D.—2

XIII

Interlocking with tablet system has been installed at the following : Wilson's Collieries (Limited), private siding at Waro ; Public Works Department's private siding near Claudelands; Piako, Tatuanui, Waihou, Hcrricsville, Tirohia, Komata North, Wharepoa Road, Omahu, Matatoki, Parawai, Waharoa, Okoroire, Taumangi, Tarukenga, and Koutu Stations ; Koutu ballast-pit siding; service siding at 211 miles 73 chains, near Erua. The following switch-out tablet stations have been equipped with special locking arrangements for points and signals : Awatoto, Pigeon Bush, Mangaroa, Waingawa, Mangamahoe, and Mangamaire. Total stations now interlocked, 100 ; tramway-crossings, 7 ; sidings and flag stations interlocked with the tablet, 185 ; stations where Wood's locks are installed, 301. The electric pneumatic system of signalling and interlocking has worked satisfactorily during the year. The installation of electrical and mechanical detection on the North, and South Island Main Trunk lines has now been completed, and the equipment of other stations is now in hand. The automatic power signalling from Lambton to Lower Hutt has been completed and brought into operation. It is now working satisfactorily. The single-line section, Lower Hutt to Upper Hutt is well in hand. Block Working and Electric Tablet. No new work has been carried out during the year. The total mileage equipped is 1,657 miles of single line, out of a total of 2,988 miles open for traffic. Mangamahoe and Mangamaire were converted to switch-out tablet stations. The tablet instruments at Kaitoke were shifted from the station to signal-cabin. A bank engine key has been installed to work between Taihape and 263 miles 34 chains. The number of tablet instruments now in use is 900, at 376 stations. The total number of automatic tablet exchangers in use, is 346. Lock ami Block. The electric lock-and-block system has worked satisfactorily during the year. Track-circuiting has been installed at Christchurch and Dunedin to work in conjunction with the lock-and-block system. The lock-and-block installation between Wellington and Lower Hutt was removed when the automatic signalling was brought into operation. The total mileage now equipped is 35 miles of double line. • The number of lock-and-block instruments now in use is 68, at 30 stations. 'Telegraph and Telephone Facilities. Seventeen miles of poles and 53 miles of wire have been erected during the year. Thirty-four new connections to railway telephone circuit have been provided. Sixteen connections with the public telephone exchanges have been given up ; 1 9 new connections and 4 extensions to existing connections have been made. Nineteen electric bells and pushes have been installed. The railway telegraph-wire between Waipukurau and Napier has been changed from continuous to intermittent working. A. now Morse wire is being erected between Christchurch and Dunedin, and will be working in a few weeks. An additional telephone-wire between Christchurch and Lyttelton has been, provided. The reconstruction of the telegraph-line between Waipara and Parnassus is in hand, and is being converted to metallic circuit. The cabling of all railway-wires between Dunedin and Anderson Bay Road is in hand. Railway wires at eleven high-tension-power lino crossings have been placed underground. Totals now in use : Morse sets, 285 ; telephones, 1,711 ; electric bells, 320 ; miles of wire, 7,286 ; miles of poles, 2,635. Electric Light and Power. \ Electric-light installations have been made as follows : Helensville, wharf ; Mount Rex, wharf ; Hawera, low-voltage lighting in signals ; Feilding, station and yard, also low-voltage lighting in signals ; Hastings, goods-shed and yard ; Wellington, third floor of Railway Head Offices ; Christchurch, D goods-shed ; Addington, station and yard, also timber-stacks ; Sockburn, station and yard ; Ashburton, refreshment-rooms ; Timaru, Locomotive Foreman's house ; Oamaru, Assistant Locomotive Foreman's house ; Palmerston South, a Delco lighting set installed for station-yard and signals. Additions and alterations have been made as follows : Auckland, light installed in additions to goods-shed and No. 6 platform ; Rotorua, five lights added; To Kuiti, three lights added ; Ohakune, two lights added ; Taihape, eleven office, two yard, and two signal lights added ; Patea, one light added ; New Plymouth, three lights added ; Hawera, one light added ; East Town, three lights added in workshops ; Feilding, two lights added ; Khandallah, one light added ; Thorndon, eight lights added ; Lambton, one light added ; Christchurch, twelve office, eight yard, and four platform lights added ; Linwood, one light added ; Palmerston, three lights added ; Mosgiel, two yard lights and one light for turntable added. Nine electric motors have been installed in the, Railway Head Offices, Wellington, to work the tabulating-machines. The installation of electrical equipment in the house-factory at Frankton Junction is in hand. An electric heating apparatus was installed in the ambulance-room, Addington Workshops. The following work has been done in connection with the electrification of machinery in locomotive workshops : Newmarket, two 2-horse-power motors in tarpaulin-shop ; Frankton Junction, two 7|-horse-power D.C. motors have been installed to replace two A.C. motors ; Addington, a 1-horse-power motor for operating fan in coppersmith's shop has been installed, also a 10-horse-power motor to drive the centrifugal pump in the fitting-shop.