MAIN TRUNK LINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 230, 30 September 1942, Page 4

MAIN TRUNK LINE

MAY BE OPEN TO-NIGHT SLIP DANGER NEAR TAIHAPE ENTIRE HILLSIDE ON MOVE Provided fine weather continued and the threatening slip did not become more serious, it was hoped to have the Main Trunk line open for through traffic a?aln to-night, said the chief engineer. New Zealand Railways, Mr. G. J. Bertinshaw (Wellington), in an interview yesterday morning at th? scene of the trouble just north of Taihape. Mr. Bertinshaw added that they hoped to have the track clear for the Wellington-Auckland express tonight, and thus eliminate the necessity of through expresses using the longer route via Aramoho and Stratford. Trouble developed in a cutting on the Mataroa “bank,” a mile and ahalf north of Taihape, at the weekend. The district engineer at Wanganui, Mr. J. Dow, has been in the Main Trunk district since last Thursday, supervising the clearing of slips after torrential rain. He inspected the hillside above the cutting, where there is a curve of seven and a-half chains radius, on Sunday, and again on Monday.

The position then, with the entire hillside threatening to slide down on to the permanent way, was so serious that even the vibration of a passing train could have started a movement of earth that would have resulted in the cutting being completely blocked. Mr. Dow immediately issued an order prohibiting trains from using the Mataroa-Taihape section.

On Monday evening Mr. Bertinshaw, accompanied by the inspecting engineer, Mr. A. H. Murison fWellington) arrived at Taihape. Yesterday morning thev carried out a further inspection of the hill and it was subsequently decided to make an immediate start with the removal of dangerous top hamper and enable train running to be resumed as early as possible. Mr. Bertinshaw added that they had also decided to build a deviation at the back of the cutting. This temporary track would be an insurance against the hillside sliding down. If the cutting became blocked.it would be possible to run trains on the deviation. but the snare track would be used only if necessary. Railway men with long experience of track work say that * the trouble north of Taihape is among the worst they have experienced for many years. Had a landslide occurred it would have been the most serious slip in the history of the Main Trunk. Mauy cracks and fissures have developed on the slopes of the hill, some of them extending as far back as 500 yards from the railroad. The entire hillside, formed of papa and soft clay, for a length of about eight chains, appears to have moved. The full extent of the trouble can only be appreciated after a climb to the summit of the hill. Cracks have appeared in the fields beyond, and further down the slopes fissures have widened and in some localities ledges have crumbled away. A strong retaining wall, immediately above the permanent way, has been forced out of alignment by pressure exerted by the moving earth. This wall was constructed of 701 b. rails, supported by stout hardwood sleepers and further rails embedded in concrete blocks. Some of these rails have actually been twisted. When the railroad through the mountainous Main Trunk country was being built by the Public Works Department in the earlier part of the present century, a major slip occurred in this locality. Much excavation work was carried out and a basin formed, after which the Public Works engineers built the first portion of the retaining wall. In 1918 four and ahalf chains were added to this wall by the Railways Department.

Mr. Bertinshaw commented yesterday that till recent weeks, when the weather had been exceptionally wet in the King Country, this bank had not given any trouble in 24 years. Apart from a small quantity of clay which was easily removed, no actual slip had occurred in the cutting. Portions of the papa, however, have formed a greasy back over which the softer material is sliding. The country is still saturated and water was seeping from the hillside all yesterday- , X , With the aid of mechanical tools gangs of men worked all yesterday and throughout the night in an effort to clear the top hamper and build the deviation as rapidly as possible. Late on Monday night a “bulldozer special,” so called because it consisted of several flat wagons loaded with angle girders and mechanical shovels, left Aramoho for Taihape. By daybreak the material was on the job. Much of it was assembled from the Wanganui and South Taranaki districts, and some of the equipment was used to clear the SiratfordOkahukura line when it was extensively damaged by floods last January. To facilitate operations the gangs are working from both ends of the cutting, but a fair amount of excavation will be necessary before the temporary track is completed. Steam cranes for heavy lifts have been assembled at both the Taihape and Mataroa ends. , T In charge of operations are Mr. Dow and the assistant district engineer, Mr. W. T. Langbein. Express trains between Wellington and Auckland yesterday again used the Stratford route. Restricted services, following the coal strike, have greatly reduced the number of trains operating on the Main Trunk. Twn mixed trains run between Marton and Taumarunui daily, but while the track is closed passengers are being transhipped by road between Taihape and Mataroa. Apart from work trains, which ran at frequent intervals to and from the slip area, the Taihape railway vards were very quiet yesterday. Shortly before mid-day a Jpcomoave and van ran to Marton to bring back more material required by the maintenance gangs, including a small steam engine which was used on Gower’s Hill grade easement work, just south of Turakina. before operations were suspended because of the war. The engineers said yesterday that all available men were being employed on the Mataroa “bank.” The work is being pushed forward with all possible speed, but every precaution will be taken for the safety of trains. The track will not be open before the engineers consider that the danger has been removed.

The Main Trunk express which left Wellington on Monday afternoon arrived at Auckland at 11.21 yesterday, almost four and a-half hours late. The extra running time via the Stratford-Okahukura line is about three and a-half hours.—Press Association.