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concreted daily. Large shingle and sand bins have been installed at tunnel-portals. The concrete is fed by gravity from the bins to the mixer and thence to the concrete hopper, which is hauled to the concrete-gun in the tunnel by Diesel locomotive. The Clarence River Bridge (76 m. 40 ch.), will consist of twelve 122 ft. steel trusses with two 30 ft. plate-girder shore spans. The foundations consist of reinforced concrete caissons for the river piers and piled abutments. The caissons are 17 ft. by 6 ft. 6 in. in section and are sunk 35 ft. into water bearing river shingle and boulders under compressed air. In spite of the difficult nature of the sinking, it being frequently necessary to blast boulders in the working-chamber, the contractor has made excellent progress and has completed ten of the thirteen river piers. It is expected to have the substructure complete and ready to receive steel by the middle of August. Groyne-protection at bridge-heads will be completed during next year. The Hapuku River Bridge at 92 m. 47 ch. is also a work of considerable magnitude, consisting of twenty-three filled spandrel arch spans of 67 ft. each. The erection of this bridge is one of the keypoints in the time schedule for the completion of this section of line. Plans have been prepared and tenders for erection will be called very shortly. A start has also been made on some of the smaller bridges south of the Clarence, and good progress is being made. Culverts are substantially complete as far as 92 m., and work is well in hand up to 96 m. Portion of the material for laying the permanent line south of Clarence is on the site, but it will be some considerable time before a start can be made with actually laying the rails. It is proposed to establish a ballast-pit at the Hapuku River, and plans are in course of preparation for a large crushing-plant. The plant will be equipped with a 1-cubic-yard slack-line excavator capable of working on a 700 ft. radius, and it is expected to obtain 120,000 cubic yards of ballast by using this plant. Four permanent railway cottages have been erected opposite 86 m. 44 ch. at the Ainseed Station Yard. Approximately four hundred men are employed on the north end, but a considerable amount of plant is also in use to hasten the final date for completion. South Island Main Trunk Railway : South End. (44 m. to 73 m. 40 ch. : length, 29 m. 40 ch.) Work has been continued during the year with substantially the same number of men as last year — namely, 500 to 550. Construction has spread out over the whole of the 29| m. of the section. With the completion of the Hawkswood Cut at 48| m. in October, 1937, the camp was shifted to Puketa, at 73f m., and these men concentrated on the northern end of the section. Recreation halls have been erected at the five largest of the sixteen camps, and are being well used by the men on the works. Good water-supplies have been provided to all camps, and the main road has been sealed through the three camps that lie beside it. In another camp a new road, 3J m. long, has been built to provide good access. The largest open cutting on the job through the Hawkswood Saddle was completed towards the end of October. Work was continued with the one Diesel and two steam drag-lines working the centre of the cutting from the top. This was spread by the 12 cubic yard and 8 cubic yard carry-alls and angledozer with R.D.-8 tractors away from the batter lines. This latter work was spread out over several months and done only while suitable weather for using the machines obtained. In addition to the 53,000 cubic yards excavated in 1931, excavation has been 325,313 cubic yards. With the completion of the work of placing the steel spans on the Leader River Bridge at 44 m. 60 ch. in October, platelaying was started and, although delayed for a time through a batch of inferior sleepers and again for a short time while clearing silt and placing an extra amount of ballast through the Hawkswood Cut, has now reached the Ferniehurst Station Yard at 50 m. 20 ch. Ballast has been placed over the whole length and one lift taken over most of it. Trouble with foundations on piers P and Q and abutment R on the Conway River Bridge at 50 m. 50 ch., which was overcome by driving piles at these points, caused some delay to this bridge. Concrete work is now completed, and placing of the sixteen 45 ft. steel girders is being started now that the railhead has reached the bridge-site. Opportunity was taken during the delay to build the two reinforced deck-slab concrete bridges across the Matagouri Creek at 49 m. 32 ch. and 49 m. 53 ch., the former being two 30 ft. spans with one abutment and the pier on piles, and the latter two 25 ft. spans on piles. The Ferniehurst Station Yard formation was completed during the year by borrowing from the Conway River Flat at 50 m. 30 ch. and beside the yard, using a 12-cubic-yard carry-all and tractor, and with spoil from the access road to the station-yard at 50 m. 9 ch., using a f-cubic-yard Diesel shovel with a tractor and 10-cubic-yard Caterpillar track dump wagon. Work on the 35 ft. span concrete bridge on the approach road is under way. From the Ferniehurst Station Yard to Mick's Creek at 53 m. 40 ch., where the substructure of the concrete bridge of three 45 ft. spans is in hand, cleaning up the old cuttings and the blocks between them left in 1931 has been completed with a shovel and dump wagon. Protection work for the Open Creek Bridge at 54 m. is nearing completion and pile-driving has been completed. From here to the Hundalee Station Yard at 55 m. 55 ch. the earthwork and culverts have been completed. Piles have been driven for the subway at 55 m. 47 ch., where the railway crosses the KaikouraChristchurch State Highway. Continuing along the Conway River, work on the cuttings between 56 m, and 58 m. has been continued and is now being speeded up by machinery.

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