RAILWAY WORKS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1930, Page 2

RAILWAY WORKS

SOUTH MAIN TRUNK. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) BLENHEIM, May 2-3. Though the progress of the work on the. completion Of the South Main Trunk Railway does not come up to the anticipations of those optimists, who had expected to see express trains; running between Picton and Invercargill within three years of the advent of the United Government, there nevertheless has been excellent progress made, and the actual permanent railhead is now at Blue Slip, some four miles south of Wharanui, while the formation work is nearing complotoin as fpr as Kekerangu. and work has been opened up for a distance of about five miles beyond that point.

Light temporary rails have been laid round the Blue Slip, and the Department’s works train should soon he able to reach Kekerangu, except for the necessity for a couple of small bridges. It is anticipated that a definite po-M-y in regard to bridging’he laid down shortly. At the present time there are some 250 men engaged on the work from Whnranui southward, and unless double shifts are worked in some of the more difficult places, it is hard to see how many more could be profitably employed at the present time. The workers, however, are under the impression that the Department is conas a means of absorbing the unemployed during the winter, the opening up of a section south of the Clarence. Rivey. In this locality there is a fairly long stretch of comparatively easy work, and it is stated that gangs of men could carry on. the formation- continuation without any equipment, short of horses, scoops, trucks And’’light, rails, with, of course, the indispensible .pick and " shovel. The fact that this section could he put in hand without the necessity for transporting great quantities of material by ornd lends colour to the suggestion. A report is also current to the effect that the engineers engaged on the southern end of the job at Parnnssnus intend to send an advance guard of workers to Oarn, midway between Conway and lvaikourn. It is stated that a big camp is about to be established in that locality, hut no confimntion is possible from this end.