OTAGO CENTRAL.

Evening Star, Issue 12867, 17 July 1906, Page 8

OTAGO CENTRAL.

The ordinary meeting of the Otago Central Railway League,' held last night, was attended by Mr W. Burnett (chairman), Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., Mr T. W. Kempthorne, Mr T. Brown, Mr John Jolly, Mr T. Steel, and Mr J. F. Morris. Mr H. F. Nees sent an apology. The Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department wrote under date 6th June : —" I am directed by the Minister to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 31st ult., forwarding a resolution passed at a meeting of the Otago! Central Railway League, urging. that the erection of the station buildings at Alexandra should be begun as early as possible, and in reply to state ■ that the Minister hopes to be in a position to invite benders for the work very shortly."

Mr J. G. Closs sent from Alexandra some particulars as to the progress of the work. His letter was dated the 12th inst. He wrote : " The platelaying is now being carried on 'to within one mile of the Manorburn viaduct, and - the ballasting is going on about a mile behind that point. The platelaying has reached to within three miles of Alexandra. The levelling and trimming of the line are practically completed to Alexandra, and one or two gangs are completing the same work between Alexandra and Clyde. Good progress is being made with placing the iron superstructure of the bridge at No. 3 crossing. Eight of the 40ft girders are in position, and the riveting of the central ties ; nearly . finished. I learn on reliable authority that in all likelihood this bridge will be completed within two months, as the necessary girders for the central span of 100 ft will shortly come to hand. The concrete facing for the station platform at Alexandra is finished, and the necessary levelling up of the same is now being gone on with. The pile-driving for the Waikerikeri viaduct willbe finished in a few days, there being only two sets of piles to be driven. I am credibly informed that the line will be open for passenger traffic to Alexandra by the end of the year, but not to Clyde before the end of January of next year. As there are seven miles of platelaying and ballasting to be done between Alexandra and Clyde,.the delay in opening to Clyde need not surprise members of the League."

Mr S. A. Stevens wrote from Clyde under date 13th July that the pile-driving at Muttontown is practically completed ; that the levelling of the formation between Clyde and Alexandra is about half completed; that the girders for the approaches have been placed in position, but there was no sign of the material for the centre span; that platelaying operations have been stopped a good deal lately owing to shortage,, of material; and that the bridge over the Manorburn has been comnleted. ' .

'• v e Chairman asked if anyone present !. been over the line lately. iur Morris said that he had, and he could say that so far as the work was concerned he thought the engineer-in-charge was pushing it. on as expeditiously as possible, but there seemed to be a deficiency of material ahead—material from the different feeders where the sleepers and rails were accumulated. Did it not strike the League as peculiar that suitable wood for sleepers could not be got from the Catlins district? They had to be brought all the way from the West Coast or the Clarence River.

In the course of -the conversation that; ensued the Chairman remarked that there was no doubt the railway was getting oh. Mr Jolly urged the duty of making it clear that the line must not stop at Clvde.

The Chairman : That is the reason for the League's existence, to push the line on to its terminus. But for that we might as well disband. It was resolved to call the attention of the Government to the shortage of sleepers. , L