RIMUTAKA INCLINE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2196, 8 July 1914, Page 11

RIMUTAKA INCLINE.

SUGGESTED DEVIATIONS.

ENGINEERS' REPORTS ON THE VARIOUS ROUTES. ■VIEWS OF DISTRICT MEMBERS. Between no other provincial centre and its countiy districts is thero such an obstacle to tho frco flow of traffic ae between Wellington and tho Wairarapa.- Tho two and three-quarter miles of tho Rimutaka Incline, with its grado of 1 in 16, havo cost tho provinco immense sums in upkeep and haulage sinco tho opening of tho lino thirty years or so ago. Thrco different and entirely separate lots of engines have to ho kept on tho Wairarapa lino, ouo for tho iiaulago. between tho City and tlo Summit, a second lot epeciallyconstructed for tho working d tho incline, and then nioro engines for taking up tho ordinary running again at Cross Creek. Every train between tho City and the Wairarapa has to bo twico broken up, and all traffic subjected to tediqus delay while tho Pell engines aro being put on and taken-off again. Otaki is 47 miles from Wellington on tlio ■ Manawntu railway, and l'eathcr6ton, according to tho time-table, is 46 miles from Wellington on tho Wairarapa line. Tlio greater nart of the run from Wellington to Otaki is over a lino on which only tho most moderate speed can ho maintained, but tho journey thero occupies about three-quarters of an hour less than that to Featherston. Tho timo_ lost, bv tho. passengers in thft a deh'uito value to'the country, and is another item, bosides tho wasto of coal and iucreaeed working expenses, that have to bo taken iuto account iu reckoning tho-cost; to tho country of this notorious obstruction to traffic. Routes and Their Cost. 'Fifteen years ago the Government had extensive trial surreys made of various alternative routes by which tho lino might bo taken. Tho thrco principal routes reported on wcro: No. I—Upper Hutt to Woodsido, via Tauheronikau River. No. 2—Upper Hutt to (a) Fcathorston, (b) fcernside.Yor (c) Woodside, via coach road route. No. 3—l'etono to Pigeon Bush, via Wainui-o-mata. The first two routes included a doviation of tho line in order to get better grades between Upper Hutt and Kaitoke. Tho estimated cost of theso routes includes this work, which, howevor, i» really a separate undertaking; from tho ! mountain deviation. , Tbo eaving in distance, height of tho summit to bo crossed, and tho cost (based on tho labour ratos of 1899) in each case, wcro estimated as follows:— Saving in Summit. Cost, miles, feet. J! Existing lino — 1,111 — Tauheriuikau 71 8,9:!7 SM.Oflfl Coach road (a) 7 RO7 285,000 Coach road (b) 65 807 370,000 Coach Road (c) CV 697 IGO.OCO Wainui-o-mata SJ SCO 403,517 If tho improvement of tho lino between Upper Hutt and Kaitokc wero allowed to stand over, a reduction of £100,000 could bo made in tho cost of all the routes given above, except that via Wainui-o-mata. As Dr. Newman points out in.the interview published below the regrading of tho line between Upper Hutt and Kaitoko would benefit only tho up traffic from Wellington into the country which is not nearly so heavy nor so much in need of relief as that coming tho other way. The Coach Road Lino. In the courso of a report, in 1899 on tho various routes surveyed by Mr J H. Dobson, Mr.,P. S. Hay said:—' , " "The trial line from Kaitoko to Featherston via the road saddlo shows that a line can be cot of tho following gencraj character :-«rades-Kaitoko to summit. 1 in 00; sharpest curvo on this gradient, 10 chains radius;, summit level. ODo above datum (present nummit 1244 ft. abovo datum); length of summit tunnel, 143 chains; grade in tunnel, 1 in 00. falling towards Featherston (in the filial location this grado would bo put all on tho straight, a flatter grado being put whero tho curvo occurs); grado tunnel to Fcathcrston, j™™; sharpest curvo on this grade, 10 chains radius. In addition to tho tunnel 143 chains long, the other works o. any noto aro a bridge across tho PaIcuratahi River, also bridges over tho Himutuka, Tidswell's, Beal'e, and Cave's Creeks. There, aro not particularly heavy eaithworks. The lino joins tho existing railway about 23 chains south of tho Featherston Station. Its length is about 9 miles 6G chains, and tho estimated cest is £181,200. "To get a grado of 1 in 55, with perhaps Gomcirhat ( sharper curves than 10 chains radius, it would be necessary to lengthen the deviation and join tho existing railway about three-quarters of a mile beyond the Featherston Station. This would increase tlio cost of this deviation to about £191,000. «■; estimated by Mr. Dohson; but I think this amount is rather little. "The itrados oLlaiimbliMin citliei of Iho nbovo lines do not comjiai" favoutnhly with those olitainnblo by tln> Tiiiihi>rinikau route,-.anil 1 havo oxainiiiod tho cMinliy bet worn Abbott's Crook and Kernsido and Woodside Stations to a«-cn-iain approximately what grades could bo. got by running tin ,, line either to Frriisido .Station or to Woodsidu Station —in this, latter cusp crossing !lic Tanhcriuikmi River at as hull a level as jinssit>l? ill order to get the flattest possible grade. "If a lino were conAt.rurted fiom the

