QUEEN – STREET TRAM TRACK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13049, 14 December 1905, Page 3

QUEEN - STREET TRAM TRACK.

THE QUESTION OF REPAIRS. i. USE OP PILES CONSIDERED NECESSARY. NEW PROPOSALS BY THE " ' COMPANY.' : _ Some information - regarding' the proposals ; /' I of. the Electric Tramways Company in re- ' gard to the long-standing' trouble in connection with the subsidences of the Queenstreet track was obtained by a Herald .-/i reporter yesterday, in the course of an in-' - terview ; with Mr. M. F. Carey, chief electri- ' cal engineer to the company. .Air Carey stated, v '.-'H, that the conclusion "bad been arrived at that ',r;; .the only .'.satisfactory method of overcoming . • the .trouble was the use of piles in • all places where the formation, showed! signs of weakness. After .the approaching holi- , days were over it was the intention of the . company to approach the City Council with - a scheme for the carrying out. of permanent •' \ ' repairs. The Council would be asked to; sanction the construction of a crossover at x ■ the top of Queen-street,- immediately in ' A front of Messrs. Smith and Caughey's, and X: to allot?" all cars on both the eastern and' • " western sections to reverse at this point during the repairs, instead of running, to the present terminus, thus temporarily . .... suspending the traffic in Queen-street. If < this permission were granted it would, Mr. 1 .. Carey stated, be possible to carry out the£ required repairs with much greater despatch than at present, as they would be able to work two or three shifts a day. The com- ' pany, lie said, recognised the desire of the Council for finality in the. matter, arid it *'• s / was anxious to effect a permanent, solution. of the trouble with as little delay and''-*; inconvenience as possible. - Questioned in regard to the use. of asphalt' '-V between the tram rails, Mr. Carey said: " I regret to stiy that we are under the ixnpiession that a mistake was made in consenting -to the use of asphalt, between our \ rails in Queen-street. In the case of a ,-.vlarge number of tramway systems in America the companies have been obliged , 4' to abandon the use of asphalt- on their tracks, owing to the vibration of the rails • ; causing the asphalt to break." "What form of construction has been adopted in preference?" / ' : \'/.y " The system which is largely adopted be- | tween rails, on asphalt- streets," said : Mjr. */ Carey, "is that tnc-V/ri os the 'scoria block |j -0 I system.* The rails are hid on a solid bed I of concrete of about 10 inches in thickness, [ which is afterwards giver a smooth cement, rendering. A thin layer of sand is- placed I on-this bed, arid over this are placed, scoria X blocks, in the. ordinary staggered fashion, | about three-eighths of an inch apart. Fine' sand is rammed in between the blocks, and to the height of an inch and a-hatf,. the remainder of the opening being filled in "» with ordinary patch tar.". Mr. v- Carey stated that these blocks, which are made • | of a composition of scoria ash, cement, and iron, are superior to auv stone, even granite, a.id it is satisfactory- in appearance, as well as in wearing- properties. Asphalt, he said, was very suitable for _ ordinary ' street traffic, where there was no vibration. ' ".Do you propose- to adopt the scoria block system in street?" . ' . . ? "That depends on the approval , of,'the ! City Council. If they do not approve of it, . - . ' we shall have to adhere to the asphalt system. In either case, it will be necessary to use piles." -'Mr. Carey added that the r, * cost of the scoria block ? system exceeded j that of the asphalt pavement. .