D—2

The first storage installations were made at Paekakariki and Taihape, and with the conversion proceeding to plan the complete installations will be as follows : Gallons. Paekakariki .. .. .. .. 22,000 Palmerston North .. .. .. .. 66,000 Napier .. .. .. .. .. 15,000 New Plymouth .. .. .. .. 11,000 Taihape .. .. .. .. .. 33,000 Taumarunui .. .. .. .. .. 66,000 Frankton Junction .. .. .. .. 66,000 Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 66,000

COAL POSITION The following table shows the consumption and stocks of locomotive coal during the past nine years :

An indication has already been given of the difficulties experienced in maintaining passenger services during the year as a result of the coal shortage. Goods traffic has also been affected, and while successful efforts have been made to cater for all essential traffic, and the assistance of road transport called in, the Department has been seriously hampered in the supply of rolling-stock where needed by the inability to run special trains to deal with empties. Coal consumption for the year totalled 593,831 tons —233,651 tons hard and 360,180 tons soft. Of the hard coal, 35,345 tons were imported from Canada and the United States, so that the local supply totalled 558,486 tons, as against last year's total of 610,086 tons.

The following table shows for the same years the consumption of coal from the point of view of efficiency and economy :

These figures once again demonstrate the effect on fuel efficiency of the proportion of soft coal used.

10

Coal Consumption. Year ended 31st March, Coal Stocks. Hard. Soft. Total. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 1939 284,295 200,128 484,423 93,046 1940 301,512 190,944 492,456 53,570 1941 298,465 230,087 528,552 76,109 1942 307,948 229,784 537,732 73,332 1943 333,773 278,068 611,841 65,087 1944 284,688 349,319 634,007 20,817 1945 205,577 371,349 576,926 20,954 1946 209,943 400,143 610,086 11,841 1947 233,651 360,180 593,831 7,166

Year ended 31st March, Steam-engine Miles (000's). Pounds per Engine-mile. Steam Gross Ton-miles (000's). Pounds per 1,000 Gross Ton-miles. Percentage of Soft Coal used. 1939.. 16,978 64 2,767,240 392 41 1940.. 17,069 65 2,828,326 390 39 1941 17,072 69 2,991,761 396 44 1942.. 17,368 69 3,078,801 391 43 1943.. 18,840 73 3,467,082 395 45 1944.. 18,955 75 3,562,997 399 55 1945.. .. 16,087 80 3,117,337 415 64 1946.. 16,804 81 3,281,499 416 66 1947.. 16,403 81 3,243,256 410 61