REPORT BY THE RAILWAY ENGINEER ON THE ORETI RAILWAY.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 212, 5 February 1866, Page 3

REPORT BY THE RAILWAY ENGINEER ON THE ORETI RAILWAY.

Eailway Engineer's Office, Invercargill, 18th January, 1866. To His Honor the Superintendent. Sir, —ln accordance with your request, I have the honor of reporting on the works of the Oreti Eailway under the following heads: — 1. Greneral favorable character of the Ground over which the Eailway had to be Constructed. 2. Circumstances under which at the time of its projection the character ofthe Permanent "Way and Eolling Stock was determined &c. 3. Works executed within the Province. 4. Construction of Eolling Stock and supply of two Locomotives from Victoria. 5. Contracts, Estimates, Tenders, and Expenditure for Specific "Works to be executed within the Province. 6. Suspension of "Works, their resumption, final suspension, and arrangements made for conveying Traffic over a portion of the Eailway. 7. Present state of the Eailway and most advantageous means of using and improving the Permanent Way, so as to admit of the use of the Boiling Stock of . the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Eailway over it, as also of its own Eolling Stock. 8. Estimated cost of completing the Eailway. 9. General Summary. I. —General favorable character of the Ground over which the Eallway had to be constructed. The length of this Eailway extending from Invercargill to "Winton, is 19 miles. The principal rivers crossed are the " "Waiopai," tKe " "Waikivi," and the " Makerewa." The " "Waiopai" is crossed by a Viaduct, having 12 openings of 17' 3" each; the " Waikivi" by a Viaduct, having 5 openings of 17' 3" each ; and the "Makerewa" by a Bridge having two centre spans of 44 feet each, and two side spans of 20 feet each. The heaviest Cutting and Embankment is in the Makerewa Bush, where the greatest depth of cutting is about 20 feet, and the greatest height of Embankment is also about 20 feet; these, the heaviest Earthworks on the Eailway, extend for a distance of about one and three-quarter miles in all. The country north of the Makerewa Eiver was of a very favorable character, the heaviest works being at the crossing of the Typoo Creek, where the Embankment is about 16 feet in height, and the bridge, one with 5 openings of 16 feet span.

II. — CraCTTMSTAtfCES TJKDEB WHICH, AT THE TIME OF ITS PEOJECTIOM, THE CHAEACTEE OF THE PeBTVT ATTEST Wat aot) Eoiiixpra Stoce: was deTEEHINED, &C, &C. This Eailway was projected in the winter of 1863, at a time when all communication with the Wakatipu Lake and the Nokomai was cut off by the deplorable state of portions of the road from Invercargill to Winton, and when it became evident that the construction of a Eailway was the cheapest and best means of securing that communication with the north in the winter months, which might otherwise be interrupted at any time by the action of a few weeks of wet weather on the unmetalled roads. It was therefore considered of paramount importance to complete this Eailway before the ensuing winter, and every preliminary to the commencement of the Works was pressed forward to that end. With a view to such expedition the question of the adoption of a Wooden Eail, and the application of Mr. Davies' Patent Engine and Carriages for running on it was submitted by His Honor the then Superintendent, to a Commission consisting of Mr. Heale, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Penton, and myself*; and we decided it to be advisable to adopt the Longitudi nal system of Permanent Way, and to treat the Longitudinal bearer itself as the Wooden Eail on which the Engine and Carriages of Mr. Davies' Patent should be used until the time when an Iron Eail could be added to these Longitudinal Bearers. This arrangement was intended to secure a Wooden Eailway as a make-shift until the Iron Eail could be obtained, the addition of which would at any time convert the Eailway into an ordinary one on the Longitudinal system. The recommendation so made by us was adopted by the Government, and Mr. Davies contracted with the Provincial Government for the Eolling Stock and use of his Patent ; and in order to press forward the works to their completion before the following winter, tenders were called for them at a Schedule of Prices as preparatory to the completion of the Surveys and Drawings, and Mr. Davies' Tender was accepted for the work. It is much to be regretted that the intention of using the Longitudinal as a Wooden Eail should have delayed immediate orders being sent to England for the light Iron Eail which it was finally contemplated to add, and that such an order was postponed until the finances of the Province prevented it being sent for ; had the Eail been then ordered, little improvement in the arrangement made could have been desired. ' llL— Wobks Executed withe* the Pbovhtce. These were let by public Tender on a Schedule of Prices, an Estimate having been prepared by me, .showing as nearly as the incomplete state of the Surveys and Prawings allowed proportionate quantities of the various Works, to which quantities the prices tendered could be applied for the purpose of comparison of results of the prices tendered.,

