WELLINGTON-MANAWATU RAILWAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4132, 21 August 1900, Page 2

WELLINGTON-MANAWATU RAILWAY

REPORT OF INSPECTION. The report of Messrs IV. H. Hales, John Coom and C. Napier Bell to the Minister for Public Works oji the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company’s line has been presented; to Parliament. Following is the text of the report, which is dated the k’Jth .Inly : The formation is in excellent order and well maintained, clear of weeds and well drained; cuttings well .sloped and in good condition, although a few small slips have' occurred at various times. The exceedingly steep hillsides at Paikakariki are, in bad places, provided with overhead shoots to catch falling stones, and everything appeared safe there. The permanent way is kept in good running trim. The rails are mostly 5311) steel, but particular places have been relaid with about five miles of 651 h rails. k Rails generally arc in very good condition, and have as yet suffered but fittle from wear. On a mile or two of line at Porirua the rails suffer badly by rusting from the salt spray, but the worst of those are renewed from time, to time.

Ballast is good and abundant. Sleepers, originally mostly of totara, are still in fair condition after fifteen years. In some parts of the line the birch sleepers are decaying badly, but renewals are being carried on as fast as they are seen to require it. East year 3780 new sleepers were laid, most of which were ironbark. Most of the structures were built of totara, which in this part of New Zealand was of exceptionally good quality, consequently they are on the whole in good condition, and those include bridges, buildings, fences, platforms, cattle-pens, culverts, gates, cattlestops, etc. With the continual use of heavier engines, the necessity has arisen to strengthen the bridges, which has been done. With one exception, all native timber has a good factor of safety, but, considering the unreliability of totara timber as a beam, it is desirable that renewals should not be long delayed. The company evidently recognise this, .as several of their bridges have been renewed in iron bark. The hri dge ironwork is not stressed above its working limit by the present loads. Beyond Pliramerton almost all cul’verts are in totara, the condition of which is g-ood for some years to come. From Plimmerton to Wellington, masonry, concrete and; iron pipe culverts are mostly used. The bridges are all in satisfactory condition, the totara and kauri timber as it fails being at once replaced by ironbark, and defects in strength for heavier engines are carefully attended to. The good condition of the lofty viaduct north of Jolinsonvillo, built qf kauri, ia especially satisfactory, seeing the very large quantity of timber used and exposed to the weather. The upper transoms in this structure are weak, and should he renewed.

One tunnel on the Paikakariki length has been abandoned, and the line diverted round it on the sea-side, and this being a- very good ,lirie, there is no reason why the tunnel should be used again. Of the five remaining tunnels at this place, two tare slightly cracked in various places through the one-sided pressure of the steeply-sloping hillside, but it seems evident that all movement has now ceased, and that the tunnels are safe. There are five tunnels between Crofton and Wellington, and all are in excellent condition. Fencing is of various descriptions, and is kept in fair condition. Some renewal of fencing lias been done with old sleepers. The company is subject to the Fencing Act, and. repair in conjunction with the. owners. Gates' are almost all good and kept painted. Cat-tle-stopis also are mostly in good condition, a small .number requiring renewals, chiefly in the beams, which they receive ,from time to time as they are considered to require it. Cattlepens, timber fronts of platforms and of loading banks, all of totnra, have stood remarkably well. The stations are all in very fair eondition, and we should say that, with suitable yearly attention, they will show ho marked’ deterioration for another fifteen years, the age they carry at present. There is a. line of wires for telephone communication all the way, and most of the stations have telephone, instruments. Milo, half and "quarter-mile posts are in good condition. Existing signal arrangements are in good condition. Water supply is abundant. Of the rolling stock we inspected 82 per cent, of carriages and 74 per cent, of the waggons. All of these we found to be in very good condition and well maintained, and we noticed 8 waggons only with tyres thin from wear, hut these were still in safe condition. The locomotives appear outwardly in excellent order, and as for the boilers, which are the principal item, they are inspected every year by the Government Inspector' of Machinery, whose certificates were examined. Turntables are in good order;: so are the' weighbridges. Forty-seven per cent, of tbe total receipts of last year was expended in maintaining the line. The average revenue per mile was £lll9, and the expenditure £529 per mile.