RAILWAY DEVIATION

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 52, 25 November 1926, Page 6

RAILWAY DEVIATION

MAJOR WORK HELD UP HEAVY TACKLE AWAITED Palmerston North, November 21. Work ou the railway deviation works in Boundary Road is still proceeding, but any marked progress witli the general scheme is dependent upon the arrival of the steam shovels with which to commence the major work, and which have not yet come to hand. A reporter who visited the scene of operations this morning was greeted with the sight of thirty men employed with horses and drays engaged in surface clearing on the site of the yards, and also in filling up the lower pojtion of the ground. The goods yard is at present the subject of operations, and what work can be carried out with manual labour is being performed pending the arrival of the heavy tackle. The area assigned the goods yard is comprised of both low-lying and high ground, so that pick and shovel, aided by explosives, can cope with only part of the work entailed Thus the task of excavating the higher portion can only be approached with steam shovels, which will have approximately 800,000 cubic vards of earth to remove. This work will be in the direction of creating the main cutting, which will have a maximum depth at one part of 20 feet, and a width of 13 chains, working down to the ordinary 16-foo* cutting. Tbe steam shovels have been expected for some time, and it is anticipated that thev will be forwarded shortly Work on the deviation has now been proceeding for close on six months.