EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18994, 16 April 1925, Page 6

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

KATIKATI-TE PUNA SECTION. GOOD PROGRESS "BEING MADE. \ LATEST EQUIPMENT IN USE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WAIHI. Wednesday. The Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whifcworth Company, contractors for the construction of tho Katikati-Te Puna section of the East Coast Main Trunk railway are making good progress with the work which is being carried out under the direction of Major Choate, one of the firm's engineering experts. In all, about 280 men are employed on various sections of the lino and the majority of them are housed in hutments provided by the company. The line has to be handed over to tho Government, completely equipped and in running order, not later than the end of March 1927, and Major Choate is of opinion that no difficulty will be experienced in completing the section, which is one of about 18 miles, within contract time. I

All tho latest mechanical devices for excavating the cuttings and hahdn ling the spoil are being used by the contractors, and includes no fewer than sis: steam navvies at various points. Thcso are being worked two shifts per day, acetylene lighting plants being used oa the night shifts. Remarkablo headway is made with the steam navvies, each bite of the shovel taking out hal£-a-yard of earth,, wliich is deposited in trucks and removed on a light line of rail by small locomotives capable of pulling several tons of spoil with each run, Tho earth is largely used for filling in low parts of the line. As indicating the utility of these navvies it may be mentioned that each of them takes out between 400 and 500 yards of spoil daily. Somo parts of the work are being carried out on wages and others by contract. This latter system is somewhat of an experiment so far as tho contractors are concerned. Major Choate states that so far the company has found it quite satisfactory.