THE HILLSIDE WORKSHOPS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8112, 22 February 1888, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HILLSIDE WORKSHOPS.

(BY OUH SI'KCIAL KEI'OHTEK.) A I'ooil deal of improvement ha ; . been made [ duriiTjr tin: past two or tbrei; years in tho man- : „ agement of the Hillsiue workshops and the clais v , 01 work that is carried on tlitre. I'rom time to ; () time, too, additions have been mart.) "> ! „ the machinery, so Mint no,v almost e\uj }„ class of work, even to mo building oi i railway carriages, is undertake.,. Oi' course [ a great;. deal of the work done coiishlS ol c repairs to engmoH, Cimmgos, ana t.«,0f0»n.l a , tlio present time there tire several very big Job.-. ~ on band. Entering the main building at what £ is known as the erecting sbop, I noticed Ilia* ( there were no fewer than 12 locomotives m tor ; repairs-3 class J engines, 3 class V, 2 class O, , 2 class V, 1 class X, and 1 class O. The arrange- , ment of this shop is very convenient, lueic are three pits running the entire length, oi the shop, the centre one being always kept clear, so that as soon as an engine is iitted up it can, by means of a couple of travellim; cranes.be lifted ou to the centre pit and ran out of tho shed. Uy means ot these cranes a couple of men can life an eugiue bodily from one track to another. At the end ot this shop the boiler shop is situated, and actke time of my visit the men were engaged repairing two or three boilers belonging to the engines already referred to. Entering tho machine shop, all is bustle and activity. Some 100 men are engaged here, and the machinery is of the most varied and interesting character. The iirst thing to attract attention was a largo wheel latue, in which a pair of wheels were being turned There are two of these lathes, and they arek.:pfc pretty well employed, because on the Utago lines, with their sharp curves and stospjgraiiieuts, there happens to be n great deal of wear and tear on the rolling stock, and tne engines come into the shops much more ireouently than the Canterbury engines, lue wheels get worn very unevenly, ami they have to be cut down again to an even surlace in these lathes. The wheels are made to revolve igainsl' the ba,-d-eu S ed steel tool, and the unevemiess is slowly but surely cub away. One man minds both the machines. The brasswor k is ~11 done in this shop, and may be seen m all its stages from the rough casting as it oame from the Addington forge to the highly-lmr-nish»d bush which has just left the skilled workman's hands. Near the main entrance is a hydraulic press for putting on wheels ; ami a very formidable-looking machine it looked with iis jjruit i-Tessu'-e of -0<) tons'to thesqur.ru inch. " Lathes for turning v^ticl:; a:i.l aues were also at work. The axles are ah ir.tdu a. Addiugto.ii and the wheels in Duuedm, and the iinishing touches are put ou them in these lathes. Tbero are no fewer uiau seven screw-cutting lathes and four diillmg niachiues, besides shaping and slutting machines, and a very ingenious contrivance for putting the threads on bolts ami nuts. I'U'J last is a most n-Hloiuical machine, and does its work with marvellous ie!er:-.;\ eil mls:-!; is used over and over r.jfcin bei:ig pUiui-ed on to t ( .e vool to l... ; ei'. it Vroiu lifciitin-t, Indeed there is n bowild.-.vmg variety ol lUiichine.'y i" ttiis .-uo,;, and it would t-.k- colinitis to describe fully the m.iiu featur.s ofbulfs i(.rlinishincb:':i.«-,vcr!i:,slide b.irgnnd'jrs, sbaniiiir lilaniutr, ana all tll-J oiljec iiiac.mu-s which may daily bo seen at work in the UilUide ; nnchiiio shop. \\q 1«-s iliroiigh the coppersmiths' thop, where th; tubing and piping is done by some linll-uVzcii men, into ho engine room, where a iiO-horse p.">wer ciigiao 'is t:en ct uork il-iyiug the machinery above referred to. Xhe' sic.-.m is supplieil by a large double- boiler i-sde by Habcoc-k and V/iljon. We ii.-st wsiiiv into tae •Jiiiitlis'thop, whui-i: a large niiii.k-r of nun are Du<y at work. It is a l:ae s:s;bt, lo see tliu groat array of glowing forges. Tha'C ai'J no li'wer than 2S of them, hiul i.ll the accessories of a smiths' shop are conveniently handy, Here arc situated the great steam hammers—marvellous m^'Oiines ready to obey the slightest wish of the lue-hanic—i.o give tlv; glowing iron a gentle lap, light a*th« pat of a h:;:i.!.or t" c"i"» thunl, riiif down upon it with v (tu.o:li!j; clglit-ton blow. In this shop the i,:amifaetur<: uf carrir.gc and wagijor. wh.-t.-ls (joes on. At one tcr : :e live nmscularloolii:!!; fi Hows are ln;.-y Ixndiiu; l.ars ot iron into ibewgmentsor siioki:.of tlie wile. Kln mtau.Mif»uing>rnious eoulrivßi.ee which hasbei-n made in tlushoi!. Theeckrily with which livctnen bent these bars iiuo the reciuired fihapi.' was remarkable. In one corner ot the shop a very valuable machine for making nuts and bolts lies covered uji in cuivas: and punching and sluaring maclunc:-, that seem to (;o through the thick plate :iron as easily aa a knife goes through butter, are located r.car at hand. We in.'pectcu , the engine which drives the fan for the furnace I blasts and all the machines in the smith.,' and ■ boilermakers' shops, and on the way to the ' painting shop we passed one of tho now composite carriages that had just been turned out. These carriages are entirdy built in the Hillside worktops now, and the workmanship is of the most creditable description. Ked pine and i kauri are the woods that are principally u-ed. All the work in connection with the-e carriages.