iv. — construction op colling stoci and Supply of Two Locomotive: from victoria, The Contract for the construction o the Eolling Stock and provision of tw( Locomotives was let to Mr. Davies, ii being arranged that these latter were tc be built in Victoria, for the sake o: expedition, the great object desired bj the Government being the earliesl practicable completion bf the Eailway tc secure communication with the Northerr portion of the Province before the following winter. V.— Contracts Estimates Tenders ant Expenditure for Specific Works to be Executed within the Province. Contract "A" for the entire construction of the Eailway and Works ready foi traffic was let by public tender on November 3rd, 1863, to Mr. J. E. Davies : there were four Tenders for this work the highest prices tendered shewing oe application to the proportionate quantities prepared for the consideration of Tenders, the amount of £130,281 10s. and the lowest, the amount of £86,270 17s. Bd. ; my estimate of prices to the same quantities showing £79,051 ss. The price to be paid for the Eolling Stock, exclusive of the two Locomotives from Victoria, was £8,150 Os. Od., and the Construction of these Carriages and Trucks was proceeded with in Invercargill. 6. — Suspension of "Works, their Eesumption, Pinal Suspension ani Arrangements for Conveying Traffic over a Portion of thi Eailway. The works were suspended on 20th May, 1864, and were resumed on the following August, and on the following 18th October, an official opening ofthe first 8 miles of the Eailway from Invereargill to the north bank ofthe Makerewa Eivertook place, although at this time the way was in a very incomplete state, and temporary expedients had to be adopted to render it viable for the date fixed by the Government. The financial state of the Province and embarrassments of the Contractor, compelled the suspension of the works immediately after this opening, and they have never been resumed. In April, 1865, the state of the roads south of the Makarewa threatened to close the Mail Service with the north, and the Deputy Superintendent determined to convey the mails .by the incomplete Eailway to the north side of the Makarewa, from which point the North Eoad was practicable. Eor this purpose a very light Engine, known as the Lady Barkly, was borrowed of the Contractor, and commencing on 27th April, 1865, traffic was conveyed over this portion of the Eailway. This little engine had originally been constructed in Victoria, for the purpose of exhibiting the" working of the patent, and was of a power barely sufficient to convey a gross weight of ten tons over the Eailway, the traffic taken by it however was sufficient to pay the actual working expenses. This little experimental Engine was not of the proper guage for working over this Eailway, so that the wheels ran on the outer edges of the Lonpitudinal Bearers with a projection of 1-| inches over them, and consequently the wheels frequently ran with a bearing of not more than lf inches on the surface' of the Longitudinal bearer. This of course, proved very destructive to these timbers which had previously been unduly tried by the high speed maintained over the incomplete road, and faulty arrangements in the Boiling Stock|; and in the following July the Provincial Grovernment, on Mr. Davies, proposal, and my recommendation consented to the construction in Invercargill of a Locomotive Engine of the required guage, and of a character suitable for working over the incomplete Eailway, the Boiler, Cylinders, and crank shaft of a portable Engine of about double the power of the Lady Barkly being converted for the purpose. This Engine was completed in September, and commenced running regularly on 21st September, from which date she conveyed the traffic very satisfactorily until 23rd October, when on her return trip her crank shaft broke at an old flaw in the iron ; the departure from the Province of the men who had been engaged at her construction has hitherto delayed the repairs from being effected, and in the meantime one of the heavy Engines supplied from Victoria is being used over the road, although in its incomplete state, and from the character of the Engine, its use is objectionable. At the time of the final suspension of "Works, the payments on "Work amounted to £79,250 3s Id, and for Eolling Stock to £5,433 6s Bd. £84,683 10s 3d, The Eetention Money at the time iB the hands of the Grovernment amounted to £2,692 Os Od. In November, 1865, a proposal was made by the Contractor for the settlement of all claims, which proposal was accepted by the Provincial Government and under instructions received from His Honor the Superintendent, I certified the sum of £16,250 as due to Mr. Davies in terms of letters of 15th and 20th November, 1865. This sum may be debited as follows :•— Eetention Money £2,692 Os Od Claim under Patent ... 1,000 Os Od Compensation s 12,500 Os Oc Claims onWorjks ... ... 58 Os Oc £16,250 0s Oc Por the Invercargill Station, £5,28$ 12s Od has been debited to this Eailway Present State of the Eailway, aot most Advantageous Means oj Using and Improving the Per jxanent "Way so as to Admit oi the use of the Eolling Stooi of the Bitiff Harbor akd Inver cargill Eailway over xt, as Ar_s( qf ixs ow3? Komiks Stock.

