CO129-351 - Public Offices - 1908

Classification.

Taken over in April.

Now in existence.

Increase

or

Decrease -

Freight cars-

Narrow--

Unroofed bogie, with brake

491

500

Roofed cars

1,535

1,405

Unroofed..

1,774

1,754

11+

6

180 20

Broad-

Unroofed..

184

+ 184

Without flaps

21

+ 21

Total (main line)

4,190

4,370

+ 180

Mukden-Antung Line.

Locomotives--

6-wheeled tank, large size

43

,2

small size

Total

Passenger cars—

2-ton cars

5-ton

55 82 27 55 82 :: 9 21 30 + 9 + 21 +

Total

Freight cars-

2-ton roofed

29

+ 29

2-ton unroofed 5-ton

421

383

38

230

209

21

Total (Mukden-Antung)

733

733

Grand total

4,923

5,105

+180

9 263

In September, when Chanchun became the north terminal station, a further reduction was made to twenty-seven hours thirty minutes.

The average speed is now consequently 15.792 miles per hour.

The journey from Dairen to Port Arthur, which originally took three hours fifteen minutes, is now accomplished in two hours twenty-five minutes.

Movements of Locomotives.

The mileage covered by locomotives on the main line during the period under review was 1,363,462, which works out for the 183 days at an average of 7,450 per diem.

Accidents on the Line.

The following is a Casualty Return for the period under review :--

Collisions.. 35 Trains stopped on route Trains upset 5 Axles catching fire.. Trains derailed 20 Cases of locomotives getting out of order 73 Attacks by Hunghutzu Various Cars or carriages ditto 93 Cases of accident (act of God) 12 Ditto (malicious, or of human agency) 7 Total 92 102 9 99 556

During the same period nineteen persons met their death and fifty-five were injured along the line.

Electric Plant.

The amount of electric power generated during the period under review amounted to 297,965 kilowatts per hour, used as follows :--

Lighting purposes 277,607 kilowatts per hour. Electric power 20,358 " Number of electric lights 6,486 (16-candle). Fuel consumed in producing electric power 2,188 tons.

Wharves, &c.

There were sold to the Chinese Government on the occasion of the transfer of the Hsinmingtun line, three locomotives, one 2nd class passenger car, four 3rd class passenger cars, and fifty freight cars.

Repaired-

Locomotives and Cars repaired or altered.

Narrow gauge- Locomotives 86 Passenger cars 146 Freight cars 1,484 Total 1,716 Mukden-Autung- Locomotives 11 Passenger cars 57 Freight cars 503 Total 571 Altered--- Total On main line Mukden-Antung line 41 1 45

When business was commenced by the Company at Dairen, the Regulations hitherto in force at the Dairen Wharf were for the time being maintained. Various tugs and lighters were borrowed from the military and naval authorities and used for the benefit of shipping generally. In August the Company, having received the necessary requisites from the Military Transportation Bureau, started supplying the shipping with fresh water, and on the 15th September new Regulations concerning the wharf, shipping, and the handling of cargo were drawn up.

(Note. By these Regulations, which came into force in October, the Company took into its own hands the entire handling of cargo, a proceeding which caused considerable discontent at the time.)

The following Table shows the amount of cargo handled during the period under review:-

Month. Cargo loaded. Cargo discharged. April Tons. Tons. May 25,629 17,864 June 80,032 25,033 July 82,288 44,014 August 19,321 22,970 September 5,695 49,059 Total 4,303 44,328 117,288 203,268

Rate of Speed.

The distance between Dairen and Menchiatun (431 miles) took under the old system thirty-eight hours thirty-two minutes to cover, the average speed being 11.215 miles per hour; but in July a change was made, and the journey was shortened to twenty-nine hours fifty minutes, the average speed being 14.504 miles per hour.

Total of cargo loaded and discharged, 320,556 tons.

Note. In addition to the above, there was loaded for the Company's own use merchandise to the amount of 131,819 tons.