NEW RAILWAY SITE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4797, 9 January 1925, Page 2

NEW RAILWAY SITE.

PROGRESS OF RAILWAY WORKS. EVIDENCE OF SPEEDING UP. The work of formation and construction at the site 1 of the new railway station. at Paeroa in the vicinity of the Puke is proceeding steadily, and a visit to this locality reveals a scene of industry and bustle. Huge trees have been lifted bodily out of the ground, mere triiies such ao houses and sheds have been pulled down or pushed out of the way, streets have been closed and new ones opened. drains have been filled in and marshy places filled to a consolidated level —all this being done in the course of the Railway Department’s undertaking to provide Paeroa with new station buildings and adequate railway yanks.

Although nearly one hundred men, working in gangs, are employed on this undertaking, mechanical means for labour-saving and expedition o f the work also figure prominently, notably a steam navvy, which is at present employed in excavating near the site of the new goods sheds. There is nothing extraordinary about this machine with the exception of the efficient manner and rapidity with which it does the work. Manipulated by twe men (engineer and fireman), this machine, which is fitted with a grab-bucket of three-quarters of a cubic yard capacity, can fill a railway truck holding six cubic yards of soil in the quick time of three minutes. The navvy is set on rails, swings on a turn-table, and can be easily moved from place to place under its own steam. A rake of from 14 to 30 trucks, drawn by a busy little locomotive, is pulled in alongside the steam navvy and filled one by one in an incredibly short time. The trucks ol spoil are then drawn along to the desired location for the reception of the spoil—at present to the south of the Ohinemuri River—and there emptied. A number of empty trucks are left near the steam navvy, and these are pulled into position as required by a horse until the return of the locomotive. Tims there is no loss of time and the machine is kept working continuously. The matter of emptying the trucks is but the work of a few minutes. A huge board, known as a "plough,” is placed on the top of the truck and fastened by wire ropes to the engine, which steams ahead, dragging the plough along each truck, which is quickly emptied of its ’ load. In this way the slow and laborious method of shovelling the spoil is eliminated.

The concrete kerbing of some 16 chains in length for the station platform has been constructed, and a start has been made to fill in the low ground and build the platform up to the level of the kerbing. This worli has to be done before the erection of the station building is proceeded with. *

’ At the present time a large relay gang, under the control of Mr H. Wilson, is laying a new set of rails in a more or less permanent position to carry the regular Thames-Paeroa trains It is expected to have this work completed, and the line in use by Tuesday next. The present main line will then be taken up, so that further construction work can be proceeded- with at the new station site, where sufficient room is being provided for ten sets of rails in addi■tion to the goods shed.

A start is to be made this week with the construction of a large concrete culvert over the main outfall drain near the Puke Road crossing. This culvert when completed will take the place of the present trestle bridge over the drain.

Considerable inconvenience and delay is being caused by the non-arrival of plates, bolts, and other necessary gear, but it is expected that as soon as the Railway Department settles down again after the holiday traffic rush regular supplies will come to hand.

Formation work on Taylor’s Avenue is proceeding steadily. Three drays and a two-horse scoop are engaged on the work of conveying spoil from Hill Street on to the avenue for a foundation. As Taylor’s Avenue will necessarily become a busy thoroughfare between the town and the.station. a' special effort is being made to construct a road of lasting properties to cairy the heavy traffic.

An expression of opinion could not be obtained as to when the new station and yards would be ready for use. but it was learned that headquarters .had instructed that the whole cf the work was to be pushed on as (speedily as possible.