RAILWAY WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 119, 16 November 1937, Page 10

RAILWAY WORKS

PROGRESS OF CONSTRUCTION

Operations on the Napier-Gisborne railway and South Island Main Trunk railway construction are reviewed in the Statement.

"On the ( Napier-Gisborne line a total of 1300 men was^employed," says the Statement. "The damage done to the previously completed section of : the line between Napier and Putorino by the Napier earthquake was restored. The Mohaka Viaduct was completed, thds enabling a rail connection to; be made to Wairoa. The Railway Department now operates a service from Napier t6 Putorino, while the Public Works.Department.controls a train service from Putorino to Wairoa. Althought the sections are separately controlled,- goods are railed at through rates. This service is already providing a much-needed facility, and the extent to: which it is being availed of indicates ■■ the- need that existed for rail connection in that. locality. North of Waikokopu, which is already linked with Wairoa by; an existing line, work is proceeding expeditiously at all points on to'Gisbqrhe. An excellent showing has been, made on this work since construction was resumed last year, and operations have advanced to an interesting stage. The length to be constructed is 34 miles. The general, plan of construction aims at the e&rliest possible- completion of. the major tunnels and those bridges which would hold up progress if left until reached by the permanent rails. The large tunnels occur in the middle section of the route,

while the bridges are mainly on the end sections.

SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK,

"The average number of men employed on the South Island Main Trunk railway during the period was 9QO. The bridge over the Clarence River constitutes one of the major structures, and its early completion is essential to enable platelaying and ballasting to proceed expeditiously south of it and keep in step with- the remainder of the construction programme. Plans of this bridge, which consists of twelve 120 ft steel spans on concrete caissons, were pushed on urgently, and a contract was let for the construction and sinking of the piers. The steel has been ordered .for the superstructure, and arrangements have been made for its fabrication in the railway workshops. It was originally proposed to locate the Kaikoura station some distance from the centre of the town in order to obtain the best alignment, and the shortest possible distance between the terminal points of the line, but it was later decided on account of traffic considerations that the Kaikoura railway station should be Ibcated near the centre of the' Kaikoura township, and this portion of the line has been resurveyed to give effect to this. "When it is mentioned," comments the report, -"that there are twenty tunnels to pierce of an aggregate length of some three miles, that there are a large number o:f bridges to construct of all sizes and types, some of them over very large and turbulent rivers, such as the Hapuka and the Clarence, that owing to the location of the line along a rocky and precipitous coast it is necessary to provide in many places for extensive sea-walls and protective works and that, in order to accommodate the railway and main highway on the narrow coastal strip, it has been necessary over a considerable length to completely relocate and deviate the main highway, it can be realised that this is a work of considerable magnitude." On the Westport-Inangahua railway the maximum number of men employed during the period was 400. Construction work is now in full swing. It was necessary first- to concentrate on the provision of accommodation for the workmen, and, coincident with this, machinery and materials for the construction work were assembled. A feature of the job'is the number of large bridges along the route, the largest of these being the Buller River Bridge, close In Inangahua Junction.