THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 29

THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

GOOD PROGRESS BEING MADE. THE NEW PASSENGER-CARS. The turning of the " first sod " in connection with the construction of the permanent way for the r.©w electric tram system took place in February last, but the laying of the road did not begin properly till April. Since that time some three miles of line have been laid. It has been pushed up from the WateT of Lrkh into the heart of the city at the rate of -about five chains a day. Progress at this rate is somewhat new to Dunedin, where the majority of public works have crawled so slowly to completion thait many people have come to associate the tardy method of procedure inelegantly termed the " Government stroke " "as being inseparable from all works carried out al the public expense. The introduction oF American methods by Mr Goodman, if distasteful to the class of employee who has been corrupted by the hand-feeding process prevailing on Government 00-operative works, must at least be refreshing' to the ratepayers who are paying for the new tramway system. Although satisfactory results have been achieved so far, the line might have been farther on but for the vexatious del-ays which have occurred over the Ordcrs-in-Council. Possibly when this matter is scrtled there may be a break in the weather, and naturally the engineers are chafing over the fact that the delightful spell of fine weather we have enjoyed during the past month is slipping away while their hands are tied with red tape and legal difficulties. From the Leith to Stuart street via Howe street has now been laid, the line being double" to the Hou'o street loop and single for the rest of the distance. At the intersection of Howe street and George street the loop has been finished off with tarred metal, and is a very neat piece of workmanship. An inspection of this locality will give anyone an idea of what the lime will look like when it oomes through the town, and when citizens will ©njoy an un- ! speakable relief from the present muddy I track cut out by the horse cars in the centre of the roadway. Along Castle street the line. is ready for the tarred metal. At Stuart street a duplication commences which wall be carried up High street to Oargill's Monument, and thence a single line will be extended to the car house ia Market street. With this line complete it will then be possible to establish an electric 6ervioe with the north end of the town via Castle street, which will be maintained till the Princes- George street line is open. Mr Goodman is confident of being 1 able to open this service in November, and then no time will be lost in laying the traok from the Grand Hotel to Albany street. Large gangs of men will be put on to work double shifts, and citizens will probably an object lesson in the celerity with which an electric tram line can be laid down. THE POWER HOUSE AND CONVERTEtt STATION. With a view to facilitating the progress of the electric tram installation some important alterations have been necessary in the present tramway arrangements. The stables in Cumberland street running through to Gaol street are about to be handed over to Mr Goodman for the power house and converter station. The stables accommodated about 120 horses, and these have been removed to new quarters. The car shed trad workshop in Cumberland street have been removed to temporary premises at Ocean Beach, and the space formerly occupied by them in Cumberland street is now fitted up to accommodate 60 horses. The work ■ lias been carried out chiefly by Mr Eggleton under the direction of the Tramways Committee. At Ooean Beach temporary loose boxes for 60 or 70 horses have been erected, while arrangement has also been made for the use of the stalls at Tahuna Park. The temporary premises at Ooean Beach comprise a oar shed, saddlers' shop, workshop, and blacksmith's forge. Mr Gcodman has already taken in hand the erection of the power house and converter station on the site now occupied by the tramway stables in Cumberland street. This site belongs to the corporation, and" runs right through to Gaol street. The northern portion will be used for the temporary steam plant, Jtnd the southern for the converter station. The present building will practically have to bo pulled down, and Mr Goodman showed one of our re- ! porters yesterday the plan of the oemverter station. The front will be not unlike that lof the new car house in Market street. The fittings for the boilers arrived some little time ago by the e.s. Pakeha, and the boilers themselves are being made at the Otago Foundry. A start will be made with the erection in a week or go The engines ar© due here in August, and the concrete foundations necessary will be ready by the time they arrive. Tenders are being called for a chimney ptaok 120 ft high, and for the concrete- flooring, which will be put down for the wfoole building. THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW CARS. By tho LouihO Ro,th, from New York, 20 paasonger cars were landed hrrc last week. Of these 14- are of fche Standard elobed type, fix are known as Californian cars, and six 1 are Standard open cans. The Calif oniian car*- are of a novel type, as they have under each side sill a pair of deep angle irons, winch aro offeat and prolonged to carry the platforms, and thus relieve the car body from a great strain. Besides the strength added to the car by this improvement, the platforms ?re brought down &k low as thoseof an ordinary closed cir. The body is 13ft sim over th" panel ends, and has longitudinal seats, with room for 18 passengers. The interiors are finiolied with quarter oak, with ceilings of the same material. Tlip open portions are 7ft 9|in from the end panels, making a total length of the t-ar of 29ft. I There is Beating accommodation on the 1 platform for 20 pas^neser.-,, making a total seating for the car of 38 Tho total weight of the car and truck is 13.225!b. The clo<=pd cars are of the builder's Standard 18ft design, with round end \oMibuleci sheathed with steel. The length c\cr vestibules is 27ft sin The interior fiimli is of quartered oak, with decorated ceilings of the same material. The total weight of the car and truck is 10.4001b. The open cars weigh 12.0001b, ajid have 10 cross scats. They \are quite open, and intended for summer weather.

Eaoh will seat 50 persons. The length fs 29ft 6in over all. They are provided with waterproof curtains that can be used as a protection from rain, and the side-rail and folding-up step are intended to prevent passengers getting down on the wrong side.

The whole of the ears are mounted on the well-known Brill truck. It is the Brill truck that is being adopted at Wellington. The cars will be all fitted wifah the Westinghouse magnetic brake— the most efficient an-d also the most economical brake hitherto devieed, end now generally adopted throughout the world. The chief feature of thi9 brake is that it absolutely prevents any possibility of the wheels skidding. This is important, since it is skidding that causes "flats" on the whee's.

Mr Goodman intends to proceed immediately with the work of fitting the cars together, and expects to have one complete in about three weeks' time.