77. There were three broken axles during the year. The first occurred on January 16th when the driving axle of the "Canton Belle" fractured at Mile 10 whilst the railcar was travelling at speed. Due to the low centre of gravity of the car, very little harm was done. The second was an axle of a third-class coach attached to the evening express which snapped on May 14th while the train was travelling up the long 1 in 150 grade just north of Pu Kut Station. There was no derailment, and only slight damage to track. The third took place at Shatin Station on August 15th when an axle of the brakevan of a local passenger train broke when passing over the south points. The guard travelling in the van was unaware of the accident until his train had come to rest at the station. Thorough investigations into the occurrences disclosed that the first accident was caused by a convex fatigue fracture induced by faulty axle design; the second by a fatigue fracture originating from a tool mark; and the third by embrittlement through welding. Corrective treatment was applied to all axles rendered suspect by these investigations.
78. Water shortage became acute in August and the restrictive measures imposed by the authorities resulted in the Railway service tanks being unable to carry sufficient supplies. To obviate this difficulty, it was necessary to instal an electric motor and pump at the Hung Hom well, and to make the fullest possible use of the Taipo supply. While these measures were successful in maintaining a full train service, the cost of operation was increased.
79. A rail-bus was constructed in the workshops, at a cost of $8,120.23, from two 3-ton Bedford lorry chassis which were welded end to end. The body was designed to carry 45 third-class passengers with their agricultural produce, and was fitted with wide central doors and corridors. The bus was put into service on May 1st and proved extremely satisfactory, maintaining a shuttle service between Fanling and Taipo Market without trouble. Its petrol consumption was 8.6 miles per gallon and its running expenses 13.2 cents per mile. It is believed to be the first railcar in China running on pneumatic tyres. These tyres are supplemented with cast steel discs. Its maximum speed is 37 miles per hour, and it has remarkable powers of acceleration and deceleration.
80. Four carriages were rebuilt during the year, two of them on account of damage sustained in the collision at Mile 82. Ten carriages were fitted with the new pattern sliding doors, and 20 were overhauled and painted. The remaining brakevans were provided with clerestory windows.
81. Thirty-six wagons were overhauled and painted, and three, severely damaged by bombing, were rebuilt. One of the latter was impaired to such an extent that it was necessary to convert it from an open goods to a bogie flat. Two 15-ton open goods wagons were rebuilt as brakevans.
82. This Section took delivery of twenty Mikado type locomotives which arrived at Hong Kong in April for the Chinese Ministry of Communications. Ten of these locomotives were supplied by the American Locomotive Company, and ten by the Baldwin Company. They were partly assembled at the works, steam trials were carried out to the satisfaction of representatives of the suppliers and the Ministry, and they were finally handed over in July.
83. Twenty new 40-ton covered goods wagons were purchased from the Ministry of Communications for $184,077.83 and erected and put into service in September.
84. The motor repair shop was kept fully employed during the year. In addition to normal repair work, major overhauls of eighteen lorries, two ambulances and two fire engines were carried out. Two new prisoner vans were built for the Police Department, and two new tipping lorries with cabs and bodies were constructed for the Urban Council. An improved type of ambulance body for fitting to commercial lorries was designed and built for the Medical Department, and is likely to be widely adopted as a standard emergency ambulance.