Pastures Past: Traction engines vs railways debate in 1891

Even to this day traction engines have their uses due to their strength. Photograph by Bevan Conley.

Kem Ormond takes a look at how traction engines were perceived in 1891.

Today, it is hard to think about traction engines competing with the railway but it was a hot topic in 1891.

While they had made their presence in the South Island, it was in Hawke’s Bay that the subject of using traction engines was heating up.

The biggest discussions were; how the roads would stand up to the weight of the machines and how the bridges were going to cope.

While the traction engine vs railway debate may seem like a foreign concept to us today, concern over the state of our roads is still a topic of conversation.

Traction engines and road maintenance

[By Telegraph]

[From our special correspondent]

Press, June 10, 1891

The Railway Commissioners have often been threatened with the competition of traction road engines, which are much used in Canterbury and Otago, but they disregarded this, being aware that these engines if much used must damage the roads so greatly as to involve a heavy rate being levied on them.

This was disputed, it being contended that so far from damaging the roads, the pressure of the traction engines tend to consolidate, and so to improve the thoroughfares.

A Press article on traction engines and road maintenance from June 10, 1891. Image / Pastures Past / Press

However, the Commissioners have just received information of a discussion on the subject which recently took place at a meeting of the Institute of Civil Engineers, when Mr H. McLaren (brother of McLaren, whose engines are working in Canterbury and Otago), described the operations in regard to wool carrying in New Zealand with these engines.

Some speakers spoke in the strongest terms of damage done to the roads by traction engines, and of the excessive additional cost of maintenance involved in their use being permitted.

Mr J. McLaren virtually admitted this, and that owners or users of traction engines ought to pay a substantial fee for permission to run them owing to the injury they caused to the roads.

These expressions of experts concerned in the manufacture and working of traction engines must be of great interest to local bodies, upon whom rests the burden of maintaining the roads.

Traction engines v. railways

Daily Telegraph, Napier, June 15, 1891

At the meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council last month a letter sent by Captain Russell, M.H.R., in reference to the advisableness of encouraging the use of traction engines in this district was discussed, but nothing was done in reference to the matter.

This morning Mr Shrimpton alluded to the question, and said that in the South Island wool was being carried over long distances, and the traction engines actually competed with the railways.

In one case ninety bales of wool were carried forty-five miles by traction engine, and reached port in one day.

He thought that the time would come when traction engines would be generally used in this province.

Consequently it would be advisable that in the future all bridges erected on main roads should be made stronger in view of the traction engines going over them.

The 2006 Burrell Traction Engine Rally in Rangiora. Photo / Christopher Cape

When that time arrived, the other bridges could be materially strengthened.

There was a by-law in existence, he knew, regulating the weights that had to go over the bridges at present, and he contended that that by-law prevented the employment of traction engines here, and was opposed to the best interests of the province.

The Chairman said that most of the bridges could carry traction engines at present, so the Overseer said, but they could not guarantee that.

In order that the matter might be properly discussed, it would be necessary to give notice of an alteration in the existing by-laws.

With reference to the strengthening of the present bridges, that would involve a very large expenditure - more than the Council could afford, and more than results would justify.

Mr Tanner did not think traction engines should be encouraged should be encouraged to run in opposition to the railway.

They were taxed to keep the railways going, and the public should support them.

Mr Shrimpton smilingly said that Mr Tanner’s argument is a very weak one.

They should support traction engines if they could take produce to port cheaper than the railways, and the difference would go to pay the tax for the railways.

After some desultory conversation, the matter dropped.

- Source: Papers Past