LAST OF TRAM "BARN."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20259, 20 May 1929, Page 12

LAST OF TRAM "BARN."

PONSONBY DEPOT RAZED.

FALL OF REMAINING WALL.

DISPOSAL, OF THE MATERIAL. With the razing on Saturday morning of the last wall of the old Ponsonby tram "barn," the actual demolishing work at the depot has been completed. The site, at the corner of Jervois Road and Wallace Street, is now a mass of bricks, timber and iron.* These are rapidly being cleared away and the site should be levelled off and ready for disposal in June. When the new tram depot in Gaunt Street was completed, in March, 1927, the Ponsonby "barn" fell into partial disuse and it has been vacant this year. The Auckland Transport Board invited tenders for the removal of the buildings in February. Mr. J. Vickerstaff, of Edendale, was the successful contractor and the work was put in hand in March. Since that time the work has progressed steadily and upwards of 18 men have been employed. The task has been a largo one—one of the largest of its kind undertaken in Auckland —and much material has passed through the hands of the contractor. From the buildings approximately 100,000 ft. of timber lias been acquired and about 250,000 bricks havo been taken from the walls. Of these 170,000 have been removed and 80,000 are still awaiting romoval. Much of the timber and iron has already been carted away but a great deal yet remains. ' Thai last wall of the depot, which fell on Saturday morning with a resounding crash, weighed about 200 tons. It was estimated to contain about 50,000 bricks. The purposes for whi?h. the materials aro being used are many and varied. The timber is sound heart of kauri and has been much in demand by builders. Hugo "principals" have been acquired for rocutting for boatbuilding use. Smaller lots li£Vo been acquired by various firms and, in one case, the timber is being used for the making of small polished ornaments.

The offices at tho depot have been disposed of and removal by sections for rebuilding purposes. The caretaker's house which stood on tho sito has been sold and removed to Ohinewai, where it is being rebuilt. Some of the iron in the buildings has been despatched to National Park. '

In spite of the size of the work and its dangerous nature, only one accident occurred during tho process of demolishing. A workman fell 19ft. to a concrete floor, but ho escaped sorious injury by striking a piece of timber which rolled with him when he struck it.

Subdivision plans havo already been drawn up for the disposal of tho sito in sections on tho property market. The area' is about two acres in extent.