NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 167, 14 July 1908, Page 3

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Making a special visit along, the works of the North Auckland railway line, through this district, to see what progress was being made, our- Albertland correspondent found about 60 men working upon the Way by- Wei lsf ord section. This number of men are employed principally in removing landslips and making up collapsed embankments. For about one mile the country is very trying; acres of land appear to be slipping down upon the line completed last summer. By a system of tunnelling and draining, the engineers in charge hope to overcome this difficulty before long. The Wellsford passenger" station, postoffice, and telegraph room, are nearly finished, and look quite business-like. The goods shed and engine-house are also in progress of construction. North of Wellsford about 200 men are on the works, tho earthwork on tho Tehana section being well advanced; right up to the Maiiiene river on tho next section work is in hand. A start has also been made in clearing up to tho Mainone Topuni Tunnel, and from thence work will soon be put in hand upon the Kaiwaka side of the Topuni river. In consequence of all this work being pushed on during the winter months, considerable discomfort is felt, and, of course, progress cannot be so rapid. The clay roads around these parts are literally churned into channels of deep, soft mud, axle deep in many places. The engineers are confident that works on the Wellsford-Tehana section will hold, and not give the trouble now experienced on the Wayby-Wellsford section. Settlers anxious to get fat sheep to the Auckland market hardly dare to drive them through the bad roads to the railway head. Cattle and horses manage to struggle through, but sheep refuse the passage as dangerous.