OTIRA TUNNEL.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1922, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL.

PROGRESS OF WORKS

A RECENT INSPECTION. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct 3. Mr Henry J. Marriner, chairman of the Railway Committee of the Canterbury Chambe rof Commerce, who lias just made a vist ol inspection to the Otira tunnel works, supplies the following report thereon: — Since our last visit to the Arthurs Pass tunnel a great deal lias been done, and the work is nearing completion. . At the Arthur’s Pass railway yard the work of levelling and laying the tracks is nearly finished. It is expected that the work will he finished by the end of the year, and opened for traffic. The subway, which is being built in order that passengers "ill not hsyve to cross the electrified rails, is started, and is to he finished at the same time. The new site for the station is being prepared and a very substantial parapet built. When tins is completed the station buildings "d be removed to the new site. The only work of any magnitude | that is likely to hold up the running i of the trains is the bridge over the J Realev River. The ironwork is on the ! ground, three of the girders are erect- j ed. and the others will he in position and the bridge finished hy Christmas. | A s far as the Arthur’s Pass railway system is concerned, the engineer in chargci says that the works will he completed hy the end of the ycai. J THE TUNNEL. I Through the courtesy of the Public: Works Department, we werei taken through the tunnel. The inside is nearly finished. All the power lines have been placed in position, and the overhead supports to hold the "’nos are nearly all in position. Mitli regard to the electrical work inside, there is only tlici overhead wire to put in Its place to conneett it with the power lines and the work is completed hut the engineers think it advisable not to finish this until they are read to test the whole of the electrical workings. In about a fortnight the ballasting will he finished. OTIRA RAILWAY. The railway yards at this end ot the tunnel am nearly completed. There is much filling in yet to do m order to bring the yards up to the required levels, and a. wall is in course of erection on the river side to protect 'the raiUvav from inundations. The new railway station is now finished, and a part of the station has already been put into position, hut it will 'take a few more (lavs before the levelling is finished. A very substantial subway, large enough for any main station in Now Zealand, lias het'ii built with three approaches. Passengers therefore will not bare to cross the lines. The electric portion of the railway will end just hy the station, and in order to cope "'ith the traffic it is necessary that the yards should he large and easily worked, as all trains will have to he made up in tl„, yards at each end of the. tunnel, only electric motors traversing the tunnel. So as to meet the extra weight and pull on the electric portion the rails are of the best, and weigh 10011. to the yard, instead ot *7.31), H- laid on the ordinary lines. 1 lie turnstile has been removed to its new position, and before many days the enoine shed will he also removed to its new position. The distance between the Otira end of the tunnel and the station is about one* and a-lialT miles, and the electric polos have been pine*ed along three-quarters of this disTo the right of the Railway Station has sprung up a new town. Ihe hush has been cleared away and a wide street is in course of formation. On either side have been erected 4d houses hy Messrs Love Pros of Port Chalmers, under eontra.J. from \the Government at £7gO per house, while eighteen are to he erected at Arthur s Pass These houses are well-built with all conveniences, and are for the use of the employees of the Railway Department. Mr have courteously showed us through the houses, and we were impressed with their eomtort !ls nothing lias been overlooked. In the city these houses would he rented from 80s to -Ids a week. The new power house has been erected just below the Otira Hotel, where a great deal of excavation has well done in order to make the site suitable. It is a very substantial imposin'' building ol ferro-eonereto. rising t„"a height of about sixty feet. In the boiler house three large marine-type tube boilers are emted with every facility for handling tlm coal to feed them. These are finished «xcept for a few parts, which went down in the Wiltshire, the duplicates are expected this month. The boilers are very massive and built for a. -2.5011. pressure to the square inch. They have been successfully tested and passed a lew days ago. The pressure is 4201 b to the square inch, which is a highly satisfactory test In another portion of the buildin"'is the space for the three motor engines which are not yet to hand. The room is being prepared, and the travelling crane has been place. m position. There will he no delay here. 1 Through a doorway ono comes to tlio condensing engines with their ntnneroils pipes. etc. They are a very Intgo type, and in the required position tin the to]) storev. which is supported bv a massive forro-concreto supports ,is the room containing the electric gemorators. One of these is nearly completed and (the other well on the way to completion, and it is anticipated that the whole of the work will he finished hy the end of the year, unless some utifor'cen calamity occurs. Bell ind the power house a large reservoir is being built to feed the condenSincc the last visit on all the works under operation or construction there I,as been a marked advance Ihe works arc. substantial and solid, a layman might perhaps think overmassive therefore, unduly so, and expensive’, hut if there is any fault it is on the right side, and the 1 üblic Works Department are to lie congratulated oil the excellent work clone, and the materials used. There is no chance of the tunnel being opened hy the end of the to'' 11 ’’ •is after all the works are completed it is expected that it will take three months to test ail the electrical appliances, so that in all probability it will be Easter of 1023 bofore everything is in full working order.