Five-Roomed House Transplanted Over a Mile Away

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 6282, 26 August 1949, Page 5

Five-Roomed House Transplanted Over a Mile Away

Side by side down the Pukekura Road came two of the Cambridge Transport Company's heaviest articulator trucks. The drivers, John Adamson, and Bert Hay ward watched -.each, other almost as closely as .they, watched the; road, .ft was, important thati they 3id so, because between then* they were ' carrying the same five-roomed bunga-low,-which was being moved bodily to a plotted section on the land of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company's Pukekura factory.

Within a fortnight from the time of its removal on Wednesday from Mr. R. R. Atkinson's farm a mile away, the house will be ready for occupation by an employee of the factory. This is no mean feat, but to the contractor, Mr V. Jack, of Hamilton, and his staff, it is all in the day's .work. With them on the job everything' seemed easy—but then they knew how. ■■-•.- On Monday the five-roomed house measuring 25 by 25 feet and weighing from seven to eight tons was jacked up off its blocks on to built-up packs of heavy timber piled criss-cross at each corner. This was after the electricity and plumbing had been disconnected. Cantilever braces had been nailed into place inside to keep the building firm, and then the transit stage had been reached. But not quite. The transport problems could not be handled haphazardly. Portions of a live hedge and a fence were removed on Mr Atkinson's pi-operty, and measurements taken of the road width, to ascertain just how far apart the lorries could be spaced under the house. A special permit had to be obtained from the Transport Authority before taking the road.

The trucks backed under the packed up building on Wednesday morning, and skilfully manipulated jacks soon had it resting evently on the two decks. There was quite an overhang at the back, and it was here that the interior bracing had its effect in pre-

venting any "give."

"The windows are our barometer," said Mr Jack. "As soon as one breaks, we know that something is wrong." But no windows broke on this job. Naturally there were a few anxious moments as the lorries first took off. They had not gone far,- when it was realised that with a paddock of oats to be crossed, chains were advisable. It would have been an unenviable situation had the trucks—with a total of 24 wheels between them—had become bogged in the soft earth. With the chains on, progress was continued at a steady four miles an hour. There was a drop near where the first hedge came out, but this was negotiatco with no more than a grunt of disapproval from the building. Nothing else moved except the electric lights, with their bulbs and shades still in. The turn out on to the road was made successfully, and the journey continued uneventfully. The wire fence adjoining the factory was down, and thore was a good run in to the site. The trucks made a full turn m the paddocks and finally came to a stop with the house right over its new location.

Packs were again built up in each corner to ease the building off the trucks, which were then driven out, ■with their part of the contract completed. The main jobs remaining are blocking and a certain amount of bricklaying.. Electricity will be available as soon as connection is made with the supply lines, and the plumbing is a simple matter. Thus another stage has been reached in the Pukekura factory's housing scheme. Recently an attractive modern dwelling was erected for the manager ,and the old manager s residence made available to another of the staff The latest addition replaces one of the three Public Works cottages which were acquired during the war.