37

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Wellington district. Wellington-Woodville Railway. Opaki Contract (Formation and Permanent-way : (55 miles 41 chains to 73 miles 47 chains). —This contract, situated between Masterton and the Forty-Mile Bush, has been let; the time for completion is the 15th December, 1883. Coal-store and Smithy Contract.- —This includes a 100-ton coal-store in Wellington Station-yard, and a smith's shop at Petone 72 feet by 35 feet. Both buildings are completed, and steps are now being taken to erect smiths' fires and tire furnace, &c, in the latter. Masterton Coal-store Contract. —-This includes a building for holding 50 tons of coal; it was completed in August. Petone Cattle-yards Contract. —This work was completed in October last. Protective Works (Rivers Tauherenikau, Waingawa, and Waipoua).—These were reported as being in hand last year. They have since been completed, and promise to act successfully. Additions and Alterations to sundry Stations, Buildings, fyc. —These have been effected at Pipitea, Petone, Upper Hutt, Cross's Creek, Featherston, Fernside, Middleton, Matarawa, and Masterton; and blind sidings have been converted into through sidings at seven places, all very much to the advantage of the traffic. Some additional sidings have also been laid down in Wellington Station-yard. Surveys. Wellington-Masterton. —The survey of this line, as finished, is complete, with plans as far as the 44th mile; the remainder of the plans are now in hand, and will shortly be finished. Their completion has been delayed by the Assistant Engineer having been ordered to make another survey —viz., of Point Jerningham for defence purposes. Castlepoint Survey. —This was made for the purpose of selecting the most favourable site for the proposed jetty, for which plans have been prepared, and the work will shortly be ready for public tender. Extension of Railway Survey beyond Opaki (78 miles 47 chains). —This was begun in January last. The detail survey is completed as far as 78 miles, and a trial survey beyond this has been made to 81 miles 40 chains. A very good line has been obtained The earthwork will be comparatively light, although on this section there will be numerous unavoidable river crossings, not, however, presenting more than ordinary difficulty. The_survey is still being pushed on. FOXTON-NEW PLYMOUTH RAILWAY.—FOXTON-PATEA SECTION. Whenuakura Contract (Waverley to Patea, 8 miles 3T20 chains, formation and per-manent-wav). —The time for this contract, nine months, will be largely exceeded : it should have been completed on the 28th October, 1882, but it is probable that it will not be finished before July. Difficulty was encountered in procuring the necessary timber, but the main cause of delay has been in the earthwork, some portions of which have given much trouble, increased by the wetness of the season last year. Branch, Bunnythorpe to Ashurst. —l3o chains of bush have been felled on this line 2 chains wide, making a total of 3 miles felled to date. Works on opened Lines. —Various additions have been made to the workshops at East Town, the principal being the extension of the erecting shop 56 feet by 60 feet, and a building over the spring and tire furnace (lately erected) of 40 feet by 30 feet. Sundry new sidings and minor additions to various stations, have been completed, and several of the water-supplies .improved. A very high flood on the 9th June, 1882, carried away three of the SO-feet spans of which the Rangitikei Railway Bridge is composed; and, after erecting a temporary bridge over the gap, to carry the traffic, it was determined to re-erect the bridge with one span of 120 feet, on account of the large quantity of drift timber (instead of two of 60 feet), at the southern end. The materials for this alteration have been procured, and the work of fitting is now in hand. The large span will rest on cast-iron cylindrical piers (instead of piles), and these have been sunk and fixed ready to receive the superstructure. An addition to the rolling-stock has been made—namely, 15 double-story sheep-trucks. Surveys. Carnarvon-Sandon Tramway. —A survey has been made of this; line pegged out, and sections, plans, and estimates prepared; length, 13 miles 75 chains. PATEA-NEW PLYMOUTH SECTION. Earthwork Contracts. —No. 8 (57 chains long) was finally completed on the 19th March, and No. 9 (1 mile 37 chains long), including formation of main line, and that of Manutahi Station-yard and approach-road, is all but complete, only a small portion of the approach-road being unfinished. Manutahi Pla£elaying Contract (length 7 miles 38 chains, extending from Patea westwards). —The works on this contract have been delayed, owing to the non-completion of No. 8 earthwork contract, but are now progressing very well, and it is to be expected that the whole will be completed about the end of June. 7—D. 1.