BIG HAULAGE JOB

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29273, 3 August 1960, Page 15

BIG HAULAGE JOB

32-Ton Boiler Over Hills A difficult heavy-haulage job involving the transport of a 32-ton boiler from Lyttelton to the Canterbury I Frozen Meat Company’s works at Belfast will be carried out by T. P. Gilroy, Ltd., heavy haulage contractors, early next week. It will involve transporting the huge boiler on the long trip over Evans Pass to the Summit road, and down Dyers pass and Hackthorn roads to the foot of the hills and then to Belfast.

Manufactured in England by the firm of John Thompson, Wolverhampton, the boiler is at present in the hold of the Sydney Star, which has been delayed in Wellington because bad weather prevented discharge and loading of cargo. The boiler was originally scheduled to have been unloaded at Lyttelton this week. The long trip round the Summit road is necessary because the boiler and transporter, of a gross load of 45 tons, cannot be taketi over the Heathcote bridge. The contractor intended to take it by way. of the Bridle Path road through the Heathcote valley but major sewerage excavations along Bridle Path road to serve the proposed 300 sites in the Cannon estate subdivision have ruled this route out. The boiler, 17ft in length, has a diameter of 12ft, which is considerably more than the usual permitted width of vehicles travelling on public roads. Ar escort of ' Christchurch City Council traffic officers will travel ahead of the transporter for the whole of the 20-mile journey. Major Alterations

Major alterations have been carried out to the transporter sb that the load will be carried in the well of the vehicle and will not bear over the rear wheels as in ordinary, haulage jobs. The Sydney Star is now expected to arrive at Lyttelton and begin unloading cargo on Friday morning. The boiler was unlikely to be unloaded until early next week. The floating crane, Rapaki, will have to be engaged to load the boiler on to the transporter. The route to be taken from the foot of Cashmere hills through the city to the Main North road has not yet been decided on by the Christchurch City Council The boiler will increase the capacity at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s works to between 17,0001 b and 18,0001 b of steam an hour.