The Wellington and Manawatu Railway.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1665, 23 March 1886, Page 2

The Wellington and Manawatu Railway.

?]RST : PASSE^GER TRAIN TO

[New Zealand Times.] The first passenger train arrived at Paikakariki on Saturday afternoon, and landed its passengers exactly opposite the Paikakariki Hotel. It must not be .supposed, however, that the linejsyet finished : so 'f ar. ' In fact, there is a com- ' plate break.just beyond Pukerua, where Mr Samuel Brown is still hard at work "Oirtwo tunnels.- -Bnt.pa6t 4ihis.-gap. ;the regular line is laid all the way to Paikakarikfj/and;"a ; temporary; (Tailwa^ diverging ■from" the f artlier * 6iid of' the break, descends very-steeply to the beach along which itjruns -to i point some 250 ft ; alraost vertically, below present Pukerua termination of the 'mam' line from Wellington. 1 By the help of thu temporary line Saturday's passengers were able to travel all the way to Paikakariki; simply'' changing., carriages " at Pukerua. -■ -. :. •.■/ f ..'■ • J The objects, of the trip were twofold—' first to try the large new expressen«rine, which is now m good working order, and secondly to enable the Directors to inspect for themselves the progress of the works from this end of the line. A special train started from "the Welling, tori terminus at 1.46 p.m., "preceding th.«< | regular train, which stops at all stations, whereas the " special " was to ruu right through.; It consisted only of one of the long American carriages and a brake-* : van, drawn by the first of the large.--' en.-.' | gines recently received from England. We haye previously given a general description of this fine locomotive. It, with' the tender, runs on no fewer' than eighteen wheels, of which ten belong to : the engine proper, while the tender r.jins on the other eight, disposed iritwo fo;urwhe.ol bogies, or swivel-trucks. The engine has two Bissell (or two wheel) bogies, leading and trailing. -The three middle-pairs of wheels, 4ft m diaraeterj are coupled, the second pair being the drivers, which are tinfianged,, haying a smooth ;tread on the rails, this,' with ; ' the two bogies, ensuring perfect flexibility m T rounding curves. The cylindersare 15in m diameter; ' with a 20in piston-; stroke, thus giving a high degree, (Of tractive torce, while -abundant steam is supplied by a large boiler having nearly 1000 isa, u are; feet of .heating surface. The "engine- js ; fitted with numerous modem appliances, and has as ; many .as three modes of water supply to fhb boiler, viz., punip r injector, and iSspiN ator. There are:.several American features, including-the^arge v cab-V of wood and = glass, the absence of splashers?^ the "arivirfg-wheels, aad the, 'SRusliairon " jacketing of tho boiler and cylin. der, which has a cleanly look and saves paint. The tender is very largfe, and carries. an ample' store of coal and water. The engine-was built by Messrs jlasmyth ; and Wilson, of Manchester, .and- is one of -thirteen of the same class constructed ;by: that, firm for New Zealand, ton being for the Hurnnui-Blufi: ! line and the j other three for the Welling, ton and Manawatu Company. The one used on Saturday was, as we have said, the first* received-, by tne Hurunui. The "second, by ttie v 6pawa, is »o;w\ia course of erection at the 'Company's workshops, and- the third is on its way hither by sea. Any of these engines will be able easily to run express trains between Wellington and Palmerston m three hours, or ordinary stopping trains m a little over four hours. .; ■■■■■■■. The special train started at 1.46 p.m., and the power of the big engine., wag soon displayed. A " rush" was made- at the steep ascent which is encountered about a quarter of a mile ' from the terminus, the. quarter of a mile of level being utilised to.