EAST COAST MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9052, 4 December 1925, Page 5

EAST COAST MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

VVAIROA tuapiro section

, Prnaress of Sir W. G. Arm strop g, Whitwo-tn snd Inanv's Contract. Formation Work and Bridge 10 R.dldinq W;ll Advanced Laying of Rails 0 Commenced Ballasting to Follow Immediately.

l„- £ SHOULD BE READ/ ■ n i I )MJ|*< >J 1 Dill deI'!' 1 :;,,;,!:m... -w«- mom-. it 7’" w contract ummrtakmg °'V, (j Arms' 1 rone, Whit--7.7 ~*7dm. Lid., for the con,f<j!* “ t ~(• jj,,. section of f lic East ; la : n Ti link Railway from Kivcr to Tuapiro. Tins JK |)lf(u of a hit If more ihau ■,Jt7n7ni« and whoa pomplm’T ~jj| .rive * l con I nun .ns sii etcli "T J.ic- humlrod mil.-. from . ih : l(> Ilh- con. fac, (IIC of considerable magnitude. r n ' route of tho railway crosses mmifrous rivers, swamps and tidal ‘ t , ar uK. nceessitoiing heavy and h . iinbanknicnts, lift ecu major hnf.-o, many kirgc. concrete, enlvtrt, r ami over a score of overNearly all tho swamps 17 us tin. spoil for IMe lino was iilecl upon them, and, of cmir sr. this meant the excavation yi much more material. But was not the only difficulty. Tl.t? foundations for most of the Ijnchvs h ;U 'e given considerable trouble, while in the majority of the cidlings pug or pipe-clay was encountered in l»rgo quantities ami fining had to he resorted to m on j,r that the workmen, horses and machinery could obtain a footing on which to work. These cuniiivS with the heavy and continuous’rai us of ih© past winter, we a* absolute quagmires, and tluur cuiuhtiou certainly retarded excavation progress. Wo have had one of the wettest winter's on record, and a representative ol this paper who was permitted to jo over the works this week was surprised at. the progress that has been made. Judging from what has been accomplished it seems pretty safe to predict, that, with moderately fine weather till the end of April next, the formation work from To Puna to Aongatete will be completed. When it is stated that the earthworks represent a total of well over one million cubic yards, and tTiat the first ».d with the Elision steam shovel was turned by the lion. J. G. Coates (then Minister of Public Works and now Prime Minister), on November 8,192 d, ft will be ri’iaily admitted that the engineers iand tho workmen have made excellent progress. The performance ;of the work to date is highly ci editable, but it should also be borne hi mind that the concentration of ;arterial and equipment for such a oaitract is quite an important mistaking. In every department the Wt - l ‘k is being actively prosecuted! J: ’.d many miles of formation are How ready for the lay in© of the Ui 'b which work has act ually been tuameuced at the Aongatete stabuii and will be vigorously pushed Hie ballasting operations will \ c °nimtiiced immediately and ‘ cut 80.000 cubic yards of" cruslfstone will be required for rafl7 V ballasting and road metalling. . ile erec t i 0 n of station buildings >so included in (he contract * lll j die construction of access J lu ° thc stations and the makT. 0t dcvuifioua on the East Coast: 7' n <j ad also devolves on the p raetors. The railway and its yWiated works are. finding era7 &l£1 d' for about- six hundred ... J ai kl tho satisfactory progress C . olltract 15 °°r(ain!y a high i, e o those who are ivsponsor the organ Eat it. ii, *,, , 7' hardwood, steel and ‘-..•'V' 1 ihe ether .material was ■ ll at Mount M:r luranni. ■mm ,n * ecm pur iy has established •-■’T’? 11 ''* vrurksh ns. The t.f *'' r * !U * bridge-: v 1 ought e, dii'eci lino Civ.-;! Pri;- • iHu <t| - , , '■ r 1 ' ;S ni ■■]-> ■ •!a; :c 1 ■ - (».! r r ' Vi, ll!ug is C arruT o A ; u ; -bmnt. Mem- ~f ;]- . ' k;r *b; j...;.; r , ‘ \ „ ’ D-.gcs are i; •• n :ulv . ■ : r.u. . e t tie v.m io-<, sti cs. -- i: ; p- - ' , -dwooa x„; ' '-‘‘idv dri \< •> >-1 flic d’j 4.’. °* '-;*rd- ■ I - |) dj a,;-! i'.'up i,.. , l - ’• :u - n ■" • ,:u from T ;u!( i the ?,n ])he fo’ - lU ‘- *">■ u.. w ‘ lia.uT,

