CONSTRUCTION PLANT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 17, 4 February 1937, Page 10

CONSTRUCTION PLANT

» m. f ' Tunnelling Implements For East Coast Line EARLY DELIVERY EXPECTED Much of the special plant ordered nearly a year ago by the MinfstOr of Public Works, the Hon. K. Semple, for railway construction between Napier and Gisborne will be delivered on to the job within the next few weeks. The plant referred to is now afloat and en route for New Zealand, and by the end of March, it is anticipated, the various major items .will be performing the speciaiised work for which they are designed. Mr O. G. Thornton, distript .engineer at Gisborne, stated that tunnelling implements would comprise the bulk of the machinery for which the department was waiting delivery. Air compressors, rock driils, scrapers for the speedy nandling of smail debris i^i the tunnels, and concreting pumps were the major items. Various other smaller machines would be included in the deliveries, but the tunnelling implements were most important to the progress of the line. At present, he pointed out, tunnelling was proceeding by the old manual methods, and the rate of progress naturally was slow by comparison with 'that which the machines wero expected to show. Preliminary organisation oi tunnelling gange, and the exten$ive arrangement of labour and material necessary for the service of the tunnelling operations, are now complete, and there should be no delay in putting fche new machinery into operation on arrival. Permanent foundations have been laid for the various items which will remain in situ for extended permds, and before April the process of building the Waikokopu-Gisborne porfcion of the line should be speeded up materially.