue prints of details of car coupler used on the New Zealand Governawst
12. Copy of New Zealand harbor laws, including a list of ports where harlHI
boards are created by these laws.
13. ("i)i>y of proceedings and evidence between the New Zlealand Governmeal
Kailway Department and the Foxton Harbor Board.
14. Official time-table of the New Zealand Government Railways for till
month of November, 1916.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS.
1. Kejjort and statement of accounts of the I'rahran & Malvern (Melbotinib
Victoria) Tramway Trust for the year ended September 30. 1916.
2. Report and statement of accounts of the Municipal Tramways Trust of
Adelaide. South Austr.ilia. from August 1. 1914. to .July 31, 1916.
3. Constitution and rules of the Adelaide Electric Tramway Club.
4. Fifteenth half-yearly report, balance sheet, and financial statement of tbtl
Adelaide Electric Tramway Club.
5. Report and statement of accounts of the Freemantle (Western Australia)
Municipal Tr.iniwav and Electric Lighting Board for the year ended Augu.st 31,
1916.
6. Annual report and statement of the Wellington (New Zealand) City Cor¬
poration Tramway and Lighting Departments for the year ended March 31,
1916.
7. Report and statement of the Christchurch (New Zealand) Tramway Board
for the year ended March 31, 1916.
MISCELLANEOUS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
1. Ofticial Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia for the year 191.5.
2. ^Monthly summary of Australian st;ijistli s, bulletin No. .77, dated Septem*
ber, 1916.
3. The Year Book of Australia, thirty-fifth year, published by McCarron,,
.Stewart & Co.. of Sydney, New South Wales.
4. Othcial Year Book of New Zealand for the year 1915.
5. Copy of the patent laws of the Conimonwealth of Australia.
6. Copy of the conciliation and arbitration acts of the Commonwealth of
Austi'alia.
7. Copy of the Industrial Court judgment In the sugar industry, known as
the Dickson award.
S. Repoi-t on some of the effects of labor legislati<ui and suggestions for
attaining gre.ater industrial efficiency (In Victoria).
9. Report of the Interstate Commission of Australia on tariff on iron and
steel.
10. Report of the Interstate Commission of Australia on tariff on timber.
11. Official list, quotations, and sales on the Melbourne (Victoria) stock ex¬
change, September 8, 1916.
12. Copy of Engineering Directory of Australia, giving a list and addresses
of machinei-y merchants and contracting engineering concerns in Australia.
(This directory is now out of i)rint.)
13. 14, 15. Copies of the Commonwealth Engineer of May, 191.5, and June
and December, 1916.
16, 17. Copies of Mining and Engineering Review for July and December,
1916.
18, 19. Copies of Tenders, issued weekly from the office of the Commonwealth
Engineer and the Mining and Engineering Review, Melbourne, Victoria.
20. Copy of Railway Gazette (London) of June 30, 1916.
21. 22, 23. 24, 25, 26. 27. Copies of the .Vustralian Sugar Journal betwt>en
Decemi)er, 1910, and February, 1917, containing special features on the sugar
industry in (Queensland.
Note.—In connection with this monograph there was submitted a list of
Importers and indent agents in Australia and New Zealand, also of manuf^
turers producing railway materials, wpilpment, or supplies. There is bria
comment on each concern. These names may be obtained from the Burea*
of Foieign and Domestic Commerce or its district or cooperative offices by
referring to tile No. 1223.