RAILWAY WORKS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4823, 16 March 1925, Page 3

RAILWAY WORKS.

PROGRESS AT PAEROA.

EXPEDITION ON ALL SECTIONS. Favoured with fairly good weather, the various, railway formation works in the vicinity of Hill Street are being vigorously punsued, and good progress has been made during the last few weeks. Materials required for the various undertakings are now being received in regular supplies. There is no dearth of labourers, and .each gang is being kept up to full strength. TAYLOR AVENUE. The formation work in connection with the footpath on the east side of Tqylor Avenue is steadily creeping along yard by yard. The spoil is being excavated by a steam navvy from the new goods yards siding, where it is lifted into trucks and conveyed along the temporary line and deposited in the avenue. A rake of twenty trucks is used for the purpose. These trucks are divided into two rakes of ten each, and as soon as the first, ten are filled by the steam navvy they are pulled along to. the Avenue by a busy little locomotive and unloaded, Bv the time the empty tr,uckis are returned again to the excavation site the other ten are filled, and so the work goes on unceasingly. CONCRETE DRAIN. Good progress is being made witu the construction of the concrete drain and culvert which is being put in at the main outfall drain at Taylor Avenue. The boxing and reinforcing for the concrete on, the sides of the drain is now in position, and and a machine-driven mixer on the spot is working steadily. When the, drain work is completed a concrete culvert to replace the present, wooden bridge will be made. STATION YARDS. The work of excavation for the goods-shed .and station fe nearly completed, and the steam navvy is now working a few yards to the iTorth cf. Mr W. Fleming’s residence. When the excavation work is finished it is proposed to remove the goods-ghed and engine shed from their present positions .to a temporary site in the new station yard. The buildings will oe used in the meantime, pending the erection of permanent structures. STATION BUILDING. A visit to the new station building presents a scene of great activity, and the noise of the many hammers at work is deafening. Since the foundations were laid for this building a, little over three weeks ago stead progress has been made with its erection. The framework is now completed, and tiie weatherboarding and roofing was finished a few days ago. An army of carpenters, under Foreman A Hatley, are now concentrating their energies on the interior. When completed this building wilt be 107 ft long and 20ft wide. It will comprise six ro >ms and lavatory accommodation. Tiie largest room, to be occupied by the station clerks, measures 30ft by 17ft The sizes of the other rooms are : Public waiting room, 17ft by 16ft: ladies’ waiting room, 17ft by 1-1 h 6in: Irfggage room, 17ft by 14 ft: and porters' room, L7ft by 9ft. The stationmaster's office is to be situated between the public waiting room and the main office. Provision has been made for the situation of a book sta’l in the centre of the main building. Three of the rooms, including the public waiting room, will be fitted with large register grates, and the building throughout will be lighted by electricity. The appointments generally will be as up-to-date as possible. a special study having been made of the comfort, and convenience of the travelling public. The total length of tiie station platform will be 928 feet. ■ Although an enormous amount of work yet remains to be done, it is expected that the new station will ec occupied by April Ist. MOORE STREET.

So far as passenger traflic is concerned entrance to the station will be made from Moore Street. A start was made yesterday morning with the formation and widening of this street on the western side. The temporary loop-line has been continued from Taylor Avenue, and much of the formation work will be carried out expeditiously by this means. RAILWAY BRIDGE. ■

The first pile for the new railway bridge was driven yesterday afternoon. Owing to the-rise and fall or the tide some difficulty has been ex-, perienced in adjusting the winches and the derrick whicli carries the 2-ton monkey, but once the lower piles are in the work will proceed more quickly.