RAILWAY BUS TERMINAL

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 12

RAILWAY BUS TERMINAL

READY FDR OCCUPATION NEXT MONTH MODERN AND UP-TO-DATE BUILDING Dunedin’s new railway bus terminal, an imposing addition to the modern and Up-to-date buildings of the city, should be ready for occupation by the end of next month, and a visit of inspection made by a ‘ Star ’ reporter this week revealed that the final stages of the work were now being proceeded with. . It is more than 18 months since the .construction of the new terminal in Cumberland street was begun, and, while as many as 55 men have been engaged on. the building at the one time, the work was seriously retarded by the fact that a consignment of steel did not conie to hand when expected. The contractors for the building, which is the largest bus terminal in the Dominion, and in which will be parked about 4Q buses, were Messrs W. H. ■Naylor Ltd. and the architects, Messrs Miller and White. An idea of -the size of Die new building may be gleaned from the fact that its greatest length is 405ft._ The entrance to the is made from Cumberland street, and immediately one is struck by the modern and simple, yet most effective, designs that have been carried out. The floors

of the concourse are laid in terrazzo,

the walls being done in Hanmer marble. ‘ The base is in Belgium black, with the ' opening surrounds in West Coast green marble. The colours of the terrazzo floor are nicely contrasting cream and green. The walls are designed in a most modern way, straight lines being a feature. It is obvious that construction of the building has been made with a view to utilising to the best purpose all the 1 space available, and so far as the bus services are concerned everything is on the one floor, the whole building being constructed of reinforced concrete. From the Cumberland street entrance one approaches.the ticket window, and handily situated are the bus manager’s office, the staff room, and a tobacco and newsagent’s stall. In the concourse are also two public telephone rooms, and off it ladies’ and men’s cloakrooms. An interesting feature is that the parcels room on the ground floor is connected with the loading balcony on the floor above with a luggage lift; This loatnng balcony is erected at the_ same level as the top of a bus, and circling the central portion of the building it enables the quick _ discharge of top loads from incoming and outgoing buses.

The departure platform is on the east side of the building and the arrival platform on the west side. Within easy access is the workshop, which is one of the newest features concerned in the construction of the building, the floor of the workshop being level with the bottom of the pits. Actually, the level of the ground floor is just a few inches above street level, and! the only excavation that had to be carried out in the construction of the building was that in connection with the sunken workshop, the level of the pits and the level of the floor of the sunken workshop being : the same. A Morris hoist for. lifting any portion of the bus is installed in the workshop, which, in common with the rest of the build-' ing, is centrally heated. _ Attached to the workshop is a mechanics room with two showers and conveniences attached.

The roof of the building has been designed along the lines of those constructed in wool stores, and some of the longest main-trusses in tho South Island have been used in the saw-tooth roof, the longest being 110 ft. Facing the departure platform are tho drivers’ room, staff messrooin, boiler room, accounts, and traffic inspector’s rooms. On the Cumberland street frontage is a taxi concession. in which there is space for two taxis, cupboards and telephones being attached. The paint and body repair shops are towards the Rattray street end of the building, and adjacent to the arrival platform are the washing bay, greasing pit, and stores. Housed in the bus terminal on the

ground floor will be the assistant locomotive engineer and the car and wagon inspectors’ offices, which are at present occupying more or less temporary premises.

The amenities for railway employees will be greatly improved with the opening of the new terminal, for on the mezzanine floor are three committee rooms and a library, and the top floor comprises a social hall, with stage and two dressing rooms attached, ladies’ and men’s cloak rooms, supper room, and kitchen. Clerk of works on the railway bus terminal has been Mr F. Russell, who filled a similar position at the Wellington railway station for four years, and at the Auckland railway station for two and a-half years.