LONG POWER LINE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 112, 8 April 1927, Page 6

LONG POWER LINE

LINKING UP STATIONS. - SOME INTERESTING DETAILS. [By Telegraph.—Special to StandardJ WELLINGTON, April 7. An important contract, involving the manufacture and delivery of steel towers fo a 60-mile high-voltage electric transmission line, has been let by the Public Works Department at the contract price of £28,352. Tins work will connect the Mangahao electrical supply system with that of Waikaremoana when that powerstation is completed, and the specifications provide for the towers being delivered before the end of this year. The construction of the line will be undertaken by the electrical branch of the Public Works Department and j will be completed in time to utilise the power from Waikaremoana. The line will run from the Waikaremoana lake station to Napier and will take a route approximately along; the surveyed line of the Napier-Wai-roa railway now being constructed. The country is rough and steel tower* are being used throughout the whole length of the transmission, long spans 1 being planned, averaging at least a quarter of a mile between the towers, while iir some cases where there are river crossings a few spans will extend for almost half a mile.

Nearly’ 300 towers are required/ ranging in height from 60 to 100 feet,! having a base of 20 feet and tapering to the top. Galvanised angle steel will be used both for the towers and the cross arms, which will carry two circuits each of three conductors.

The Mangahao transmission lines already run to Napier and extend in the other direction to Wanganui. The ultimate scheme of high tension electrical transmission in the North Island will involve the linking up of the Mangahao, Waikaremoana and Arapuni generating plants by a huge triangle, enabling these stations to supplement each other or for any one to take the load in the case of a sectional breakdown.