SOUTH ISLAND TERMINAL FOR SEAWAY PRINCESS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31661, 23 April 1968, Page 20

SOUTH ISLAND TERMINAL FOR SEAWAY PRINCESS

The new cargo terminal building to be opened today for Brightling’s Transport, Ltd, in Chapman’s Road has been designed specifically to deal with the cargon system of transporting goods.

It was built to service the Northern Steamship Company’s roll on-roll off vessel Seaway Princess, plying between Auckland and Lyttelton. It will also handle any overseas container cargo.

The company has owned 20 acres of land at Heathcote for many years, and 18 months ago a new bulk store was built there to house carbon black and general cargo. Of the bulk store’s 10,500 sq. ft 6000 sq. ft are used for storing carbon black.

The new seaway terminal was started last August, and is the first of its kind in New Zealand. The consulting engineers were Messrs Hardie and Anderson and the builder Mr D. G. Malcolm.

A long-term lease is held on the building by the Northern Steamship Company and Brightling’s Transport Ltd do all the serviceing—the transport to and from Lyttelton and the packing and unpacking of cargo. The transport company will also distribute 80 per cent of the cargo to consignees in Canterbury.

Special cargons have been built for the Northern Steamship Company for shipping bulk supplies of malt and barley to Auckland breweries and to the gin distillery there. They will be back-loaded with general cargo.

The Seaway Princess can take 45 jargonised trailers,

which watersiders will tow straight on to the wharf, using Brightling’s special towing equipment. The firm’s trucks then tow the trailers to the new terminal through the Lyttelton road tunnel.

When they arrive at either end of the seaway terminal they are met by a hydraulic “traverser” which runs on rails in a deep well extending the full length of the building.

The cargon containers, which have detachable sides and rows of small wheels underneath, are rolled off the trailers on to rise-and-fall tables on the traverser. The traverser then rolls back along the well and the cargon is wheeled off to one side for unpacking.

An endless chain on the traverser has a hook which grips the bottom of the cargon to move it. When the traverser meets an incoming trailer it already has on one Of its tables a pre-loaded cargon ready to be taken to Lyttelton on the trailer’s return trip.

Each cargon contains between 14 and 26 tons of cargo. Beneath each one are 48 little wheels in four rows which run in tracks on the trailer decks.

Planning of the seaway terminal began in 1963 when the Northern Steamship Company asked Brightling's Transport, Ltd, to act as carrier for cargonised cargo from Lyttelton and to unpack and distribute it, as well as providing a receiving depot for northern cargo.

Without any additional equipment, the new seaway terminal could handle overseas containers with its traverser.

The seaway terminal has an area of 30,000 sq. ft plus an office block of 1500 sq. ft. It cost the company $lBO,OOO, plus the value of the land. It was built with steel portal frames and has an aluminium roof and walls.

Along the unloading side are four 40ft tilting doors giving access to loading docks. On the other side there are 17 sliding doors, making it possible to open up progressively the whole 200 ft wall. The floor Is of concrete and the building is lit by natural lighting. There is a cafeteria and other amenities, and the office block extends over the drive at one end. A sealed drive

encircles the building and all wiring is underground. A tube system carries documents between the working space and the office.

A fire detection system in the form of sensors in the roof rings a bell at the fire station if the temperature reaches danger level.

First cargo from the Seaway Princess went through the new terminal in February. At the moment, while the ship is temporarily off the run, the terminal is being used for conventional cargo.

Provision has been made for extending the building, perhaps within the next five years, depending on the amount of tonnage forthcoming. Eventually Brightling’s Transport Ltd plans to move its entire operation to the Heathcote site from the present premises in Lichfield street.

Mr R. C. Higgott, the firm’s managing director, says the seaway terminal and the cargon system represent big savings in many ways for consignees. Less paper work is involved at the consignor’s end. He pays only one charge to cover cartage to the wharf, wharfage, sea freight, and wharfage and cartage at the other end. Less handling, no damage and no shortages make for a reduced total cost.

Because the cargons have detachable sides and tarpaulin tops and are handled under cover, goods are received dry.

Cargons being loaded on to the rise-and-fall tables on the hydraulic transporter inside the new seaway terminal. * « * * * =i< « « «