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85. A number of accessories such as trolley stretchers, metal table wheeled stretchers, sterilising drums, splints, wooden and aluminium false legs and arms, and surgical instruments were made for the Medical Department.
V.—CIVIL ENGINEERING
86. Way and Works have been maintained in good order and repair during the year.
87. The principal work undertaken was the construction of 19 private sidings, aggregating 30,035 lineal feet in the clear, for and at the cost of various transportation concerns.
88. Considerable improvements to Kowloon Station and yard were made to facilitate goods and passenger working. Platforms 4 and 5 were extended from 600 to 900 feet to enable them to accommodate trains of 13 coaches. The goods platform was lengthened from 150 to 390 feet and provided with a motor car loading ramp. A goods office was built, and the north side of the station was remodelled to expedite traffic movement. The foreshore adjoining the praya was dredged by the Port Works Office to a depth of 8 feet below L.W.O.S.T., to allow large junks to get alongside the sea wall.
89. Double-wire signalling was installed at Fanling Station by the end of December to replace the single-wire system worked by pointsmen at the loop points.
90. Numerous alterations to sidings were made at the request of the Traffic Department.
91. The Painting Gang was fully employed throughout the year.
92. A new block of quarters consisting of 12 rooms and a club house was erected at Hung Hom locomotive yard to replace the fifty years old drivers' and fitters' quarters at Chatham Road which were beyond economic repair.
93. Detached kitchens were provided to Ganghuts 5, 6 and 7 and to the Traffic quarters at Fanling Station. This was the second part of a three years programme for the improvement of subordinate staff quarters.
94. A new office was built at Kowloon Station and rented out to the China Travel Service.
VI. STORES
95. Stores were well kept and maintained during the year.
96. There was an increase in the amount of stores purchased under local contract due to the large amount of work performed for Chinese National Railways.
97. The expenditure on coal was more than three times last year's figure, due principally to purchases made on behalf of adjoining railways, whilst the rise in price of 76.53% was another primary factor.
98. The prices of other stores varied little throughout the year and remained substantially the same as in 1937.
99. The position of Railway Stores was as follows:-
Balance of Unallocated Stores at 31.12.37 $118,507.99 Stores purchased in 1938:- Coal $561,070.98 Sleepers $22,732.32