OTIRA TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1921, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL

NEARING COMPLETION

ELECTRIFICATION CONTRACT

CHRISTCHURCH, May 7

The fact that work on the cutting of the Arthur’s Pass tunnel is expected to Ik: finished by September next, was referred to by 2\lr F. W. Furkei m, Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department, when asked for information regarding the progress being made ba the contractors, the English Electrical Company, in connexion with the installation of a generating plant to provide electricity for operating the traffic 01 the tunnel. Mr Furkert stated that the Engli'h (Electrical Company was, sdndifcg out some members of its staff in connexion with the work, and the sub-contractois, 1 Messrs Greenshields and Company of Wellington, who have the actual field work to do, are getting gear together in readiness for a start with their pa t l of the scheme. A Christchurch firm, Messrs Booth, Macdonald, and Co., are manufacturing the cable racks on widen will be carried the wires conveying the eleactric current. The site of the power- I house haR been excavated, and a start has been made with the concrete

foundations for the power-house an' l the hoiler-house. Messrs Babcock and Will cox have secured the contract for the boilers, which will he of the ‘‘B and TV” marine type, specially modified to make them suitable for land service with superheaters. Rails for the pe v manent way through the tunnel lru<arrived a thousand tons being at Arthur’s Pass, and between 500 and 000 j tons being at the Addington Workshops I being made into points and crossings.