BEFOSE WINTER OF 1927. i 'flic ox’<• i'll.-lei luidgch lor ge.neral ' tiadic ati- made of hardwood set. on Mibmain ial «-.nerete foundations. Cp-io-daic Metal Crushing. Tin ,’v v, :'l be no need to resort |o quarrying for the supply Of luxtai for the ballasting, culverts ami roads. Shingle from the Amiga tele Elver ami iis banks on Mr (,'rawi'oi el's propjei’iy will be utilised. Bailway eomnrunieut ion links uj) tiie* cnishers with the main line. Tite crushers mo sei, up about a quarter-of-a-mile southward of the main road. The heavy labouring work generally associated with crushing operations lias been altogotb,or eliminated. A Sauennan cableway excavator is operated from a steel lower 80 feet high, whic.li is held in position by six, guy cables. Tho bucket or excavator travels on a stout cable, which has an effective radius - of 500 ft. Tins cable extends from j the top of the steel tower and is I anchored on the other side of the river to a tail tower. r The bucket, j which has a capacity of a yard and j a-half, is let down into the bed of the river and in less time than it ( takes to tell fills itself with shingle j and is off on the return journey along the cable. A lev/ feet from j the top the bucket comes in coni' tact with a tripper and tips i{s j conicuts into an enormous V shaped hopper. An opening in the hopper releases the shingle, which is then fed into the crushers. After being broken the metal falls into bins below, where it is heTd : and dropped into the trucks which I travel underneath the bins. A j rake of trucks can be filled in a few minutes and then the load is j drawn by locomotive to any part |cf the main line. There is no shovelling or handwork, and the whole movement of the shingle from the time it is deposited m j the uppermost hopper until it is 1 loaded into the trucks .is by gxavi- / ial ion. There is an extensive supj ply of shingle in the locality and lit is expected that there will be ' sufficent to supply the quantity required At the contract. Electric power from the Tauranga Borough hydro-electric works is nntilised for operating the cable and the crusher. I'lie excavator and crushers have had several trial rims and the crushing of the ballast for the line will now be carried on vigorously. Te Pnna-'Omokoroa Section. Ihe Company’s contract commences at this end at the Te I Puna railway station, which is loJ rated on a flat on the western side of the AVairoa Eivcr. The formation, fillings and culverts between the Te Puna and Omokoroa stations are well advanced. Tho tilling in the vicinity of the Te Puna station required considerable spoil, which was obtained from the adja- ■ cent cuttings, one of which is over 1 sixty feet in depth. The Te Puna Road is crossed by a small cutting, which has given much trouble by reason of heavy slips. Traffic is carried oxer the Te Puna Road by ,1 a substantial overhead bridge, which is nearing completion and will replace the temporary bridge that has been in use for some lime. From the Te Puna overhead bride© to the locality where 1 the first v.d was turned by the i lion. J. O. Coates in November, i 109 i, formation work is being done j hv the- aid cf a Rust on steam shnv- | ci. T‘ C unformed s-'ction is I - ; : . ’o.lg Mild wIICU . h.> v ' ’ ■ -t :;©■ line be- : v ... .v ’’A ' e e Omolo roa sq ;■■■■: ■ :,e n :’v f r the lay- . (f ; h ■ riils. Til© nrr: ones hi l ’” all require e .J ■ , ..f standard Oc'it: ■■ ■ nd 1 of - cjierete. Ine : ridvc-f, buib a high ’ r/ < i on tin* “n side of ■ Aden's l-Niate, is • -vest on : .].© •••'• i i> -Jdft long. j:p( vi-l - ’q© irgh. Over i T(■ ’'■ ■ ' i to vcre used m