^get up a speed of fully 30 miles an hour by the time the ascent •was started.. The engine proved, an excellent ch"mber,?the s speed; never* f&l|pg below 25 miles an hour all "thY way^up the long incline of 1 m 40, extending about four miles. ' Itis;true the load wa§ a light one, being not much over 20 tons (exclusive of engine and tender, which was about 30 tons and 15 tons respectively, or 45i'tons- together), but .still.: the speed was remarkably good; up. sueh r a long and severe and Continuous gradient. Crofton was - passed m Train v ' and after the Khandallah summit had been.pjuyMjd a speed of '66 miles an hour was run down the descending gradient into John, soqvijle, which was reached m 13min from Wellington, an average rate of miles an hour having thus been main, tamed from start to stop. A. halt wag made at Johnsonville to pick up a Director, and then the* " special-22--pro-ceeded. The. engine was run much within its powers down tfedescent of 1 m 66 to ; Pprirua and on ;the level round the Porirua Harbour, but even so a speed of over 40 miles an hour was fre. quently attained, the maximum being very nearly 45 miles an hour. At this excellent rate of travelling both the engine and the carriages ran with admirable steadiness,; tl?ere r : being % total absence of oscillation .and.! " pitchfng J ;" m. deed, "the' moti6~tt : w6<ild rioti? have been easier -on the best English . Ui^e. The notable Belmont" '"Viaducii, a^ kextfl bold and interesting- timber. structure, 120 ft m height, over a deep ravine,' wis : cr6s*«ed ,at .a jipeed of 35 miles an -hour, the soh\ dity; of 'the work" being manifes.ted by the total ' absence of vibratioV a/ the train rushed across the seemingly slender, but m reality tremendously strong via. duct. 'The twelve, miles from. Johnsorville to Plimmerton were run m 19^mir, or at the average of 37 miles an hour, butms. .the. first and last mile— getting up spied and slackening respectivelyHr-each occupied 2£min it will be seen that the other ten miles took only 15min, giving a mean running rate of 40 miles an hour. The result of the experiment was to convince the. experts present that the engine could attain a speed of 50 miles an hour oventhat part of the line , with a train of ordinary weight. On 'thii' occasion, as has been" remarked, she was going well within her capacity, .. It_wUibe $cc% that the, travelling time from Wellington to Plimmerton- was <)niy.3^miin for the^ 18 miles. The r remainir^g distance to the third Pukerua tunnel^ was covered m consequently the 22 m.ijea from Wellington had been^ conaplet&l m 45min (running time), stopping twice. This gives a goad idea of what sort of . travelling ■ may. be expected-- from «this well-built line and its capital tollingstocfc, when it is m regular working order, by the end of this year, and. .it is hoped and expected will be the case. The limit of accessibility baring been reached so far as the large lengine and its train were concerned t ; tho passenger^ descended and found themselves betweon two tunnels on .the; tdp of a precipitous cliff, at the. footjof' which wai the sea beach, tsoine 250 ft"below. On the beach could'be" seeri^ffie temporary line, already mentioned, en which wa» x atevdii>g the little fopr-wheeled saddleVankengine, which used to be kridwn as the " Belmcnt." How did it get there ? Looking over the cliff, the faring, and ingenious method became at once manifest. Rails had been fixed- all the., .way from top to bottom so as to make a slide, almost perpendicular. ilDown this breakneck descent the .engine was actually lowered down sideways by means of J St6ut ropes, finally arriving: atv the:! bottom none the worse for its unwonUd, mode of travel. It Wai then placed with, some trucks on the temporary line which runs aloug the b«ach for some miles and then rises sUarply-up the wde pf* the steep hill^jun.tjl it ioins the regular line, coming down from the nonhern end of the second unfihiitiediOtunnel, The party did ?riotat onqe descend tht cliff, but walked through the next tunuel and to tho mouth of \fawk loUow*

