NEW RAILWAY STATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19383, 19 July 1926, Page 11

NEW RAILWAY STATION.

PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING. TEST PILES BEING SUNK. ENGINE SHED ALTERATIONS. WORK PROCEEDING STEADILY. It is getting on for two years since tvoik was first commenced of preparing the ground for the new Auckland railway station and yards, ajid the stage has now been reached when a start must be made with the erection of the new buildings. Tenders for the construction of the first of the new goods sheds closed over a week ago, structural alterations are already in progress at the locomotive sheds adjacent to King's Drive, while the plans of the new station building are receiving their finishing touches in Wellington. Test piles for the station building have already been sunk, and it will be necessary in the course of a few weeks to demolish the big concrete building which a* present stands partiallv on the station site. This is the building known as the United Storage Company's shed and has been used in the past two years by the railway storage branch. Its demolition will leave the ground ready for the erection of the station building. The interior arid exterior designs for the station building have not yet been finally approved, but considerable progress lias been made since plans wore drawn up tentatively some years ago. On the ground level will be a huge room, 144 ft. by 120 ft., which will be used to deal with both inward and outward parcels and luggage. Provision is made for access for vehicles from Beach Road to ensure the rapid handling of luggage. Lorries, in fact, will be able to go right up to the luggage room beneath the high level road which is to take pedestrian, motor and tram traffic. The remainder of the ground floor will be occupied by storerooms, staff dining room, etc. Interior of the Station. On the next floor, which is on the level of the station platforms, 16ft. above ground level, there will be a spacious public lobby and entrance hall, 70ft. by 60ft. To the left as the traveller enters the lobby wili be the booking office, 70ft. by 30ft., while on the right will be the office for checking luggage, measuring 70ft. by 30ft., and through that again a leftluggage and shop parcels office, with dimensions of 70ft. by 40ft. Immediately adjacent will be the reservations offica with a frontage of 28ft. to the main platform.

On the same floor will be situated a public dining room, 45ft. by 40ft., a refreshment room, 50ft. by 40ft., a ladies' waiting room, 56ft. by 28ft., a hairdressing saloon and a number of rooms for the use of the coaching foreman, guards and porters. The floor above will contain the quarters of the divisional superintendent and the district officers and their staffs, all of whom are at present accommodated in the Chief Post Office. Electric lifts and stairways will connect each floor of the building. Lay-out of Platforms. The station platforms now lie ready for their concrete facings and surfacings. The main departure platform, which will lie nearest the concourse, is 1000 ft. long and 30ft. wide, and has a double frontage. Parallel with this platform are two suburban platforms, each 900 ft. long and 20ft. wide, while outside of these is the main arrival platform, also 900 ft. by 20ft. This platform will be served by a vehicular roadway with a minimum width of 52ft. Three sets of rails have already been laid between each platform, the sleepers being of Australian hardwood. The middle track will enable through trains to be handled without disturbing any passenger trains that may be waiting at the platforms. Travellers alighting on the suburban and main arrival platforms will walk down ramps into tha subway, which will take thein either by a low-level footpath to the Beach Road entrance or up another ramp to the station concourse. Luggage will be handled by a different route. Lifts are to be installed at the end of each platform, where the /luggage-vans w }j] stand, and goods will Iks lowered by this means to another subway connecting with the ground floor of the station building. The Locomotive Sheds. The work in the station yard is now taking ori move definite shape. Alterations to the locomotive sheds are in progress, the intention being to give entrance at the Campbell's Point ena instead of the city end as at present. Large doors are being inserted in the eastern side of the building and the repair shop at present situated there is being transferred to the other end. The space thus vacated is being supplied with engine pits and smoke troughs. A tremendous amount of plate-laying has been finished at this end of the yard and it is expected that in two or three months it will be possible to transfer to the Campbell's Point side all the locomotive work, such as coaling and watering, at present carried on at the western side of the locomotive sheds. This change-over is involving a great deal of intricate planning, as well as much temporary plate-laying. Huge Turntable in Position. The huge turntable at the Campbell's Point end of the yard is completed. The table turns on a set of roller-bearings and can be moved by hand. It will probably ho handled, however, Sy compressed air operated by the engines Near by, the new ash-pits are ready for use. There are five of these, and a blow out screen is to be provided for cleaning the engine flues. Both abutments for the large ferroconcrete overbridge at Campbell's Point have been completed, as is also one of the piers. A second pier is nearly finished, •while the two others have been brought to nround level. Work to be put in hand shortly will be the re-arrangement of the rail connections with the wharves and the erection of the first new goods shed at Breakwater Road. Although this shed is intended to handle outwards traffic, it will be used temnorarily for inwards goods purposes, enabling the existing inwards goods shed near the Strand to be pulled down and make room for the extension of the hidi-level embankment to join the Parnell Bridge.