BROKEN CASTING IN WHARF PUMPING ENGINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1948, Page 4

BROKEN CASTING IN WHARF PUMPING ENGINE

For the second time this year, the Greymouth wharf power house, which supplies the power for the hydraulic cranes on the wharf, has experienced a major breakdown and while it is not expected that there will be any serious delays in loading, the position in regard to the operation of the cranes will have to be watched carefully for the remainder of this week, to avoid placing an undue strain on the remaining workable pump in the powerhouse. The valve body of one of the two pumping engines in the power house developed a crack yesterday and it has been necessary to remove the heavy casting and to send it to Christchurch for welding. It is expected that the casting will be returned on Friday and in the meantime tinwhole of the strain»of operating lhe cranes will have to be placed on the other engine. The engine which is temporarily out of action is the same one which caused the trouble in March last. On that occasion also a heavy casting had to be sent to Christchurch for welding and it was replaced during the Easter holiday period, with a minimum of inconvenience to the port. Both engines in the powerhouse have had a long and strenuous life and it is considered that the breaks which have occurred this year are the result of normal mechanical wear and tear. The cracked casting is subject to terrific stresses during pumping operations.