WADESTOWN WANTS. TRAMWAY ROUTES CONSIDERED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1908, Page 7

WADESTOWN WANTS. TRAMWAY ROUTES CONSIDERED.

EEPOETS BY CITY ENGINEERS MAIN ROAD ROUTE RECOMMENDED. ' THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. A lengthy report has been made by Messrs. Morton and Richardson, City Engineer and Electrical Engineer rospec tively, regarding the electrical tramway to Wadestown from Wellington, for which a persistent movement has been in progress for a year or so. Tho report is dated 18th January, and it has been presented, to ths City Council, and referred by that body to Jts Tramways Committee, but owing to the great prcs« sure of business arising at the last two meetings of the committee, consequent upon the tramway employees' demands for increased wages, the report has not received consideration. A special meeting of tha Tramways Committee has been summoned for to-moirow afternoon, to consider the report. It is in the following terms : — "Town Hall, Wellington, 18th January, 1908. "His Worship the Mayor and City Councillors. "Gentlemen, RE PROPOSED TRAMWAY TO WADESTOWN. "We have to report ,upon the pro posal for the construction of a tramway to Wadestown, as requested by, the council, and as was arranged with tho Wadestown citizens prior to the amalgamation with the city. "The somewhat difficult question of providing a tramway to this residential portion of the city has been previously considered, and a number of reports submitted to tho Onslow* Borough Council. Mr Edward Roberts, of Dunedin, submitted two schemes for cable tramways ; and the New Zealand Electrical Construction Company submitted no fewer than six routes for consideration, but recommended one known as "'D. 1 ' We also reported .to the Onslow Borough on the jjossibility of constructing , a, tramway along the line of tha present main road to Wadestown. "A number of the lines proposed by tb.B New Zealand Electrical Company were for combined cable and electric systems, in some instances necessitating two changes, through tho two types of cars which would require to be used. "Any line which would require the adoption of the two methods of traction cannot be considered satisfactory, and we ha\e decided to leave them out of consideration. Tho routes now considered are:— 1. From the present terminus at Thorndon-quay along Sar-street, Rhodes-street, Barnard-street, Annstreet, Sef ton-street, and Williamstreet, to the present main road near the entrance to the Grange ; thence along the main road to the post office, proposed terminus at Elizabeth-street. (.This route was the one recommended by the New Zealand Electric Com pany, and known as route "D.") 2. F ( rom a point op the existing tramway in Tmakori road at Moleß-worth-street, along Park-street and . Grant-road to the Town Belt (where tha trolley pole would require to be .reversed)^ thence through the Town "feelt to" a point on the main road opposite. Mr. •Tolhurst's property; thence through the Queen's Park and through private property to Elizabeth-street, Wadestown. The terminus woulbd be^ " located oil" ground belonging to tho" corporation, out which would require to be filled in to the required level. 3. Commencing as in route 2, and extending along Park-street tq Grantroad'fhto the Town Belt, thence by a , tunnel to a point on the main Wades- j town-road, nearly opposite Woodward's Gully. To serve tho present population of Wadestown, this route would require to be extended in an easterly direction along the main road to the post office. i Dealing with each of- the above routed separately :—: — | ROUTE NO. 1. "It is found that the No. 1 route, from the terminus at Thorndon-quay, is 166 chains in length, 126 chains of which are on the Highland Park estate. "This route traverses for the greater part of its length roads recently taken over by the corporation. Such streets in our opinion are not altogether suitable, owing to the. narrow formation (only 20ft), and the curves and gradients 'required. The roufb is in many places tortuous, the curves will be numerous and, in some instances, of very short radii. The land along that portion withhi-the Highland Park estate is not yist built upon, and in our opinion it is doubtful whether if the land within the estate were closely built upon, the tramway, as herein proposed would \be of much greater benefit to the residents than the routs herein referred to as No. 2. The ruling gradient of Sarstroet is 1 in 12— the same as on the Brooklyn lino. A considerable length of the track through Sar-street and Rhodesstreet would bo 1 in 13. A , large \imount of money will be required to be spent in widening and strengthening th 6 present formation of the streets mentioned before such can be considered suitable for accommodating a tramway. Private property will also require to be taken at several places in order, to lessen the radii of the curves that will be required. Private property along tho Hutt-road would bo required to make the connection between the present terminus at Thorndou-quay and the foot of Sar-sfcreet. , "One advantage to be gained by the adoption of this route would be its connection with the Thorndon-quay line, which would more easily accommodate increased traffic than a line along Moles-worth-street. ROUTE NO. 2. "The connection of a new lino to that existing in Molesworth-street is rather unsatisfactory to deal with. It can be done by connecting to the present track in Molesworth-street, opposite Fitzherbert-terrace, and a third track continued along the outer track of existing lins to Park-street. In our opinion the best and most inexpensive connection would be made in Tinakoriroad, immediately beyond Park-street, at which point the cars would be reversed. For the present it seems that it .would^ be better to make Park-street the terminus ft>r ordinary Wadestown traffic. Gradients of about 1 in 15 can be obtained from- the cjommencement of the route to the cutting oppohite Mr. Tolhurst's property. "The track from Grant-road to "this latter point would bo cut through the Town Belt, and facilities exist for the removal of surplus spoil. From Mr. Tolhurst's property the track would lie constructed at a grade of about 1 in 13.5 to George-street, Wadestown, the track being kept inside the Queen's Park and below the level of the present road, and continued through Mrs. Rhodes's property and the Highland Park Estate immediately below the present road. Along this portion of tho track it will be necessary to straighten up the existing mnin road and in one or two cases retaining walls may be necessary. Tho level of the rails at George-street* Wadestown, would be

