RAILWAY MEMORANDA.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 217, 6 September 1878, Page 6

RAILWAY MEMORANDA.

: In view of the opening of the through line of railway from Dunedin (or, we might say, from Balclutha) to Christchurch,' the following statistics may be interesting : — 1863, Dec. 1-— Lyttelton to Christchurch railway opened. ' :

1865; May 24r-First sod of Great Southern railway (Canterbury) turned at . Christchurch, 1866, Oct. 15— First section .of Great Southern railway from Christchurch opened. 1870, Feb. 23 — Agreement to make railway from Dunediri to Port Chalmers gazetted (p. 81). 1870, Aug. 31— First sod of Port Chalmers, rail way turned near Dunedin. ' 1872, Dec. 31— Port - Chalmers -Dunediji railway formally opened by the Governor. 1873, March 28— Port Chalmers railway purchased by Government for L 175,000. 1873, March 10— First sod of Moeraki- , Waitaki railway cut by Mayor of Oamaru. 1874, March 26— First sod of DunedinMoeraki railway cut by the Superintendent. ' - 1 1874, July I—Dunedin1 — Dunedin to Green Island railway formally opened. , 1875, Sept. I—Dunedin1 — Dunedin to Balclutha rail- . , ,way opened, .fifty-two miles ; .cost L 383,529. ...',-;.-• 1875, Sept. 25 — Oamaru to Waitaki rail - -'„•' way opened, 14 miles (4862 links). 1876, Feb. s— Christchurch .'. to Timaru railway formally opened, 102 miles. 1376, Feb. 9— Christchurch to Airiberly , ■ opened, 34 miles. : 1876.; Nov. 4 — Oamaru to Moeraki for--' , " " mally opened, 25 miles. 1877, Feb! 1 — Christchurch to Oamaru formally opened, 170 miles ; the missing link having, been from Timaru t© "Waitaki, 53 miles, which had been let in. four contracts, , "', amounting to .' L 84,000. Total,

* length open— Christchurch to Moeraki 195 miles. * 187?, Dec. 20-^Sawyers Bay to Blueakin opened, 1.0 nules-1 1877, Dec. 20— Guage on Christchurch to Amberly altered from broad to narrow. :

1878, Jan. 22— Balclutha bridge and , line to station opened,' 1 mile. 1878, May 7—^aitati.(Blueskih) to. Waikouaiti opened, 12J miles, but was ■*■•< .-- closed by land-slips:on : May 11, and • : " ,' ,- was not re-opened till' July 15. ■ ' .* . 1878, May £2— MoeraM to 'Palmerston ;'' • railway opened. , . „"•'

1878, Sept: 7-— Formal opening of railway / Christchurch to Dunedin; 240 4 miles. Continuous, length, now open Balclutha to -Amberley, 327 miies;

j A The portion 'of tiie railway from* Saw*, iyers Bay to Moeraki was commenced in '1&7& A ha-nng /heenlet in six contracts, namely ■:— . , •■■

Section/ l---Port Chalmers, 2 miles 70 chains, '* 'contract time expired January' lß, 1877, Section 2— Deborah Bay Tunnel and approaches, 1 mile 13 chains, cost 1550,000, time expired September 1, 1877*.' „ ; * . . ■ ■'*' Section 3— Puraikanui,' 7 miles 67, chains, time '"* expired December 26, 1876. '; '■ '■ [10 miles comprised above ppenecl Dec. 20^ 1877.] Section 4 — Blueskin, from ■ *W"ansdale to, Maori . ..Kaik 7., miles,, contract price L4s,odC£ time expired November 27, 1877. : Section 5-^4 W-aik6uaiti, 9 miles '47 chains. Five and a-half 'mile's of this contract was made / by. Government, giving ' work to the unemployed. ■-* ,; ■•*'' -■■: -■:.'.' -..-.-■ ;. -..-.--,*-. [12£ miles opened May 7, 1878:; rest Sept. '6.] : Section '6— KJtrtigi, ;17'jihiles 58' chains,-* .contract time expired; January 5, ; 1878. '• [Opened ' on ,/ 'September 6, 1878, and May 22.]' ;". •,-/•'-' , The; six', sections ,'coht^ yards of /earthwork and (B6 chains of, 'tun- : nulling.; The -steepest 'grade- is 1 in. 50, | 'and the/ sharpest : curve 7$ chain radius— \ top: siarp land .s^ep/tobe pleasant !; '\Th"k • summit l^ye'L'is] in \ thia /Deborah' Bay/tun- ** nel, and is 370 feetabove/sea level.:.. The ; total cost exceeds L 385,00 LBSOO a mile.