LEVIN TO GREATFORD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1270, 11 July 1914, Page 4

LEVIN TO GREATFORD.

MAIN TRUNK SHORT CUT

WHAT THE DEVIATION WOULD EFFECT. THE 1896 REPORT. “Some day,’' says the Dominion, “fifteen miles will be sliced off the railway run from Wellington to Auckland and the expresses will rush across on long, level stretches from Levin to Marton instead of winding round the present tortuous route.’’ There is some comfort in this prediction. The construction of the railway line between Wellington and Palmerston cut Foxton out, though a line of railway from Palmerstou to this seaport has proved a valuable link. At the present time there is a substantial steam tramway, with carriages and wagons, running between Foxtou and the Rangitikei river. This was constructed by the Manawatu County Council, at a cost of 25,000. The object of this was to provide for the conveyance of road metal and goods from the Rangitikei River down over the southern portion ol the country to Foxtou. This line junctions with the Foxton-Palmer-ston railway at Himatangi and provides

RAILAGE OVER NEARLY 20 OE THE 39 MILES needed to make the connection between Levin and Greatford. The district through which the line will pass is one of the most closely settled and fertile in the Dominion, and in addition to the saving in time on the through traffic there should be a considerable local traffic to be developed. The settlers themselves had so much confidence in the line that in 1895 they p:oposed to form a private company to construct it. The Government, however, refused to assent to the proposal. FROM LEVIN TO GREATFORD, COST OF THE LINE. ' Mr M’Kerrow estimated the cost of the line, including the; building of the two bridges across the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers at ,£200,000. His report, which was dated April 14th, 1896, was as follows: MR M’KERROW’S REPORT. “The Hon. the Minister of Lands. —In accordance with the request made by you the Hon. the Premier, and the Hon. the Minister for Railways, that I should report on the proposed line of railway, Levin to Greatford, via Foxtou. I have the honour to state that in company with Mr J. G- Wilson, M.H.R., I went over the ground, 13th to xoth Match, and at Foxton met a deputation comprising the Mayor (Mr Nye), Messrs Thynne, Kerr, Hennessy, and about twenty others, and Levin, Messrs Davies, Gower, Kebbell, Stewart and Stuckey, who represented the local advantages that would ensue to their districts were the proposed Hue of railway made. “The comparison of the existing and proposed lines in respect of distances, grades and curves is as followsM. Ch. Present Levin station to Longburu station on Wellington - Manawatu Coy’s line 24 52 Longburu station to Greatford station, Government line 29 30 Distance Levin to Greatford by existirg line 24 2 Present Levin station to Foxtou by line via Moutoa Swamp, surveyed under direction of J. T. Stewart, district engineer in 1879 •—nearly n 40 Foxton to Carnarvon station 5 28 Carnarvon to Sanson (steam tramway) 14 12 Sanson via Bulls to Greatford station distance scaled from the xin lithographic map S o

Distance Devin to Great* ford by proposed line 39 p Proposed line shorter than existing line by 15 o

“Then as to the grades and curves on the existing lines from Levin to Longburn, there is no grade steeper than 1 in ioo, and only one 15 chain curve approaching Manawatu river, no other less than 20 chains radius. From Longburn to Greatford, especially that part of the line between Feeding and Greatford, the grades and curves are severe; there are n 8 chains of a grade ot 1 in 50 and other grade' between that of 1 roo, in all five miles steeper than 1 in 100. From Greatford to Longburn the grades are better, there being only seven chains 1 in 50 and less than four miles steeper thau lin 100, There are miles of curves ranging from seven to 20 chains radius. A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL RUN. “In the part of the proposed line, Levin to Foxton, there are only 67 chains of grade between 1 in 59 and 1 in 100, and only one curve of 20 chains radius. From Foxton to Greatford the line can be run nearly straight on easy grades. “From the foregoing it will be seen that for all places north of Greatford the line via Foxton would bring them

FIFTEEN miles NEARER WELLINGTON

by rail that what they are now, and locally it would save the country between Bulls, Sanson and Foxton, a round by rail of about 30 miles on goods traffic. .

“As regards the character of the two lines as to grades and curves, that by Foxtou would be better. It would be

AN EASY LINE TO CONSTRUCT, the country being practically level throughout; the bridges over the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers, and the permanent way for about three miles over the Moutoa swamp, near Foxtou, would be the only expensive items on the line. The Moutoa swamp can be avoided by a detour through the sand hills, but that would add to the length of the line by about one and a-half miles, thereby reducing the saving on through distance to miles. “The tramline is along a public road almost straight from end to end ; there are

NO CUTTINGS OR EMBANKMENTS of any extent, the country being very favourable. It would be practicable to keep to the tramline tor the railway, although so far as adopting it to save expense on the construction of the railway on an independent line, it is hardly worth consideration, excepting the saving of the cost of laud and severance, as it is laid with old 2olb. rails, very much worn and in bad order. COST PUT AT ,£200,000.

“There would therefore be, after deducting the 5)4 miles from Foxton to Carnarvon, 34 miles of railway to construct Further, as Greatlord station in its present position is unsuitable for a junction, and moreover it is undesirable to have another junction so near Martou Junction, it would be better, therefore, to contiuue the existing Hue trom Greatford to Marton Junction, 3 miles 16 chains, ot iu all about 37 or 3b *.4 miles of railway to construct, which in the absence of a detailed survey and estimates, should not be estimated to cost less than ,£200,000. “Although it would be a decided advantage to shorten the distance by 13 fa or 15 miles and save half an hour to an hour on traffic from all places north ot Greatford to and from Wellington, the present traffic would not warrant the outlay, for it would practically mean the division ot the traffic over the two lines with the extra cost of maintenance, and ol the additional train services without corresponding increase of traffic.

“when the through line to

AUCKLAND IS COMPLETED and open for traffic, it may be worth while to consider the question of constructing the direct line from I<evin to Greatford, but not till then. The settlers between Bulls and Boston, although labouring under the disadvantages already mentioned, are, as regards railway conveniences, much better off than some important districts in the colony. I would advise the Government to defer taking any steps towards the construction oi this line for the present, and until theie is a considerable increase oi traffic.—James AfKerrow,” And who will say that the time has not come ?