ARDUOUS TRIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22970, 23 February 1938, Page 12

ARDUOUS TRIP

UNUSUAL JOURNEY OIL TANK FOR GISBORNE THE FINAL STAGE BY RAIL [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] GISBORNE, Tuesday The five-ton oil storage tank, which is being brought through from Taneatua to Gisborne arrived at Waihuka On Sunday and is expected to be in Gisborne by rail to-morrow. Progress was stopped at Waihuka on account of the high level of the stream at the ford. The dimensions of the tank, 30ft. by 9ft., prevented its transport across the Waihuka Bridge. The tank will be erected on the property of ttbe Gisborne Harbour Board in Gisborne. The truck with its freight arrived in Opotiki last Tuesday and since then has been negotiating the road in the Waioeka Valley. The over-all length of the truck and tank is about 37ft. and on account of this it has been necessary to manoeuvre it across many of the narrow one-way bridges. At the foot of Trafford's Hill it was realised that the power of the hauling truck would not be sufficient to pull the weight up the gradient and a second vehicle was connected. Progress was slow, but the hill was successfully negotiated. On arrival at the ford at Waihuka the drivers reported that *there was a depth of silt covering the ford and the approaches had been scoured. Determined not to delay the arrival of the tank in Gisborne any further, the transport company decided to take the load back to Mahaki and transfer it to the railway. Arrangements to do this were made this morning..