New deviation sees first train

Press, 17 November 1981, Page 29

New deviation sees first train

PA Wellington The $l7 million Mangaweka railway deviation took its first train on Sunday although the deviation will not be opened formally until tomorrow. The train, on a freight run, left Wellington at 1.45 p.m. and crossed the 10km deviation which is on the North Island Main Trunk betwen Mangaweka and Taihape, at 7.45 p.m. A Railways spokesman, Mr Gene Saunders, said that the two points had been linked at midday and that signalling changes had been ready by 7 p.m. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) will open the deviation. The Mangaweka-to-Utiku stretch of line has been described by the Railways as limited because of the unstable nature of the country, steep gradients and narrow curves. The new deviation, with gradients down from 1:60 to 1:100 will allow, an increase in train size, will speed up trains’ running

times, and will bring to an end a continuing problem of slips blocking the line. Work began on the deviation 10 years ago, with the announcement of the first tender let for the first of the three bridges in the deviation. This bridge, which is now known as the South Rangitikei bridge and which is one of two in the deviation which crosses the Rangitikei River, is 315 m long and 80m high. In May, 1975, a launching girder, built by the contractor to carry formwork collapsed, sending 200 tonnes of material into the river. Work was not restarted until September, 1979. Nearly one million cubic metres of soil was moved during the forming of the track. Track - laying began in May, 1981, and was completed in four months. The deviation has three viaducts, a bridge, several big cuttings, several culverts, two roads overpasses, and several farm accesses.