Iload Saddlo Tunnel down tho loft sideof Abbott's Creek, and nlong the hillsides beyond Koatherston to Kernsido Station, tho continuous grade obtainable, assuming'tho grade-through tho tunnel was 1 in 70 on the straight, would be about 1 in 75; with tho grades v.'hero on curves flattened proportionately to the ciirraturo this lino would probably givo a working grjdiont no worso than 1 in t>6 on tho straight, depending on the relative amount of straight to curved line in the section. The works would bo much heavier than for tho 1 in 55 lino; in addition to lifrger bridges or viaducts being required for the tributaries of Abbott's Creek, a viaduct of , nl<out 150 ft. in height and of considerable length would be required over Ikiar Hush Creek, behind l'Vathorston. On tho hillsides to tho south of this creek thero is 4 large slip, or, rather, dislocation of the ground, reaching up to nbout tho grade-level; but 1 do not know-that this would be an important factor, as probably a moderate cutting would tako tho lino back into solid ground. Tho cost of this alternative deviation, Kaitoko to Fornside, may be token as £260,000. Better grades than tlioso on the trial lino would bo toquired between Kaitoko and tho Summit Tunnel to get approximately balanced grades for tho probablo up-and-down country traffic. Though not quito m> good, this routo approaches very nicarly

tho Tauhcrinikan routo as regards grades. Anothor Variant. : • "If, ae another alternative, a lino wcro constructed liko tho preceding from tho lload Summit Tunnel, down tho hillsides on tho left bank of Abbott's Creek, then along tho hillsides between i'catherston and tho Tauhorinikau River, crossing tho river at a lovej of "Oft. to 80ft. alrovo tho level of Woodsilo station, and then miming along tbo terraces and flats to Woodvillo, tho continuous grado obtainable, assuming that the grado in the Summit Tunnel is 1 in !)0 on tho straight, would be about 1 in C"). With tho grades on tho curves suitably and pro)>oitionatc'ly flattened, according to tbo sharpness of tho curve, it it probablo that a working gradient of 1 in £2, or perhaps bettor, could bi> obtained by careful location of tin; lino, depending on the relative lengths of curved and straight line on tho section ht'UVi'on the .Summit Tunnel and I lit' Tnulieiinikiiu Hivcr erossinjj. Tins I bribes over Tiilswoll's Croi-k, Hoal's Oii'i'k, Cave's (.'rook, would b.'coino viadut'ls of some size, and the viaduct required to cross Hoar Hush Creek would bo '.'lOl't. high, though the line could, I think, be run mii> tho gully to avoid the viaduct; also them would bo cither a (•mailer viaduot or a hij;h bunk lrquiivd lor a gllllv nlintit halfway between !-*••:•- thoisloi) ii lid I ho Tallhriiilikaii. ThiMi wijnM likoly bo tome short itinnrls roBuiiod at lame of tlio cullies; tho

bridges or viaducts be considerably reduced h\ the:, l tunnel', 1i it I liftvo not assumed tit it ti is 101 Id b su in tho approxim itc cstnn.il* 1 n Ik low Tho worst pait ot llio country which this altcrantim route nun* is I think, that around the sidu of (jm-i-Crcek. "Tim hillsides in inii'li •iiort- f nonr able. I think, foi r ail« ,\ < .instruct <.n than those alon,; whir-h U is piopo <I to construct son c poitiui sol tic .Vid land Railway, and iwio -o tlnn m n f other places where r n "\s lime bc< n already constructed m \< ii Ziilind The best grades from Wool idf to- Km toko arc obtainable h\ tJ is mute, and tho worst parts ol *tlif hi ( \ioii! I Im safer than the worst pins along tho Taiihercniluiu lout. I lie of ronstruc'tion Irom I'.ikunt.thi to AVoodsido would bo ior\ heiu\-s~\, £300,000. In this I h-i' l i.n hided i sum of £2.5,000 for short tiinn >ls in nd dition to tho cost ot the Summit runnel, and £93,000 foi bridges \nd \nducts. Tliero would be mi mo dilhnilt. m Rotting grades from ihe I'ppo-i 11nli. to tho Summit sufli;ientl\ flit ♦« mud the | use of assistant engines with !ho present ratio of up to d<\\n-eonntn tr.idie on a lino with so (lit a gr n dient "s this one between Woodsido ~nd the Summit | Tunnel. A possible \ irntion of this' routo would bo to run up Hoa l- Hush | Gully and tunnel tn.ough *o trie's i

