LYTTELTON LINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 9

LYTTELTON LINE

ELECTRIFICATION WORK i Special "CLrcnlcle” Service. J CHRIBTUHURUH, Oct. 4. Good progress is being made with the work of electrifying the railway line between Christchurca and Lyttelton. Practically all the overhead wiring is completed, thc remaining port.uiis comprising a small piece in Lyttelton yard ana die wiring of the tunnel itself- This later portion will not. be undertaken until the whole of the installation is complete in order to prevent the copper overhead line from being corroded by the fumes from engine smoke. Il is expected that by the end of this week, the work of erecting the electrical sub-station at Woolston will be completed. This building, which is of concrete and steel, will house thc necessary transformer plant. The machinery to be installed in it, together with the first of the electric locomotives, will arrive in the Dominion this month. The locomotives will be assembled at the Addington workshops, where th< electric locomotives for tho Otira tun nel were put together nearly six yean ago. The “locos” which aro to bi ” used on the Lyttelton line will bodtlucl: more powerful than those i n u e al Otira. W.th the steady progress that s being made, it seems likely that the frork will be completed witnin thc estii iated time and that thc cleet l ic servici i\-i|] be running by Christmas. One iffect of thc electrification of the line wiL bo that thc timetable between C iristchurch and Lyttelton will be mud faster than is the case at present.