HOLED THROUGH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20572, 4 June 1941, Page 4

HOLED THROUGH

TIKI WHAT A TUNNEL EARLY MORNING SHIFT RAILWAY CELEBRATIONS BIGGEST SINGLE WORK In the early hours of this morning, tunnellers working from the Waiau Valley face pierced the last foot of the Tikiwhata-Waiau tunnel, reaching the face at the Tikiwhata Valley end on which for some months no work has been done. This tunnel, the biggest single job on the Waikokopu-Gisborne section of the East Coast Main Trunk line, was started in earnest early in 1938, when the most modem plant was installed. By November in that year, nearly a quarter of the whole excavation had been completed, the Waiau Valley lace also having been opened up and the excavation being assisted by the most modern tools available. Full-section excavation has been the order throughout the job, which represented only a little less than half of the aggregate excavation undertaken on the Waikokopu-Gisborne section. The length of the TikiwhataWaiau tunnel is 9802 ft., while the aggregate length of all tunnels on the section is 20,600 ft.

Several Weeks’ Work Left

The holing-through, which took place this morning, does not mark the completion of the job, of course. What occurred to-day was the meeting c> the “cuddies,” or advanced faces. There is still a good deal of excavation to be carried out, and this will be followed by the concrete lining. Several weeks’ work still remains to be done before plate-laying can be undertaken. Nevertheless, the holingthrough represents a definite stage in the progress of the line, and there is now only one other tunnel iob in progress. this being a small link in the upper portion of the Tikiwhata Valley.

An indication of the advancement of the Waikokopu-Gisborne section is given by the fact that Mr. E. J. Marklew, assistant electrical signals engineer at the head office ot the Railways Department, is at present in Gisborne in connection with the establishment of communications on the new section. His visit is one ol inspection only, but it foreshadows further developments with a view to the taking over of the whole line next year.

Special Train to Bartlelts

The completion of the Tikiwhata tunnel will be about eight months behind a schedule laid down late in 1938 by the then Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, who on a visit to the district estimated that the tunnel would be opened by October or November, 1940. Various difficulties contributed to the delay, among them being heavy flood damage on Anzac Day, 1939, and the calls from other important works for tunnellers and expert workers previously employed on the Gisborne-Waikokopu line. The depletion of the Public 'Works Department’s staff by enlistments for ovrseas service had its effect, also, and latterly only one face, that on the southern aspect of the job, had been worked. During recent weeks the tunnellers have been working in bad ground, and the rate of progress has been slowed down considerably.

Preparations for celebrating the piercing of the Tikiwhata-Waiau tunnel have been in hand at Paritu and at Bartletts Camp for a month. The Paritu men held their celebration last Friday night, in the form of a ball •vhich was largely attended by workers and their families from all the '.lamps on the line. A similar function is to be held at Bartletts to-mor-row evening, and to enable townsoeople interested in the event to attend the celebration, a special train has been arranged by the Public Works Department.