A NEW TRAMLINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9319, 20 August 1908, Page 1

A NEW TRAMLINE.

— ♦ ALTERATIONS IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE. A gang of a dozen tramway employees was engaged yesterday in Cathedral Square in the work of laying one-haif of the balloon bend of tramline that is tr encircle the Cathedral for the convenience and quick despatch of cars eastward. The work yesterday was confined to laying the points of the short curve that will be laid from the Linwood line to the central line in front of the Godley Statue. The points were laid from the central rails, traffic from the north being diverted during the operation to the oid route behind the Godley Statue. The men set to work smartly, and by six o'clock in the evening the points had been put in, the work entailing the sawing of the old rails in two places find the fitting and inserting of the new lengths, and the joints had tieen bonded up and traffic resumed* The next operation will be the 1 laying of the short curved length of line past the cabstand, and the insertion of points on the Linwood line. This work will be completed about Thursday of next week, and the change will practically mean that the Linwood cars instead of going behind the statue will run right in front of it, one stoppingplace being used presumably in place of two as at present. The change will mean a saving of time and considerable wear and tear. The ballooj loop will be completed by taking a lin3 from the present Burwood terminus, near the Bank of New Zealand, back to the central line of rails in front of the statue, joining it about the southern end of the shelter shed. The advantages of this line will be considerable, for it will obviate the necessity for shunting New Brighton cars in the Square. They will~be run right into the Square on the north side, and despatched on th© south side without any shunting. Before the southern side of the balloon loop can be used, however, the Tramway Board will have to obtain an Order-in-Coun-cil, as an electric service has never before been run on that route. It is understood that with the completion of the new loop the use of the line behind the Godley Statue will be considerably decreased, with advantage both in time and convenience of tramrunning. , )