Creek watershed; thi9 would in ika tho grado steeper, porhapi iot much lutttr than tho grado mi tho Finhomikni, but I havo no rehablo diit" for det< r mining tho grades or tho nno«iK of tunnelling required. Tauhcrlnlkau Rcuta. "Tho lino via the lauh-r.nik lit vonld branch" off from tho \bbott\ Creel routo at a point ibout ti 0 thlo3 ind thrce-quaiters beyond Kiitole Utor crowing tho Rimutaki Crect* \ a kmill bridge, this lino run* fo' % little o\o two miles along tho spuii a «' niton on ing flats, until tho tunul th-migi fho main rango is rearhod Tbi» loin h of line is fairly easy, ind -honld 0111, ro quiro moderate ban'ii and nittini/i anil a number of ouherte if pit on tlic grado sujige-sled In Mr Oobson tlio tunnel -would ho about TO flinii. loii>; It will probably bo through --l.itj lu'l, nnd will require to bo liinil thioiighout If, however, tho 1111111 I grndi is in 1 le to fall instead of us< 10 tl.o south mil tin.' saving in riso iml I ill nm.i'itri and U'ii»tli of lino hotnom tho IM«iir> tahi anil fho tuiiml mil t>. 1 11 , ! , 1" justify tbo nun' nf (i.o tnnn I Milliciontly lo <;ivo ni ot-v from the'south to the noitli "ml 'h.s v.-ill also lie of oons.di 1,. , 'o i> U m 11 1 11 constructing the tiitiiml \l tb uoi'li fin! thoio is a larrf «1 «*cl nn ih w II !« likely to !;'i\c Ironm> -hiult i> , 'I>m oxpurifllCi-rl at to? epil-, f! '"■ *-p""iiri » Range tunnel. The appro-eli cuttitg at

■iliu pfld wilt I* ltmgt through a P lceo . -I-<>C t:o,ni.jiaf-ii.tivc,ly flat yrcwuul;:s' the- upper : J fiftd cjfthis If at iorins tho. vi'fti'iSj suiniiii't jfor tlvk i:fi!iic, Ifcyfliicl tl.vo tumid, tlio |ii|«>. wftl .ruiv dciwri .■ttii? riglUt baM : k of 3 J tributary o.f tiiq I'iusjieaiiiloilj i'o its 1 l'uiirnon ■«it'll tho river At ilio end of I 111 • mile ('re (-t.ido 'S not irrv Infill I ilio 0 tin -twit. Iji.l, lor the lis' tlircc- ,' r)ii.itt"ii> of a ;mlp or fro the 1 rook fells .T\|)i'l'v. tiiut at its jundior with 'ho riMi tli« ,:r.idi<-)jno I - about IPOh ! .ibrno- the. nver-bod Alonj Ulll last s^e. tinu the cock is cutting int<i it= hank";, I ami there r.re a nmr'bcr of one or t«o nf some sue In one case *>b.:.t ap« 1 pi.ir* to bo an ohl fifii), o\orfsrov.it with i nm.rll scrub, roaches .ibo\o the crnle--1 I'iir. in .ill tiio oilier c.i-M tip upr/T , of the < rcelt-b.u.ks *\hero ru; a«r.y I niiii fallen 111 are veil i> L |o\v tlio ' line. Juflrsi.it; from the ilopes of the ' hilksidcs, the vorks roni-ircd nlon-j the ■ trilmfarv to form a railii iv lino i.ould 1101 l-o .ory ho: vv for the first mile, hut »oulJ be '•omental heavy for tiie lint Ihrcc-Pii.irters of a milo or so. I'tittmcs, j Liiika, .itiri cuKoiti, ni'it porhaps 0110 m two Misall bri'lsros, iinuld bo tho v>orks required. Alii r'eavint; the tnmit:>rv ereek the lino tuuM folli.v tlie bank of the j ■JViiM'iin.ls-.u for ahv.t four miles end j a half. There '".ill be some heavy vnrKs on tins section, oApcciiillv on tho first 1 lhr"i» miles. The will bo hr.iv,» ;