die construction, old rails being utilised lor reinforcement. The whole structure is protected by sheet piling ami the culvert has the Appearance of ;i very substantial job. The necessary metal wa--1 crushed by the Company's plant at Aongatete, and ail the material was conveyed by punt to Knox’s Landing, and thence taken by lorry rigid on to the site. Metal for all the culverts comes from thesame source and where direct lorry transport is not pussible, pmAs, 1 as in :he ease of the (ftnra culvert, ait* employed. I*rom the Olura culvert to die le Puna River the line is ready lor the rails. Tim railway crosses the \\ ajkaraka Road and an overhead bridge, which is finished, cairies the road traffic. J'o cross the ie Puna River and estuary means a high embankment and a bridge ICI ft long. Th© embankment is completed mid the ereoimn <d the oridg© is now in hand. .1 ue bridge is of similar pattern to oilier*, on ilir ! :>.•. ;ird remisls o! ha ru wood piles, with steel plate girders. Greatest Emb-ankmcni on Line. After euiting through a shori u<-ep saddle an embankment about hail-a-milc long is built over the -flangroves Estuary. This embankment has settled nicely and will have a small bridge outlet. Immediatey after crossing the embankment tho Omokoroa station, located on Messrs Briggs Bros, property, is reached. All the excavation has been done in readiness for the necessary buildings, yardage, and access roads. Tho Omokoroa station is two and threequarter miles from the Te Puna station. A hi lie f urther on the line crosses the Maungawhai tidal estuary. Some of the spoil has been secured from tl;e Omokoroa station site and adjacent cuttings, but by far the greatest levy for the filling has had to be made at Maungawhai, which is on the western side of the estuary. The Maungawhai cuttings are the heaviest on the line, and one of them is 62ft deep. A Rnston s'tcam shovel is engaged m one cutting and long rakes ol trucks, operated by locomotives, are lipping the spoil into the filling. Tens of thousands of yards have been deposited and more will have to go in before the filling reaches final settlement. The estuary consists of sea png, fine pumice sand and decayed wood, and a tremendous quantity of these materials was displaced on either side before the embankment readied anything like stability. The total filling will probably aggregate 160,000 cubic yards. The Maungawhai Bridge is 150 it long, and the piles are all driven and re aid y to receive the girders. In the second cutting at Maungawhai another Rustou steam shovel i.s engaged and loads trucks which deposit the material into a swamp filling further westward. Those two Rlisten shovels have encountered a large quantity of sticky pipe day, which necessitated fascining, but nevertheless both machines arc giving very satisfactory results. the Maungawhai embankment and deep cuttings constitute the heavy work between the Omokoroa and Apata stations, a distance of three and three-quarter miles. In tms length a siding, to be known a s the Pahoia siding, will be provided. .It will be on the Apata settlement and about two and aquarter miles distant from Omokoroa. The work, is well, forward from Maungawhai to Apata station, and a Rnston steam shovel is engaged a little to the westward of the Pahoia siding. A bridge, 27(>fi long, will span the Waipapa River. Ihe Apata station is close to the foot of the long hill on tho East Feast Main Road at the fifteen mile mark, and there will be considerable excavation for the station. 1 1 e: n Apa‘ a 1 o A onga lel e. ihmv is a stretch of five and aquattv! miles from Apata station to Aoneatote station. iho work i:i the main comprises long and cLo.;]> i. urtings and heavy li;l;ng<. ■'a bottom of the lull on the r ' ; :o at t c.c fit tee;i mile mark, the c ro,v s tli . main rend end is b-on en >.-,vo Inungs v.i:h an uverm... I i,.,- ; ' - , 7 '- d ! : carry th> ;iue ovt r - ( ud. v.oii.d; permits traffio t i kwp to the pre.-eat road line at tkis V' tnr. Another Boston steam shovel is emp'oved on a I nm ,*ntthig ima-hy' and although A has 1 tmimr for a f t . v; weeks n has a(\nmpli--h“d ?),lead’d 'vork. *" ■ *>v i is tt-;e of png-, ihir:rv this time Am machine has * c cm a g: at qua ntit v of tp -d o!u itie fine spo }of weather

ana T be. naiuro of the soil have given the Ru>tou an ■ qiportunity ol showing wh,u it .an do when the “going is anything like favourable. 11m best output from this navvy was over iOO cubic yards in a single shift, and a verv rood avt ha> bn-n inaiuiaim d in this cutting. In tile vicinity of the 16-nnh*. roan mark the radwav cresses the mam road lor (ip- 1 tune and tins wiii mean an overhead bridge and a deviation, 1 iu- dr-ciatum is made and metalied. Just ix-fore reaehiug the deviation then.' is a imany tilling and a >hort 1 nnnel has been driven into the adjoining <u;ting and timbered. The trucks arc pnshcu inio this tunnel and above i lu> rvi.it the cutting is opened up and the spoil gravitates; into the i nii'Ks ill rough holes pierccci in I Dc" root. This dues awav witii sh< welling ;,s the spoil loach itself. I

