THE RAILWAY STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 118, 15 November 1934, Page 14

THE RAILWAY STATION

STEELWOKK RISING

FINE APPROACH

The front line of the new station for Wellington is now sufficiently defii-sd to allow an appreciation of tho fine space which will front it. It will, I in fact, have a finer approach than any j other Wellington building of import-1 auce, except Parliament' Building and, tjie Mt. Cook pile! There is 210 feet1 between tho south wall of the station and the present lino of Bunny Street, and though the stark steel girders stcbbing tho/bky today give little indication of tho final appearanco of the front of tho building which will .rise from the perplexing welter of steel and concrete, it can readily be seen that this open ■ space will give a splendid view of the impressive portals which Will be thronged with Wellington's suburban and provincial passenger traffic.

The quantity of material that is being absorbed in the building is interesting. To.date, six miles of piles have been driven, or, in more ordinary perspective, 31,298 lineal feet. This represents 1159 piles out of 1615 to be driven. No great difficulty haa^bcen found in sinking the piles to the required depth. Excavations havo so far removed 6023 cubic yards of earth. Concrete, in addition to the piling, has been laid to tho extent of 1300 cubic yards. Seventy tons of reinforcement steel, apart from piles, have been used, while 346 tons of structural steel havo been erected. There ore 160 tons more of structural steel to erect. AM EXACTING TASK. , Tho work of tho quantities surveyor (Mr. A. Maltby) in the case of a building of these dimensions is an exacting task. Everything has to be measured, and in tho case of steel, weighed. Sepj arate files are kept in the case of each material, and as there are twelve trades engaged amongst the 100 or so men at work there now, the materials are many and varied. Any-alteration needs readjustment in quantities. Drawings and calculations are imperative to secure the demonstrable exactness of quantities necessary to satisfy the Department of Public Works, for which statements are prepared. The dimensions of every piece of steel, for instance, have to be prepared in a list which is presented to tho engineers once a month. What applies to steel, even down to small pieces such , as rivets, applies equally to other quantities, whether it is a question of the work of the carpenters, masons, or other tradesmen's materials. The pile of papers relating to these bits of the l>uildingk*cach of which has equal dignity in^iphers, insignificant though it may be in' dimensions, is remarkable, and there is an added work in dealing with imported British steel owing to the necessity for returns to London showing tho quantity used periodically. The basement of tho station is now concreted. The topst of most of the nests of piles in the vicinity of the erected steelwork have been concrete capped, and gradually tho foundation works are rising to what will tie tile floor level of the station. The topmost vertical girder in position does not indicate the highest point of tho building, ap there 'is a tower to go up above that.

, Work has been started upon the rough block of granite, on the polished side of w^ich' will appear the following inscription:—"This stone was laid by his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucestcr,.K.G., P. 0., K.T., G.C.M.V.0., on the 17th of December, 1934."