some snot tunnels at l>l ifs <i id bridges 1 "iier tiibntm <reo'is wil l lo tenured r Uio work" would >o hghUr on Mi* I.«-»t milo and 1 h K, ■> t'lt gorLcv ppe ia out mor", ,nd tenenllj tho 'opev. of the bilkidos '."em not to be so sto°i About tl rec nilf? irom Vonci k'c station the li"3 noukl croi-- thn '1 •'ihernii'iii ltnor «it'ier on a bridge o<- on a uad ct, acro.ding to tho g tde idoptcd, anc , -\o.ilti 1 ihen run nn t'io t«rr cos or on tl 0 111"- | n Jie gndt, urn rcqairo Ibe contiiinonr giidao!it n miole from ] Vood ido tT tho tunne , w H \i r v fiom . 1 in ()0 to •ilMiut j in S , , acturuing .11 Ihe gnlo begin-! 'it'll tho "rowing of tbo inn or mir , A\lien tin tklh w suitinlv flitteninl 011 (lio flints 11. firoporlin to (h< ir ridra"., 1 tlunl 't 11 |>robi')le that a nliiijr 'indo not watv tin.! 1 in 70 on tho %triiiglit (Ti be got lro - n Wood 1 ;(it, 1 tv, tlii> nini.cl T'.p foirifp' ruin.,; I r r i iJi 1 Ji tlii' prujHiv 1 l-iii 'jD 1 m> 1 ould j 1 In .Ik nt i 11 V, I lir Milnii'O i>l th. , I p.oiiiit ti ilhf fulh <ustit>iH ihc adoption 1 i'l lli l-ih-71) ,-imli, i!ul 11 j nou lino i" u<iitli ili- Iμ xi i,hl nu iblc J ( ~i.i'!» slmnld 'i\ uvloptpiJ j 1 The Engineer s Choice. I Vr Mm ii, in- suiiiiMii< f.i\nnrod (il'ur tin , I nib irni.ikn mute m <lio ' 'Mil'. 1, tin ( 0.-ll Knul !M(l<l!o I- ' Win-Kl-'i l|. «>l t- tll.S ' hUrr 10 id In. idd>- t, s ito murh '.1111-1 piobublo ' '"><• 'osort atStUiuCS, <

' Hie probable o,i\np in wcrkir.g op'-ii'-csi on tl.j t iros nt annual 11.1 file 1 timid Iv it 1.-ast Xl2.ol»fi to £13,000, but against this there would be-, ir. the c.iso ot 111< j.U'hct' nilitti route, tho cost of working r, bianclt lrie to I'latherfcton or l'lgotm Bush, with tho Huiki ■ruddle-V>ot>rJ-.i Io roi'to, thi-, peruana, 111 be ino.dod, thciign it nr.ist bo ao■nitted Uiai tho staiior ok th& hills ■itiout 17011 or t-o .iho\o Feathoraion would lie soni'uhat inconvenient. Thero would .1110 lor some time at least, be iiu increased cost m tarthwork LMii.IcmAco Wit , , incirasiiig traffic, Mich as ma , , re b. expected, thero I ould be corresponc'iiigly greater si\iiig in working expeiiocs. ' Thf , rle\i. tion ,ia tho Tauhcrcnikau ■rill rcluco Iho distance fron , V.'ood\illi- 10 to al out 107J ml!"s, .1-, against LOj m'los bv tlio Manr.watu lino, hut la ucn of the slower speeds II rough t!ie Manawatu Go-go, and tho tlon nlu of tra ellirg from 'lawn Flat t< Wellington, tho timo f.-on Woodvillo to Wellington \n th« Taul en-nikau icntion would, I think, be a litt : o shorter, i> it ako should bo by tho Wood side-Road Saddle rouU—in both ciscs tor iMsbcnger-t'-ai r s. Tlio ruliic; irndiont .11 iho i'annwjtu lino agoin«t tralTu to Wfllirgton is 1 in SG, i.ith 4'J-<-hiiti "iir\es, ?s 1 in 70 oi' Oic straight b\ tho Taujercr.iaku deviation "

