GOOD PROGRESS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1936, Page 2

GOOD PROGRESS

SOUTH ISLAND MAUN TRUNK PRESENT WORK REVIEWED (Per Press Association. —Copyright). BLENHEIM, November 5. From even a superficial examination it is apparent that substantial progress has been ‘ made in the four months since the decision was taken to recommence work on the South Island main trunk railway. On the northern section, there are nearly four hundred men now engaged. All down the line, from Wharanui to within ten miles of Kaikoura, construction camps have been erected, and the people using the main south road come upon busy scenes every few miles. Signs that the l ( ine is being pushed ahead as speedily as possible are in frequent evidence, and, although the progress will be substantialy greater when all of the required machinery i s available, the work already accomplished i s undoubtedly a credit both to the engineers in charge and to the men themselves.

The main headquarters are still at Wharanui, about mid-way between Blenheim and Kaikoura, and in the township there are about sixty men, occupied mainly in blasting the track, in planting marram grass, to prevent sand drifts, and in removing sand that had collected in the cuttings si nee"'the work was stopped.

Between Wharanui and The Shades, a further one hundred and twenty-four men are engaged on similar work. Parts of the line are in fairly good order, but a tremendous amount of clearing will be necessary, and 'it is apparent that some difficult propositions are before the engineers, with a considerable amount of tunnelling, and many awkward cuttings, also the construction of a new main camp for the northern section of the line at Aniseed, just north of Kaikoura, where already more than two hundred men are located, with their activities divided between railway construction,' road deviation, and camp erection.

Already tjie camp presents a model appearance. '-Every effort is being made to provide modern facilities, including water supply, a small hydro-electric plant, a recreation hall, billiards, and reading rooms. For safety sake, a schoo] to bouse two hundred children will.be erected on a small plateau, away from the scene of the railway operations ; but this entails the construction of a special road up a hill to the proposed school. Difficulty is still experienced in securing adequate timber supplies, the shortage delaying camp erection. Present indications are that the estimate of four years for the completion of the line is over optimistic, although no great difficulties,, apart, from the blue slip appears to present themselves' as far as Clarence. From there on~ ward'to Kaikoura, it is apparent that there will he many major engineering propositions. Something like seven tunnels have to be put through, and there'will be many deep cuttings, particularly where the hills extend down to the sea. The Clarence and Hapuka bridges will keep men occupied for long periods. However, great reliance is being placed on modern machinery to make light of the heavy work which just now seems to present such difficulty. Up-to-date plant has arrived in New Zealand this week, and will soon ■be on the job, and already there are indications of the extent to which the undertaking is being mechanised .