MOHAKA VIADUCT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20768, 1 July 1937, Page 8

MOHAKA VIADUCT

LAST SPIKE DRIVEN COST MUCH BELOW THE ESTIMATE By Telegraph—Press Association WAIROA, June 30. To-day was the greatest day in the history of Wairoa and a large portion of the East Coast district being the occasion of the opening of the Mohaka Viaduct, the construction of which was considered the most difficult task in the building of the East Coast railway, by the Hon. R. Semple, who drove the last spike holding the rails to the sleepers and the arrival of the railcar in Wairoa, the first passenger unit of the New Zealand Railways to be seen on the Napier-Wairoa line. The function at the viaduct and the arrival of the railcar in Wairoa signified the completion of the first section of the railway which has been long looked forward to by the people of the district. The occasion was one which caused wild excitement in the whole, district between Napier arid Wairoa, settlers for miles around flocking to the nearest point on the line to cheer the vehicle as it passed. In addition to Mr Semple the official party which came all the way from Wellington by railcar were the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Mr G. H. Mackley, Mr L. J. Schmitt, Mr J. Wood, Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department, Mr E. P. Meacheri, M.P., and departmental officers. The party were Joined at Napier by the Hon. W. E. Barnard, Mr E. L. Cullen, M.P., and local body members. The railcar left Napier at 8.45 a.m. arriving at the viaduct at 10.50, a stop being made on the way at Putorino where a welcome was given by the school children. With Mr Sullivan at the controls the vehicle proceeded across the viaduct at a slow pace to the cheers of hundreds of settlers and children, many of whom have never seen a train, Hakas of welcome were given by Maori children and a welcome extended to the Ministers by Mr Cullen. After 25 Years Mr Meachen then read a statement for Mr Semple which stated that the construction of the Napier-Gisborne railway had been carried on intermittently since 1912. Thirty-eight miles to Putorino were completed by 1930. The earthquake in .1931 damaged the line to Putorino,, and no traffic was carried after that. In October, 1931, as a result of an adverse report by the Railways Board, the construction of the Putorino-Wairoa section was suspended. In 1933, Mr W. D. Lysnar, formerly M.P. for Gisborne, undertook to carry out negotiations for the formation of a private company with English capital, but probably owing to the general financial depression the negotiations were not completed. Construction was resumed by the present Government in June last year. The restoration of the Napier-Putorino section was now almost completed and the Mohaka viaduct finished. On the Gis-borne-Waikokopo section construction was proceeding at both ends. Ten out of 13 tunnels had been completed and In four smaller tunnels the heading was right through. Work on the large bridge across the Waipaoa river and the construction of four small bridges at the Gisborne end had been completed. At present 1292 men r —re engaged on the railway between Gisborne and Napier. On the GisborneWaikokopu section 13 camps had been established. The financial position when work was resumed last year was, approximately —total expenditure to date £3,565,000, annual interest bill on the above sum £160,000, total interest bill to date £1,48-1.000. The estimates to complete the various sections were approximately:— £ Napier-Putorino 50,000 Putorino-Wairoa 150.000 Wairoa-Waikokopu .. .. 32,500 Waikokopu-Gisborne .. .. 1,400,000 Total 1,632,500 Since the above estimates were made out wages and costs had increased somewhat, so the final figures might.be slightly above the amounts stated. The total expenditure since the resumption of the work about the middle of last year had been £420,000. A consider’able proportion of this had been on plant. Tribute to Engineers Mr Semple paid a glowing tribute to the efforts of the men engaged on the construction of the viaduct, especially the engineer-in-charge, Mr D. H. Haskell, whom be introduced to the gathering. He also paid a, tribute to the work of Mr Wood The. building of the viaduct had exploded the theory that to pay men well was bad for the country. The men engaged on the viaduct had shattered all records for work of this nature in the Dominion, and he believed in Australia also. The viaduct was built for less than the estimated cost. These men had written their own epitaphs in steel; they had done someth!.'g worth while, something that would be a gift to posterity. Mr Sullivan said the viaduct should be an inspiration in the lives of the children in rringing the Napier-Wai-roa portion of the railway into operation. It was the desire of the Government that the train services should be so arranged as to give the most convenient trains and train connections for residents th oughout the area now being brought for the first time into direct railway connection wi‘h the North Island main line and branches. With this end in view the Railway Department had drawn up tentative schedules both for a temporary service until such time as the necessary railcars were available and also for a full service when the line from Napier to Wairoa and Waikokopu was opened and railcars we"e available. Tentative Services It was desired in the meantime, said Mr Sullivan, -to give an express train connection from Wairoa to Wellington, 270 miles, in about US hours, and from Wellington to Wairoa in the same time and then by read motor to Gisuorne making the through time from Wellington to Gisborne 14 hours for a total distance of 328 miles. The time of the expresses between Wairoa and Napier would be about 31 hours, pally goods trains also would be provided each way between Napier and Wrtroa and Waikokopu. Wh ;n railears were available, probably early in the -lew

year, the trip between Gisborne and Wellington would be done in 13 hours, using railcars on the Napier-Wairoa-Nuhaka portion of the line. There were tentative proposals to provide for a night passenger service by steam train leaving Wairoa it 8.30 ar.d arriving at Wellington at 7 a.m the next day, and in the opposite direction for passenger? a steam train service leaving Wellington at 7.15 p.m. and arriving at Wairoa at 6 a.m. A special combination of sleeping and , day car would be provided on each of these se-vi-.es. After the driving of the last spike and rivets by Mr Semnle, the railcar proceeded on to Wairoa. taking 45 minutes. Ne rly the whole population turned out to greet the cai A speech of welcome was given by Mr D. W. Coleman, M.P.