MACHINERY TRAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19390, 27 July 1926, Page 10

MACHINERY TRAIN.

BULKY PLANT FOR ARAPUNI. SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION. DIFFICULT TASK AT MERCER. The transportation of heavy and bulky pieces of machinery for the Arapuni power, house was successfully accomplished by thq Railway Department on Sunday, this day having been chosen, seeing that a clear line was required. A great deal of thought had been given to the question, and while some of the pieces were not quite as large as had been anticipated, others were more so. The chief problem was the loading of the rotor-rings, which have a diameter of 12ft. sin., in such a way that they would pass over the Parneft bridge and through Mercer tunnel. A frame had to be' constructed on the waggons to carry the rings at an angle. Parnell bridge was negotiated with about half an inch to spare at the minimum, but at Mercer, j:s had been anticipated, the line through the tunnel did not give enough space on one side. This difficulty was surmounted by jacking over the line bodily a distance of three inches. This done the train scraped through by one-sixteenth, of an inch. Immediately afterwards the line was restored to its permanent position. The train left at 6 a.m. and reached Putaruru before 6 p.m. The maximum speed was 20 miles', but all curves were taken slowly. There were 15 waggons and a van, the whole train weighing 332. tons -and the load 220 tons, Mr. W, T. Langbein, assistant'engineer at Auckland, was in charge.