MAIN TRUNK LINE. EXPEDITING ITS COMPLETION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1908, Page 3

MAIN TRUNK LINE. EXPEDITING ITS COMPLETION.

RAILS TO BE JOINED BY END OF OCTOBER. Through the courtesy of the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, Minister for Public Works, we have been supplied by tho En-ginoev-in-Chipf, Mr. R. W. Holmes, with the following description of lhe work now in pvogress at both ends of the Main Trunk Railway. From this it will be &een it is anticipated that the rails between the north and south ends will be joined by the end of October. "The lino is finished," s.ucl the En-Hineer-in-Chief. "with the exception of ono bridge, up to Wauiru. Waiuru is 69 miles from Marion Junction. The lino is completed to 70 miles. From 70' miles to 72£ miles the formation' is still under construction. This is where the deviation was made, and it is at present in usp. From 72£ miles right through tr> 85^ miles the line is finished. That brings you to tho Ohakune station-yard. Wo am l mining passengers now right on to that place. The coach actually meets the train a little beyond that place on a temporary line that we have run into the Hapuawhomia viadurt. Going back a bit, to tho unfinished part, between 70 miles and 72 miles, we anticipate that the formation will be finished in about three months' tim?, when the rails will bo laid and ballasting completed. We also expect to finish the bridge I have mentioned at about the same time; and, allowing a month for laying those rails ;ind „ ballastinc, we anticipate haying the whole line fully completed up to Ohakune by the end of May. "From 855 miles to 87 J miles we expect the formation to be completed, the rails laid, and the line ballasted hy about the end of May also. That wiil include the Hapuawhenua viaduct, .and the Rnetihi tunnel. From 87J miles to 90J miles \hz eartb-works are heavy, and thcio remains n considerable quantity of work to do; and upon the completion of thd|e earth-works depends the connecting of the rails with the northern end. ' , \ "In this latter length oncers the Taonui viaduct, which' was completed last December. All the concrete work is completed with the exception of four piers in the bridge over the Hatremaria Creek. These are being constructed, with the view of being completed some time before the earthwork. "From 90] miles right through to the railhead from the northern end, which is now nt about 103 miles, the formation in pmt-V-Cdlly 'completed. The heaviest piece remaining to be done is a part of the cutting at the- north end, :»nd the Makatote viaduct". This, however, cannot be completed until the anchorages of the wire-rope — used in connection with tho erection of the Maduct — are removed, ,' "At the present date, the actual distance between lho\ailheads is -ll!, mileb. Rail-laying is being proceeded with at the uoith end, and it is anticipated it will.ieach the Makat'ote viaduct at the end of March, which, with about a milo .and a half (which will probably bo completed at the $amo date) at the south "end, will reduce the gap to ton miles. , , "From 103 miles through to Raurimu at 111 miles' th? rails are laid, ana all the works may be considered to be 90 per cent, competed. From Raurimu to Taumaranui the line is completed. Taumaranui is tho southern terminus of the northern end of the line open for traffic. No further section at the noi\tb end can.be opened for traffic. for some time, as the ballrfstingpit is close to Taumaranui, from which Supplies will he obtained for ballasthig nearly down to 'Ohakune 1 "Messrs. John Anderson and Co/, of Christchurch, have contracts for the erection of the Makatote viaduct, and for the erection of the superstructure of the bridges over the -Manganui-o-te-ao and . Mangaturatura. At the present time thg manufacture of tho fteel work far the Mokatqto is about completed, while that for the other two bridges -s nearing completion. Tho piers of the Makatote. viaduct ate all erected except two sections of one pier in the centre. At the other bridges the contractors are constructing staging and conveying the steel work to the sites. In reply to a question as to when iho t;\o ends of the rail would meet Mr Holmes replied :-— "That will depend on when the Makatote viaduct is completed, and the earthworks at the southern end. The delay in completing the Makatote viaduct will cause the work to be carried out by tho Government t3 be delayed until the winter weather sets in, which will no doubt cause delays which ennnot be estimated." "If all goes well, ' added the Engi-neer-in-Chief. "ond making a fair allovv•inco for contingencies, we anticipate having' the rails connected about the end of next October. The moment we get the rails connected we will run a passenger train through; but it will not be safe to commence running the fast express trains until the works have had some time to consolidate. Wherever it is possible for men to work they are being employed, and every effort «s being made to complete the works at tho earliest possible moment, aoid our plant and itfethods of work are being adapted to fadlitato matteis.