NELSON AND FOX-HILL RAILWAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4387, 12 April 1875, Page 5

NELSON AND FOX-HILL RAILWAY.

(From the Kelson Mail, March 31.) As this railway approaches completion, some little information with regard to the localities and description of the various stations on the line will probably prove of interest to our readers in Nelson and the Waimea especially. We yesterday had an opportunity of inspecting, at the office of Mr. John Scott, the contractor, the plans nnd specifications of the different buildings, from which we learn that the Nelson Station will be situated on the flat between St. Viucent-street and All-Saints Church. Tor this purpose there is a deal of filling-in, for foundations and roadways, to be completed, no less than 15,000 cubic yards of earth being required. To obtain this a strong gang of men was yesterday put on at the back of Mr. Jones’s produce store on the Port-road, where the requisite stuff is being taken out of the hill. The line of railway, the formation of which is now completed as far as the junction of St. Vincent and Gloncester-streets, will cross the latter street with a slight curve, and then run down the mud-flat, where it has yet to be formed, as far as the fence which surrounds the property on which the Globe Hotel is situated. At this epd will be a two-stalled engine-shed, the dimensions of which are 50ft. x 20ft. ; next to that, working upwards, will be the coal-store, 22ft. x 14ft., calculated to hold 35 tons ; above that, again, will be the carriage-shed, Bft. x 25ft., to hold four carriages; then, on the opposite or eastern side, and stiß higher up, will be the goods-shed, 60ft. x 30ft ; and close to Glou-cester-strcet, on the western side, the passengers’ station, 40ft. x 14ft., all the buildings being of the lean-to shape. Between the goods shed and the station, on the eastern side of the line, will be the stationmaster’s house, consisting of five rooms. From about the middle of Gloucester-street to the goods-shed, a metalled road will be formed for the carriage of goods ; and with regard to this it appears to us that the fact of the sole communication with this shed being by way of Gloucester-street will be a 'Source of considerable inconvenience, at all events until the line is completed to the port, as goods sent in from the country for shipment will have to he carted from about the centre of the mud-fiat back again as far as the Post-boy Hotel, and thence to their destination. Between Nelson and Foxhill, inclusive of the latter, there are to be in all seven stations, four of the description known as fifth class, and three of the sixth class. The former will be situated as follows : On Mr. Canning’s property, at Kick* mond ; Mr. Newth’s, at Spring Grove ; Mr. FairhaU’s, at Lower Wakefield, and the temporary terminus. At these the passenger stations'will be 24ft. by lift., and the goodssheds 40ft. by 30ft. There will also be at each of these spots a miserable little three-roomed station-master’s house, the largest room in which will be 14ft. by lift. The other three stations, or rather goods-sheds, will be on the top of Jenkins’ HUI, near the Grand Stand at Stoke, and in the vicinity of the Lutheran church at Hope. At the present moment the mud-flat at the junction of Toi-toi and Washington Valleys presents quite a lively scene, there being at the lower end, as we said before, a strong gang of men engaged in obtaining material for filling up from the hill side, and, at the other, another gang at work in laying a line of rails from where the sleepers and rails are stacked up St. Vincent-street to where the railway commences. The platelaying will commence at once, and in the course of a week or ten days Mr. Scott hopes to have the first locomotive seen in Nelson at work in conveying the material for the permanent way up. the line towards the Waimea. The appearance of the dreary-looking mud-flat will certainly be much improved by the long line of sheds that will soon be erected. It is to be hoped that no long time will be suffered to elapse before the railway is extended to the Port.