S.I. MAIN TRUNK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 11

S.I. MAIN TRUNK

-Preas Aaaoeiation. )

Good Progress With Rail Construction EARLY COMPLETION

(By Telesrapk-

BLENHEIM. Last Night, "With mechanisation increasingly becoming a feature of tho construction of the South Island Maia Tfvtnk, fEe progress of the work after something less than 18 months from tho time it cecommenced is generally well in ac* cord with the schedule originally planned. So a Marlborough Express representative ascertained in the courge o£ an inspection of- the line. A knowledge of engineering technioalities is not necessary for an appreciation of the progress that iias bcen made. More than 450 men are cngug-":d on the section, mostly .working ur.der contract and using machinery which makes possible a daily rat-c of achievenient which not many years ago would have required the efforts of a substantially greater nuinber. Camps, which are really small towns, complete with" many modern facil.'ies, are to be seen at various points alotg the line from Wharanui to Kaikoura, and there is a general atmosphere . ot purposeful activity which axguro well •for the early.completion of this great engineering scbeme. '■ Most of the work on tho horthern section is now concentrated south of the Clarence River, in country pre- • senting many difiiculties, and callirg for major cutting, tunnelling and bridging operations. North of the Clarence, however, there is still certain work requiring completiDn tefore the line will be ready for the iinal toucheo. Bridging work between Wharanui and tlie Clarence is well in hand. The total length of hridges- on that section will be aomething over" 3000 feet. At Shades there is a fairly large eamyt which will be engaged pn the work of ballasting and . forming the permanent way from Shades to the Clarence, a distance of > about 12 miles. and it is ^expected that a start will be made with that work about the end of this month. The building of the Clarence bridge is going ahead well, though late de•ivery of steel has. caused some delay. Three out of 13 cylinders have beeu stmk on this bridge. One of the major works of the whole line, including the cost of the bridge and approaehes, it is estimated that there will be iittle left of £100,000 by the time it is completed. Beyond the Clarence, the line fraverses sand dune country where a good deal of_ formation work was completed previously. This has now been cleared, Three miles beyond the Clarence, the. line enters a terrain and heavy construction work was entailed. and in this iocality particularly remarkable progress has been made. Qrdinary construction has been practically cojnpletod for a distance of about 18 miles. Surveys are in hand with a view to placing the line as near as possible to the township of Kaikoura. At present ifc is considered that the station yard will be constructed approximately in the, position of tlie present' Kaikoura show-grounds, within a quarter-of-a-milo of the northern end of the towp.