OPENING OF THE Auckland and Mercer Railway FOR TRAFFIC.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1639, 20 May 1875, Page 2

OPENING OF THE Auckland and Mercer Railway FOR TRAFFIC.

The railway from Auckland to the Waikato river, at Mercer, was opened for public traffic to-day. A train went up yesterday evening to commence running from the Mercer end, leaving there at 715 a.m., and a train left Auckland at the same hour. The afternoon trains from both ends leave at 44 o'clock this afternoon, calling at all stations, and arriving in Mercer arid Auckland respectively about 6.20 p.m. This time will be maintained till further notice. The up and down trains cross each other at Drury. The scale of fares wa3 received from Wellington yesterday, and are as follows : —■

From Auckland. —Otahuhu : First-class, single, 2s 3d ; return, 3a 6d. Second-class, Is 6d ; return, 2s 3d.—Papatoitoi : Firstclass, single. 38 j return, 4s 6d. Second-class, 23 ; return, 3a.— Manurewa : First class, single, 4s ; return, 6a. Second-class, 2s 9d ; return, 4s. — Papakura : First-class, single, ss; return, 7s 6d. Second-class, 3s 6d; return, ss.—Hunua : First-class, 5s 6d ; return, 8s 3d. Second-class, 3a 9d; return, 5 S qSl. —Drury : First-class, 5s 9d ; return, 8s 9d. Second-class, 4s ; return, 6s. — Pukekohe : First-class, 7s 9d ; return^ lls 9d. Second-class, 5s 6d ; return, Bs.—Buokland : First-class, 8s 6d; return, 12s 9d. Secondclass, 5s 9d ; return, 8s 9 J —Tuakau : Firstclass, 9s ; return, 133 6d. Second-class, 6s 3d ; return, 9s 3d.—Pokeno : First-class, 10s 3d ; return, 15s 6d. Second-class, 7s; return, 10s 6d.—Mercer : First-class, lls ; return, 16s 6d. Second-class, 7s 6d ; return, lls 3d. —As Mr Passmore feels aggrieved at some of our gentle strictures oti his management, and consequently refuses to advertise in the Star, we very magnanimously give the foregoing information the benefit of our wide circulation gratis on the present occasion. THE EXPECTATION OF YEARS.

Thus the work which was planned eleven years ago, and the fir^t section commenced by the provincial authorities under the name of "The Auckland and Drury railway," of unhappy memory, is now an accomplished fact, and this description will be read by the settler foity miles away before, in the difficult process of distributing thousands of papers over the city, it would have reached some of the suburbs of Auckland. It is notable, too, that Mr. James Stewart, C. E"., Resident Government Engineer, who designed the Tailway years ago and pushed the surveys through then almost unexplored ground, guided in some sections of bush and swamp by the compass alone, has, after a lapse of' so loDg a time, seen the line carried out under his own supervision and direction. It is also worthy of being recorded that the total amount of compensation paid for land required for the line right through to Mercer will not exceed £3000, which contrasts very favourably with the little Onehunga job. The work has been vigorously pushed forward by the contractors, Messrs Brogden and Sons, and will form a model for other contractors. Every cutting, every culvert and bridge, testifies to the practical knowledge brought to bear on the formation of the line. Not an inch of the track bub is solid and sub stantial, and capable, to all appearance, of bearing a considerable traffic for many years without repairs ; and yet it is evident that the interests of the contractors, have been looked after keenly by Mr Henderson, C. E , the representative of the firm in New Zealand, and Mr Davies, their manager in Auckland, far in no place can there be detected anything unnecessary, or, in fact, any portion of the work which has not been completed in the most economical way, consistent with durability and sound workmanship. This is especially noticeable in the bridges, which are pictures of strength and neatness ; ample for all the requirements of the one line contracted for but not an inch more. The contract was entered into on the 10th of August, 1872 ; the total amount appropriated for the work to 31st December, 1874, was £344,000, which is considerably in excess of the first estimate ; the time fixed by contract 'for completing the line was the Ist September next. The length of the line is 38 miles from Penrose Junction, or 44 miles from Auckland. In compliance with the request of a deputation about a year ago, Mr Vogel offered £500 a month bonus for every month saved in the completion of the railway for traffic, and the contractors will thus receive £1500 from this source. Although the line is completed for traffic, and handed over to the Government, there still remains a good deal to be done by Messrs Brogden and Sons, in widening out the track at various places, besides other finishing work now in progress, and the erection of a station at Mercer, which is at present without anything of the kind. But the main object kept in view has been to make the railway available for traffic at tbe earliest possible period, and we are Bure that the public will warmly approve of the despatch that has been used.

A TRIP ALONG THE LINE. During the progress of the work many settlers between Auckland andDrury, and beyond, have been indebted to the contractors for permission to ride on the trains conveying timber, etc., along the line, and some of the inconvenience . caused by the singular unwillingness of the Government to open it in sections has thus been obviated. Since the line has been finished two trains with visitors have run, and Mr Carruthers, En-gineer-in-Chief for the colony, has made a very careful examination of the work, and has expressed satisfaction with the way it has been completed. We shall not be accused of a desire to flatter the Governmentl or Mr Vogel, to whom we are indebted for the presence of Mr Carruthers in the colony, when we state that the Engineer-in-Chief has proved himself to be not only deeply versed in his profession, but a gentleman of great energy and practical experience. And it is extremely fortunate for the colony that we have such a man at the head of the railway department. Yesterday, a number of ladies and gentleman by invitation from Messrs Brogden and Sons, travelled in a special train to the Waikato terminus, and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It is hardly necessary to say they were treated with the greatest hospitality, and Mr Henderson, Mr Davies, Mr Williams, or whoever had made the arrangements for the excursion, gave practical proof that he understood what constituted the requirements of a traveller journeying "to a far countrie." A telegram from Mercer in last night's Star, gave particulars of yesterday's trip, but no doubt a few additional notes regarding the line itself will be read with interest in connection with the opening to-day. SPEED ATTAINABLE.

The locomotive used yesterday was one of Fairlie's patent engines, which have been used with such success, especially on steep gradients, in Great Britain. The engine is of considerably greater power than those ordinarily employed on the Onehunga line, and worked most satisfactorily yesterday, running the whole distance, including the necessary stoppages for water, at the rate of twenty-two miles an hour. Otahuhu was reached in 22 minutes. Beyond Otahuhu, three miles were accomplished in six and a-half minutes; four miles, eight and a-half minutes; nine miles in 19 minutes; ten miles in 22 minutes; thus running tor that distance at a speed of about thirty miles an hour. This on a new line, narrow guage, and with an engine which has only been worked once or twioe since it was put together, mußt be considered very faat time.