c The preliminary character of the s opening over the length in present use for traffic has been stated, and the Earthf works requiring completion over this 0 portion of the Eailway, when funds are ■j procurable for the purpose, are the construction of the cuttings and embankf ments to the Sectional Levels of a portion where these levels are not at present j. maintained, extending from 6 miles to . 6 3 miles and 47 chains, and the widening of x the embankment on this length, also the completing and the trimming the slopes of the cuttings and embankments, the completion of Drainage "Works, and the j forming of the slopes of the spoil-banks • of the ballasting the greater portion remains to be executed, the sleepers having been temporarily packed over a considerable portion of this length with any material most readily obtainable from the excavations, in order to secure the power of opening on 18th October, ' and this material requires to be replaced ' by ballast. The level crossings with a few exceptions require to be formed, and the trespass on the Eailway, in consequence of these not having be.en com- . pleted, is injurious to it. ' TheEencing also requires completion, and to be extended through the various r bush lands. The Longitudinal Bearers ' have also been subjected to very unfair [ trial both from the high rate of speed [ over a wooden Eailway in its incomplete state, maintained while the works were in the hands of the Contractor, from deficiencies in the guide wheel arrangements, and from the necessary use in the incomplete and abandoned state of the ? Eoad of the "Lady Barkly" engine, although of an improper guage. The little damage that would be caused to such a road by Eolling Stock . constructed in the manner of the engine 1 which was converted into a Locomotive ' in Invercargill, was sufficiently exhibited during its use previous to the breakage of „ the crank-axle. The Earthworks northwards from the [ present terminus of the portion opened I for traffic are in a more complete and i finished state than those on this portion itself, but the impassable state of the Public Eoad has subjected them to dam- . age from tresspass, wliich could not be . prevented under existing circumstances. The Ballasting for this northern portion will also be more readily obtained. The t Level Crossings are generally completed so far as the Earthwork is concerned, but ' nothing has yet been done towards laying , the Permanent "Way over this portion, ? although a great deal of the material is \ provided. The Longitudinal Timbers of ' the Permanent "Way over which the ,- traffic has been carried have beengreatly I injured from the high speed at which the ' locomotive was at first driven over them whilst the Works remained in the Contractor's hands, and by faulty arrangements in the vertical play allowed to the [ Guide Wheels in consequence of their afTae|iment in slides from the frame of the j Carriage, but the experience obtained of , this application leads to the conclusion . that, as a preparatory step to an Iron ' Eailway, laid at the earliest practicable ' time on Longitudinal Bearers, similarly , laid down, and, with Eolling Stock pre- ( pared, with such alterations as experience ? shows to be necessary, such a roadway may be used with advantage for any speed not much exceeding 12 miles an hour, until the Iron Eail can be laid, when, of ' course, the speed of any other Iron Eail- [ way of similar construction could be . maintained. L In a Eolling Stock so prepared, the L Guide Wheels should be attached as a , fixture to the axle-box in the manner now [ adopted, so that these may be entirely \ ( free from all connection with the frame of the Engine or Carriage, as the case [ may be, and be mere rolling flanges with no bearing on the surface of the Longi- , tudinal Bearer. \ The Locomotives constructed in Vic- \ toria require considerable alterations to [ render them suitable for the road, and . another pair of wheels for coupling with r the driving wheels should be added. As stated under heading VI one of these is at present in use over the road. I consider the short axles to the , carriages, which greatly increase the cost \ of their construction in the multiplicity of L springs and