ROAD MACHINERY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8452, 17 May 1906, Page 5

ROAD MACHINERY.

Requirements of Masterton

Borough.

Some Suggestions by the Borough Engineer.

Various Comparisons and

Deductions,

In his memorandum to the Masterton Borough Council, in connection with the proposed expenditure of the first portion of the £25,000 Borough Loan, the Borough Engineer (Mr D. Dobson) deals with the important subject of road machinery. Following is an extract from his report:—

Road Machinery.—The need of making better roads has long been apparent; the principal machinery required is a steam road roller with scarifier and a stone crusher with screening plant, The shallow depth at which the gas mains and services and the water services have been laid make it imperative that many of them be re-laid before a heavy roller can ba used in several streets in the town, A 6 h.p. engine and roller would weigh about 10 tons, whilst an 8 h.p. would weigh about 14 tons. It would be best to have a traction engine convertible to a road roller and for traction engine purposes an 8 h.p. engine is in hauling capacity superior to a 6 h.p. For the most of the work, however a 6 h.p. such as in use at Wanganui, would be sufficient. As to whether you shall get a compound engine, depends on the manner in which it is likely to be attended to. This type is of course more efficient and economical, but on the other hand it requires more knowledge and attention on the part of the driver to get these results from it. Taking everything into consideration T am of opinion that a 6 h.p. compound engine would be the most suitable for your purpose. It is of course essential that you should have a scarifier attachment to engine for breaking up roads. I would recommend that you get an Austin Crusher with screening and elevating plant for same. They are lighter for transport and quite as efficient as any other make. A number are now in use in the Colony and are giving satisfactory results. As regards the purchase of a grader, if the formation of the roads to be made is to be done by contract I do not see much use in the Council purchasing a grader ; on tho other hand if the Council purpose doing this work themselves then I would advise the purchase of a grader, as by its use quite 50 per cent, of the contract cost of formation could be saved. As to the question of acquiring trucks for hauling purposes, the Council would be wise first to investigate what has been done in this matter. I have seen some two or three types of trucks for this work, but all of them were of very little use for gravel-carting. Some of those recently in use at Wellington were 7ft high at the sides, or about 2ft Gin higher than the side-boards of an ordinary dray. It is of course impossible to get men to give good results in loading trucks of this height. In Canterbury and several other districts very good results are obtained for hauling produce on good roads, and at Hawera gravel is drawn long distances by traction engines. For the work an 8 h.p. engine is much more efficient than a lower power, but even then not much can be done except on a made road.