h t' ; iiJ Lie sixteen-mile road mark the line strikes northward towards ihe W aiiii;i and |]n*n curves ;ieross the W-’oiiui swamp- siaie chains soul liVi ;ii i.l oj ; lu* ilialll road bridge. 1 'in-re is a, very ji.■ avv tilling across Pens ''.wtniji, ;i• 1 c i (hr 1. ridge over the \\ <l.llllll i\l\er is to be 2161 I long- and ;s \-,c!l undr!- wav. After crossing the Wainui swamj) the line. runs ihrungli Mi Work’s farm across the access bv-road (o Mr Waif ord s ho m e - mead, ilienee through Messrs Lceky s, Earls, and Dnnfoiu’s farms, across the main road, over iho \\ hatakao River, a few eliains below flic road bridge*, and into tho Aungaiete station. An important main road deviation, which will make for considerable improvement, is to be provided on the high saddle eastward of (he Waimti River. The contractoirs have made- another deviation of the main road and built an overhead bridge eastward- (; f (he Whatakao Bridge, All the road deviations are to be metalled and the material used for this purpose is the Aongatete metal which is crushed by the contractors’ plant. The ’piling of the Whatakao. Bridge (150 feet long) is nearly finished and the girders will be placed m positon immediately. The Aongatete station presents a real railroad appearance. The rails and sleepers are now laid, while tlie station buildings, goods shed, and cattle yards are nearing completion. From this station, for a stretch of about two miles re the Wainui, tTie construct ion is finished and the e; ntraclors intend to push on with laying the rails and will immediately afterwards commence ballasting with the metal supplied from the Baxter crusher-, as already mentioned. Aongatete - K a r i k a 1 i Length. The railway will be carried over the Aongatete River by a bridge 160 ft long. There is a length of about four miles from the Aongatete station to the Ivatikari station. The route is practically a direct line through the property of Mr Crawford, over the Matahui byread, through .the farms of Messrs C. A. Hi He, A. AValker, G. Sharp, I). C. Thomas, F. Kendall and AE. Putt, across the road close to the cattle dip and into, the liretara Valley. There are three bridges on this length, including the Waitakohe (105 ft), Te Mania (120 ft), and Rereatukahia (T4off). An overhead bridge will provide for traffic over the railway crossin© near the cattle dip. A heavy fibbing and a bridge (150 ft long) carry the railway across the XJretara, and a little further on the Kafikati station, located on Mr Sinclair’s property, is reachetl. This station is close to the main road and considerable filling and excavating will be necessary for tit© station and access roads. There are many camps on this section and good progress is being made. Rnston machines will later on be transferred' to this area. The Pinal Section, Freni the Kafikati station the lino continues across the'main read northward and in order to provide for road iraffic an overhead bridge will he (reeled. The final section , f the contract frein this point is a little ove-r two miles and will link up with the terminus of the 1 T.biic Works* !A var 1 men I’s format ;or. in the Tuapiro district • "i hem is a long flHlne ; vt-r the Taowh'B,. mm the . ; mem k m A-. n .1 km m n.l. making a mem m.ovo.ie;: m Em drammm. m.-mm earn ward of Mr Rodger-' houm.-e ead the lille will go Aom-mi tn » flee:! Plant at ;ou. V<• moymrim . f M- -m Clark.' m-em -md Bodmer, r u ]:; :o the Public Wo. ks format’;, u. Tim bridge r ver the 1 ahawai River will 6-* 200 ft long. There will be some

heavy cuttings and fillings on this section. The last cutting of all j will be about 54ft, deep and ‘ rk | on ii m now proceeding, the tun- J Hilling' system having been r-.d- t- j rd. The number < f camps si; w| - I,h a I the section is wcT , ■an-.-and with lonnaiion work ■> " ai eas nc-aring completion, 1. uj- j < tractois can, if they desire 1 'T i < on, mass the work?*’ and nriant on t lie nn ’ ■■ As ! scaled at the on lb : a ' ■ |

'.h*spite vo. ai her and oilmv dhT.cui- I ties, is well ad van- d and thc-e werv indication I hat 'he appi -»ach c f ike e liiiir: vinb-- will see the; ;,, ;j- oi An- fomr 1 ? : / i work com- ’; ii f >ml . The lav;r <f the ran rod be- ! Alania;- evil] n w 1 vky r,u A, , and,.]" . and Main T. A. {.'heat.', a emit S : - 1 ('■. Arni-rrmig. A’n , rib ('r, . Lt .1.. is confident, despite ;■ .< e dilf rd ; i-s « hat have I a nee with, that the railway will be com- > r.it'icd on contract time.