ing. It was stjikm|jbMrie 6j «ipimtion, the Buperincuinifenr <ar«i Ming; fhored up m all directions with timber supports. After walking round tjfftledge of the cliff, an intermediate "ahatt entering the side oEtheJiuooeLwas observed,, wier*. »cces«)?(Ka^Yt(a}^ißidile o^tj^jt^nj nel, thus^ecuring a third point at* whicn to work on the excavation. Mr Brown, the well-krlOW^UMiitn*^A lts)Tfiiiking rapid proereslf, and is likely to finish well within his time, the work, moreover.^ejn&jlQjne ijnS Yttikfroughlgesi&ira factory aud efficient style. A consider able length of. .permanent w^ is. laid and ballasted beyond 'th^tunfieli. 1 The magnitude and solidity of the works throughout the lim exgi^d.inuclu surprise,' even T o6:thft>art of tW Dftettonr^ most of whom viewed th"6m for the first huttArf or>!'liQUsing! tfie' workmen^ bis grown; npron.jtjhe: bejacb. at . &e-<ffopfc pf the cGfiWjjand ■ Remarkable natural cave has been! most; ingeniously ; ,turned into«Bi f sn'ug^aUtaUdo. x There. « .even a shS^at whictl the' men can' procure variOas tfece^aries,' and 'the 'e'Verlaiitmg " St^cob's'Qjl" i »ppearß^ plaSAnled- ' m large|fotte'rßin}" v u%ri!.(',-i -i's d i.'O'.J's! The party, -'afte.r u a : B6ranible down tthe cliff, .J6 ( und .ithej^'pengineV'^/.Rel.topflt^t waiting wit' 6 a JtWcjk. . wbich, hud, been fitted';^ #)'tJin rough ">wt» -for', ihe occaasiori. A ; 'tlßsii^sta ! rt'wl»s inade/ahd a smart run of four or five* mile's i >: ori ; €he^ unbailflßted^llneJ. " broiight "the piottee^ train tabr^aatfcf the , Paikakariki ; i Hotel, whex;e sj br^etsfiay was made for afresh • merits/ . } Th^Jbea^ty , of the prospect along Ihe. cpas t from Pukeriia was. muph adiniredf, 'co'mb'iniiig as it did fijke ; views of sra w ancl cW'anaropk ' ah f d. J hill 'trod lsland^feapM being m sight all' the way, and : the- South' Island mountains alsoiVAsit&terfn the distance. THe^excellen| (condition of the sliepp : and c«t^e that Were grazin^^.by.j.l^Q side,. ;of ;; , the line { f usther -aftracte|l ' fa yprable^ notice,- ; as STb|histng 3i well for 'future traffic Jh' jneafi- ft 'U'3 '^ : f''"'V- llii \f^. Starting at* p.mi on th'e return -trip. tlie-^Belmbrit" and its* truck carricd'the pafiepgers to tne.fobt of the slide down whioh^he. engine. had been ; so pluckily lowrered. At the top, spine . 250 ft .above the J Deac}iijcbuld?be seen the lArge ..ex- ( press ch J gine ' and 1 ' the carriage winch had brought out the party from 11 town. Bnr-tW;3im'biup"tbe. 1 side of fhe^cliff' from thai ou& train ; . to ; the otho'Tfiwas rathef.a severe! scramble^ owjugi to precjpjtous nature, of the; assent and the loose, character ,(>f the .soil. jThertop was gained at Vast, after a good, deal ing^ii'ditipwjngt'anicl tMeii everybody rej6ihed :I; tHe : s'pedial'' ' trftin,'-^ which promptly moved off on its ; l)¥ck to io>YD?'~t'ltiWaß7notrdeeme'd advisable i to dri^e, cfuite; sp^f »st as on the . outward trip,! becapse^ itbeing, impracticnblef to turgjthe r en^ine, owing, to th,ij ;i absence of a,ny turhabie, she had to ~go- tender toAm^-^-^r^iitSß'-wlff-^'ereiited latSr'ifcbttb 'Vm'tf hM line iiia latliiflne intermedrate ( BtAtioni r^HdWevei-i^Vlery go&diirp£)Mnaß'inade, th^'timcfrpnvPliiiy-niertou-itDllWelliugtbu being i0n1yi.535 minutefti,a general spped, of 30 tor 35 miles. an^ hour , was .tnaiutainedr. and a ina'xiinun),^ 50 wns reached once or twice!' Th,e specialifaiu'fiiialiy' arrived at *\W* Welliwgfoli ' terniinus at '5: 50 p.m., theStftiti^fanhyifoiPttikakftiiki andHrackjiiifcludiug tUe<stay : there > and' ; th&Jt|mffl spent injexamttiing the works, m ghanging f ropi one;train 3^o another, andjin j|cr^|ubling up.;and.dpw ; n {the cliffs, having occupied 6'uly four ' hours pe^fefct^'^d 'fiie" ' e'Xpeditib¥ in vr all respects ! a ; ino6tp]eftSant and 1 8'ati«fa<it'ory one^j^f-**! i- v *\;l''ni •-"■• i.::\.H'n [>;!|i We; tfederstftiid that the yirtorki are likely r> b& ; jpftshed,,^. jeyen .more rapidly, .^.thsm , ever? '.frora^ jtbe present date,. a^nd~ that'- conndent anticipations are J no,w enTe^inea 1 of tlie whole", line being opened fbtf raffle m the ' coming Bprhig;"f-,Th r e 'Trfrdertakihg' is" oriHl of whjch the iCblooyv and W«llingtoD> m patioular, : tnayvjuatly . be proud; , =