about 25 feet below the level of the main road at that point Tho track should then be continued across a gully through private property, and still below the level of the main road to Pittstreet, undei which it would be carried in a subway. From Pitt-street to Elizabeth-street we recommend that private properties be purchased having trontage to the main road to allow for the continuation of tho ti.unway track approximately parallel to and below the level of the prosent main road to a. proposed terminus at Elizabeth street. "We consider the tramways .to outlying districts with steep gradients and of such a character as any tramway to Wadestown must b A. should preferably be placed off the roads carrying the ordinary vehicular traffic. This advantage is gained in the route now being considered. This route is more direct than that previously described at No. 1. It will serve the greater part of the Highland Park Estate fairly well, the greater portion of the properities being within a half-milo of the- entrance to the Grange. Tne grades are as satisfactory as can be obtained without tunnelling. The curves will be fairly easy, ana the line admits of extension to the Wilton, Halswell, and other estates beyond tho proposed- present terminus. "Considerable earthwork will b,e required in alteration to the> main road to suit the line of the proposed tramway. ' "We would have preferred to avoid the proposed back shunts in the Town Belt and at Molesworth-strcet ; but to do otherwise than proposed would, however, be costly, and the additional expense is, ir. our opinion, unjustifiable. "If at any time, as has Been groposed, the Karori traffic is taken via Sydneystreet, the curve at tha junction of Molesworth-street and" Tinakori-road should be altered and the track taken across Tinakoii-road direct into Parkstreet. ROUTE No. 3. "A tunnel through the hill, in order to be of sufficiently easy gradient, would require to join the main road in a position previously indicated. A gradient of 1 in 16, or thereabouts, would be obtainable. The length of the tunnel would be appioximately 50 chains, with about 5 chains of approach roads from existing streets, partly in the Town Belt on 'the Grant-road side, and partly in private propel ty in Wndestown. If heavy traffic had to be coped with, a tunnel of such length would require to be sufficiently wide to allow tor sidings. The line would be shoit. A considerable quantity of metal might be expected to be obtained from the tunnelling operations, and the proposed position for the suburban end of ths tunnel would be favourable to the extension of the track m the direction of the Wilton Estate, but unfavourable for Wadestown traffic, as fcho point at which the track would join the main road would be some distance from the present centre of population. This small extension would be troublesome to vrork in conjunction witth any iutuTo extension which may be niado towards Wilton's Bush. "To be of use to the residents on the Highland Park Estate, the extension of Route 3 would require to be carried back along tho Main-road towards the city as far as the entrance to Mrs. Rhodes's residence. , , MAIN-ROAD THE BEST. "After careful consideration of tho three routes, wo are decidedly of opinion that No. 2 route (along tho Main-toad) is tho more satisfactory one for tho council to adopt if it is decided that the construction of this tramway is tv be undertaken. "In making this recommendation avc have carefully .considered the b3fi.fc location to suit the. existing population, and the possibility of future extensions to districts as yet unbuilt upon. The cost of tho work has also beenl taken into consideration ; also the financial results which are likely to be obtained. ESTIMATES OF COST. "Our estimates for the three routes herein described are as follows :— ■ Route No. 1. — Running distance, 166 chains. £ Earthwork 7,000 Permanent Way ... ... 12,900 Purchase of Land 3,500 Overhead Equipmsnt ... 3,000 Feeders Underground in City 6,600 Feeders Overhead 1,800 Boosters, Panels!!, Signals, etc 1,000 Contingencies 1,200 £35,000 Route No. 2. — Running distance, 93 chains. * £ Earth. , ... 6,580 Permanent Way ... ... 6,066 Purchase of Land ... ... 1,000 Overhead Equipment ... 2,100 Cables 6,536 'Boosters, Panels, and Sigoals 1,000 Contingencies 1,718 £25,000 Route No. 3. — Running distance, 81 chains. . £ Tunnel and Approaches ... 40,000 Earthwork (road-Üng at Wadestown end) : 2,500 Permanent Way ... ... 5,952 Overhead Equipment 2,500 Cables 9,500 Boosters, Panels, and Signals 1,000 Contingencies ... 7.. ... 2,548 £64,000 Not*. — The tunnel testimated for is similar to that constructed on the Kilorrnie route, and tho cost allowed £750 poi chain. From the tunnel excavation probably £1500 to £2000 worth of metal maybe expected to be obtained for roadmaking, etc. ESTIMATED ANNUAL RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. "Assuming that No. 2 route is constructed, and that a service of twenty minutes through the greater p<irt of the day, with a ten minutes service during 'rush hours,' is provided ; also that the fares charged will be ljd on the section between the proposed terminus, Wadestown and Park-street, Thorndbn, we estimate the annual leceipts and expenditure (running costs) to be as follows: — Receipts at M per car mile. Expenditure. Car miles run, 45,000 . . £1687 10 £1968 15 0 UiterPst and Sinking Fund at 5i per ccait. £1375 0 0 Depreciation at 23 per cent £687 0 0 £1687 io' £1030 15 0 "As time has not permitted accurate surveys being made for the exact location of the various routes herein considered, the estimates submitted should be taken a» approximate, but we believe that samo are sufficiently accurate for the council io maket some decision as to the construction of this line. "A plan has been prepared showing the approximate position of Route No. 2. Yours faithfully, "W. H. Morton, City Engineer. "Stuait Richardson, Eleo. Engineer."