bearings, to be also objecr tioriable in practice, and would recom- > mend their being gradually replaced [ by thorough axles having one wheel left > free for slip, as arranged for the Locomotive recently constructed. ' 1 would recommend that as soon as . practicable a light Iron Eail as sketched \ should be laid on the longitudinal bearers, ■ secured at the joints by bolts screwing into the Bail, as tapped to receive them ; t? and I consider the successful application [ of the flat rail to depend greatly on this character of attachment being provided. This rail being added, and the Eailway _ ballasted, lam of opinion that even those longitudinal bearers which have been in- [ jured by the traffic, can, in their present I state, be so made good underneath the Iron Eail by hard-wood packing as to 3 render them available without that entire renewal which would otherwise be neces--3 sary. VIII. — Estimated cost op Completing 3 THE EaXLWAT. I The cost of completing the nineteen miles of Eailway, and the Eolling Stock, exclusive of the Iron Eail recommended, will be about -£24,000 • this Iron Eail . can be laid complete for -£14,000, and a I sum of -£2,500 should be provided for j the necessary Station arrangements at I Winton, and intermediately between Inl vercargill and Winton. .. v ■ GENEEAL SUMMAEY. 1 The appliances and tools provided for 7 the repairs of*, the Eolling Stock on the '. Bluff Harbour and Invercargill Eailway are applicable for any repairs of Eolling 5 Stock on the Oreti Eailway. p The payments made for the locomotives - constructed in Victoria have not passed P through this department, and no record £ exists in it of this item of expenditure. « « # n- « B B, M. MAEOHANT, - . Reulway Engineer,

- LITEEABY GOSSIP. Mr. Cyrus Seeding has in the press " Past Celebrities whom I have Known •" 1 containing anecdotes of Canning, Turner, 1 Hazlitt, Talma, Colton, Parr, "Walcot, ! Beckford, Sheil, Clare, Horace Smith, Cuvier, Haydon, Wilkie, Belzoni, Nadame j Destael, O' Connell, Cobden, &c. : Mr. Samuel Lucas will edit a selection [ of Tom Hood's poeus for Moxon's series 7 of Miniature -Poets, The originals of the fifth volume of the Pastom Letters have been found by Mr. Philip Erere, of Cambridge, son of Serjeant 1 Erere, amongst Sir John Eenn's papers ; together with some other old documents of the like nature, and the letters of Sir John Eenn to his publisher. We have just seen the first number of the new magazine, " The Argosy," and from a hasty glance can commend it for cheapness and the excellence and variety of its articles. The shilling magazines must look to their laurels. Here is a periodical at half their price, which bids fair to distance their popularity. " Mehemet the Kurd, and Other Tales faom Eastern Sources," is the title of a literary curiosity which will shorty appear. The tales are of the same description as those in the " Arabian Nights," and are translated from the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages, by Mr. Cahrles "Wells, (member of the Boyal Asiatic Society), for the first time into English. An English translation of Mozart's letters has been published by Lady "Wallace, whose translations of Mendelssohn's letters have been most widely read. Of books which have already appeared, a volume on Transylvania, by Charles Boner, is one of the most valuable and interesting. The country is little known to travellers, for it is shut up in a corner of Europe behind the Carpathians, and the route to it is diflicult and out of the usual track of tourists. Mr. Boner having explored the whole region, and entered closely in the life of the people, lays the results before the public in a portly volume full of curious information richly illustrated. It appears that the chief inhabitants of Transylvania are the German settlers, who, upon the invitation of the Kings of Hungary, immigrated thither seven or eight centuries ago. Mr. Boner's account of their mode of life, their order, thrift, and independence, customs, manners, and institutions, and his pictures of their households, towns, and industrial occupations, will be new to most readers, and may be recommonded to general attention for the very clear and agreeable spirit in which they are -presented.