SIXTY MEN OFF

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 205, 18 November 1927, Page 16

SIXTY MEN OFF

OTAHUHU RAILWAY WORKS NO STEEL AVAILABLE The railway works at Otahuhu presented a quiet appearance on Wednesday. Instead of the continuous barrage of automatic riveting machines which greeted the visitor in the past, one now hears a solitary rat-tat-tat in one corner of the yard, to be answered by its lonely mate working by the smithy. On making inquiries as to the reason for the quietness prevailing everywhere, a SUN representative was informed that at present the works are practically cleaned right out of the steel girders and rafters, and there is no news of the arrival of any fresh supplies in the near future. This fact accounts for the dismissal of 60 workmen within 14 days. The reason given for the non-arrival of the steel work was that owing to the strike in England some time ago, the department had not been able to procure the quantity necessary to keep the work going. The first building commenced was the powerhouse, and the six-foot concrete wall is now practically completed and the balance of the walls of corrugated iron have been finished. One of the largest buildings in the yard, the new and repair car shop, has the framework completed, roller doors hung, the window frames in place and« the painters are at present busily engaged in giving it the final coat, prior to the walls being built. The framework of the steel-wagon shop has been completed and lying systematically next door are the hundred and one assembled parts of the wood-wagon shop, awaiting the arrival of more steel to allow the rest of the assembling to be completed. Good progress is being made with the erection of the manager’s offices and with the addition of the works canteen, these will be the only two wooden buildings in the area. The permanent midway gantry, to accommodate the travelling crane, has been completed. This runs the full length of the yard, between the two rows of buildings.