VValnui-o-fpata Rcuta. In a report in 1899 on tho Wa nui-o-nata route, Mr. It W Holmes, liOi--1 iigirc r in-Clnef, saiu. — Tho obstacles to tho cons'rnction of a lino aro three watershed-en iJes —iiair"- \\, Jlutt-WaiuLi-o-niata, Wanu'-o-mata-Orcngoi-ongo, ard Orongoionijo-Wsircn gonial Tho sadJ c"! n theso divides cannot bo mado msj oi cecau&o tho moJi'tair-s.Jcs aro too ftrot lpitous, t'X) b> brinch i.Mle\o and too hab'n to slip to pornit of iho constr'iotion of a tailwajlino m the portion that nouUl bo n"cesmt to il'ow of griding overifien, rio, tlioro is not spflir.ont dutipoo to i;i ide <ionn in tro.'i tin. Orongorongo Unor to Iho Yiaiiiiii-c-mati Ui\or "ith .1 ] in-l)0 f,rade whilo a I e!i incline o" 1 r ir>. unitTblo fiundation ould he lequired on the Wairougomii side Hie biiininit-love , of a g'ai'od lrit> would U niiiiit 141'0't itu o tbo pei .uid situ,it((. it the hi ad ot thf W atnvi o-nuta U lei I In (liflirnltioi piinoniod o\ lliosc cfm lo- 1 111 In , siiiiii'iuiitdl U tb" < 011•.tin'll,l,l ol l» 11 t<lllllols 0110 £0 [ham, tone mil") Iptwmi Lo\.i\ ll>\ 1 ml \\aniiii-o-nnla. the othor thrco miles of 1 buns long lolwoen \\.iinui-o-n.ita and Pneis, ,)i-t>ing uiirjot (be Oruiisormuo It. c r a 1 .1 •lipiii ol Milu Ik|o« 1110 bed Ibcro >>nl b' two mil's of n fk arj nn; up to th"j first turntl trem '.he Eutt \ el'tjj aad thita miles

nf heaiy work grading down the WaiValle) fom end cf second tl'liilL , !, the rest of ihe will bo ico "a»j, ond s>tuated on flat gr.u.id. With tho exception of three miles in I'm. W.urotigyniai V.illc tho forms.uonJiorks 1 ill bo \erj eiablc, neither lnblc :o i,li}i nor sulk" - damage bj flood, con--t.niit.niij the nui'-tcnauco of lino will! %..•!}_ llgllt The •(iistamo from PeU,no to Pigeon Dush ii oO| miles, wlndi'is tho iength oi dctidtion cr now lire 10 constrrct l'lio tls's'aiior' fioin Wo'lngtcii to end ot 'Jewit.ou . Pigeon Hush \:a conhtruuted Imo Ji 11 mile , ;, and vir. de\iahoi: is 37 miloj 33 chains, a,pa\mi, ct tlireo miles 17 cb. ins ber.'g effected on | tho actual disUnco, ,ind ICJ m-los or. 1 the piosent ;>aim™ distance. _ I llio lughsot po>i>t or suciait cf ibi lina ia at tin Wellington «-i;d of tho 1(4'!? tunnoi, iU heigbt abo«o soc-level Louis ."itJOft., apd SSlft below summit' ot tonstructed lino- ' '"'I bo Triax'mum grado required is ono in 70 agairst tho traffic to tho Vi'raiapa, an,i V.c- in 80 agairst tho traTic trom tho Wairaupa, which larger quantity. they are therefore Mtuatcd hi tho most advantageous position in the Waiaui-o-n ata Villoy ail'd ths nari>l tl.o Wainuiomata VaUej and- the narrow belt of flat country a'on'j tho AVai- I raripa Lako is quitp unfit for sottle--I'ioiit, it is onij fit for a fordsc ips;rf6, or to act as a catchment-basm for supplying. Wellington 'with Mater and pon»r ..s far as tbo Vallcj is ■■"onterned The Vi'".irongomai Valky n me. dy a precipitous moui.ta;n ' gorge. "Tho chief -wints in favour of tins routo ore , (1) Shorter by 3 piles 47 chains than constmet-cd line; (2) low summit 'ccl— yu , sCoft. aiove sea Je\ c'; (3) only ono bridge of anj mag-n-.tudo—\iz., tbatoui tho Hult'll ; >or; i 4) easil , , iiiaintaincd, (5* very easy 1 grads.?, (6) doe? not interfere with prfrsent Jino th'ough Feathciston."