NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9610, 7 September 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

[BY telegraph.— correspondent.] > iv - Wellington; August 30. The long-promised report of Mr. Reynolds, which the Premier stated. would be the most favourable to the Stratford route of the three surveyed routes authorised by the House, has at length been completed.

The report deals with the survey of the Marton-Eltham section . in. four sections, lamely, the Wangaetu section, extending from Maharawa to Turakina; the Brunswick section, from Aramoho to the bridge crossing the Goat Valley stream ; the Kai-iwi-Ok&bu section, and the NukumaroWaitotara section. • ' ■ •

WANGAETU SECTION. The length of this section is 11 miles GS chains, the steepest gradient being 1 in 70, extending ' for a distance of 3 miles 37 chairfs. The general direction of this section is inland of the present line, the greatest deviation being at Wangaetu, where the distance from the existing line would be aboub If miles. This would necessitate the removal of the Wangaetu station this distance inland. The construc-

tion of this section, owing to the rough, broken country, will of- necessity he somewhat expensive, tunneling and bridging entering largely into the cost. Of the former item there are 86 chains, the tunnel piercing the Wangaetu hill being 60 chains in length, and the other two at 9miles 74 chains and 10 miles 45 chains, being 12 chains and 5 chains respectively. The combined length of the bridges is 720 feet. The length of the Wangaetu deviation between Matarawa and Tura-

kina is by traverse 11 miles 68 chains, and the distance by the present route 14 miles 28 chains; thus the proposed deviation would shorten the distance by. 24 miles. The estimated cost of deviation is £128,150, ab the rate of £10,972 per mile. BRUNSWICK SECTION. The survey of this section diverges from the present line aboub three-quarters of a mile from Aramoho, and again joins ib ab the bridge crossing the Goat Valley stream. The gradient ascends from the point of divergence near Aramoho for a distance of 4 miles 63 chains at the rate of 1 in 70, then falls away to the junction ab the bridge crossing Goab Valley stream, with a gradient of lin9oto lin 14G. The earth-

works in connection with this section for

the first three miles will be heavy. The tunnel piercing Brunswick Hill is 28 chains in length, and there are also several small bridges. This deviation gives an excess mileage of two miles 32 chains. The estimated cost of the deviation is £64,980, ab the rate of £8664 per mile. KAI-IWI OKKTU SECTION'.

When recalled, Mr. Reynolds was engaged udoq the survey ot this section, and had eot as far with ib as to decide upon the direction of a route, and to obtain approximately the gradients and length of deviation necessary. The length of this deviation would be about four and three-quarter miles, and the distance of the present line is practically the same. The proposed deviation would, after leaving Kai-Iwi with an ascending gradient of 1 in 70, pierce the ridge by a tunnel 30 chains in length, and then fall away at the rate of about 1 in 75. There would be a saving in the construction up to the tunnel of about £7000, as the present line could be utilised to a certain extent. The cost of the deviation with a maximum gradient of 1 in 70 would be about £50,000 at the rate of £10,523 per mile.

NUKUMARU-WAITOTARA SECTION. Mr. Reynolds was only able to make. a cursory examination of the NukumaruWaitotara locality. The length of deviation would be about 3& miles, being an excess mileage of 40 chains over the present line.' The cosb of the deviation would be about £28,000, at the rate of £8000 per mile. This estimate is based upon a l-in-60 gredient. GENERAL REMARKS.

The maximum gradient of the presenb line between Bounty Glen and Turakina is 1 in 50, bub there are two or three sharp curves near Turakina which I understand cause considerable inconvenience to heavy traffic. Mr. Reynolds considers that with a small amount of work a great improvement could be effected on the mile containing the 1 in 50 gradient, and these sharp enrves could'be reduced to 1 in 60 at a cosb of about £3500. With the exception of Foretell, no station of importance would be affected by the deviations. The country generally is subjecb to landslips, but as a rule they are not deep. Treacherous ground has been avoided, and Mr. Reynolds does nob consider any danger from this source need be apprehended. The total length of the deviations considered in the four sections between Turakina and Waitotara is practically 27f miles, giving an excess mileage of about 30 chains over the present line. These deviations would reduce all gradients steeper than 1 in 50 over the entire distance between Marton and Eltham. The total cosb of the proposed deviation would be aboub £271,130. One of the chief objections to the adoption of the Stratford route was the number and sharpness of the curves, and the steep gradients of the Marton-Eltham section, and therefore if these can be removed one of the principal obstacles to the Stratford line would be gone, hence the importance of Mr. Reynolds' report.