RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 238, 6 April 1912, Page 3

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

V THE WHAXCAMOMOXA LINE. I OTHER .SCHEMES Pl-« MELTED. (New Zealand Times). At the present time there are more public works being carried out in Taranaki tlian in any other district of New Zealand. Road-making lias always absorbed a lot of labor, and nibout 1500 men are now employed in various parts of the province carrying out these important works. Railway construction is also being pushed ahead, a large number of men being employed on existing lines and those now being built. The main line of railway from Wellington outers the district at its extreme south point, and traverses a line undulating cultivated district, dotted over with numerous cosy homesteads. From Hawera (18 miles from Patea) the line strikes off northerly and goes inland of Mount Egmont, passing through the townships of Xor'nianby, Eltham, Stratford, Midhirst. Tariki and Inglewood to Lcpperton Junction (38 miles from Hawera), where a branch line goes off northwards to Waitara, while the main line strikes west to New Plymouth (0 miles from Lepperton), and continues three miles further to the breakwater. LINE.

About eleven years ago a start was made with the branch now known as the Stratford-Main Trunk line, commencing at Stratford and running turough the eastern 'backblocks to junction with the Main Trunk line not far from Taumarunui. This line, which is now being constructed from the eastern-as well as the Stratford end, is not generally known as the Stratford-Main Trunk line, but as the Stratford-Ongarue line, the original intention bting to junction with the Auckland-Wellington line at Ongarue, the survey being made over that route. Jn recent years, however, tno plans have been altered somewhat. Te Koura was substituted for Ongarue, as saving several miles, and subsequently Okahukara. The latter place, which is seven miles north of Taumarunui, has now been definitely fixed upon as the junctioning point, and towards the end of the year a start was made from this point. Service roads are now being laid, and a few cuttings have already been made.

About two and a-half miles out from the junction there will be a tunnel 74 chains long, through a dividing ridge between the Ohura and Ongarue valleys. The survey of this portion of the track has just been completed, and plans have already been prepared. From the junction to the tunnel there is a steady rise, the grade on this portion of the line being one in fifty. After passing the tunnel the grade will be fairly easy, the line pasing through the Ohura valley. At the present time about 100 men are employed on this end of the line, and several additional laborers are being put on everv day. THE STRATFORD END. At the Stratford end the work has been in progress for about eleven years. It commenced with a tramway to Toko, the original intention being to have a light tramway to that place. As a matter of fact it was actually put down and used for many years. The original survey for tiie whole of the line was from Ngaere, three miles south of Stratford, through, the Ngaere swamp, to a point a short distance from Toko, but subsequently the route was altered, Stratford being made the junction with the Wellington-New Plymouth line.

At the present time the line is open to Te Wera, a distance of 23 miles from Stratford, and a daily service is run to and from that point. . Rails haye been laid for a further 11 mile's, the. construction work being completed .as far as the Whangamomona tunnel. In fact the rails are through the tunnel, but the traek has not yet been ballasted. From the Wkmgamompna tunnel : tW men are spread o«t as far as the Taho'ra saddle, at the #l-mile peg. At'this' place, two tunnels will have to be constructed, "the workmen who . have 'b&th forthis job being now carhpbd ,011. the. site, preparatory to work being'earned out'.

MANY DIFFICULTIES.

There have been many, difficulties to -Contend with in the making of this line, and there are numerous troubles ahead. The country is broken a good deal in the vicinity of Whangamoinona, and the line for the greater part of- its length is through papa country, which is difficult to work at any time owing to its liability to slip. ' .' '".."'. Ballast trains on whieh'paWengers are allowed td travel; by pejiiiigsion of the Public' Works Department,.'run as far as the 33-mile peg at the present time.this being.about one mile.from the Whangamomona tunnel, which has just been completed,, its lehyith '••be'ing'.'. chains. The work of Construction" was, exceedingly heavy 'owing to .the treacherous nature of the soil'.- ..Slips were : of' frequent occurrence and caused-serious'de-

The Tahora tunnels, which are the next to be. cufj will only be separated by a quarter of a mile. One will be 24 chains in length an 4 the. other 12 chains. After this work. i,s .completed the Moki.saddle will be tackled. It is now being surveyed. Tliis will be the

i longest tunnel on the line constructed >ip to the present time. I TANGARAKAU GORGE. J After the Mold Saddle is completed the I Tangarakau Gorge will receive attention. The work at this point will be particularly heavy, and tne tunnel to / be built will probably be a mile in lengtn. It was originally intended to follow the / gorge round, but by cutting out a portion and constructing a tunnel nearly / three miles of track will be saved. There will also 'be some rough work when the ' men reach Mangaroa. There are over 400 men at present engaged on the Stratford end of the line, Whangamomona being the headquarters. The survey camp for the western end is at the mouth of the Tangarakau gorge, while the party responsible for the survey of the eastern end are camped about 12 miles along the old survey route, or six miles from the Okahukara junction. According to the original survey (striking the North Island Main Trunk line at Ongarue) the line now under construction would be 101 miles long, but the alteration of junctions cuts off about six miles, making the distance from Stratford, roughly speaking, a'bout 95 miles. .

It is not safe to predict how long it will foe before the line is completed for the whole of its length. It will be some years at least. There are a lot of engineering difficulties to be contended with in the Tangarakau Gorge, this being about the heaviest portion of the work. It will foe fully twelve months before this piece of line is reached. The highest rise on the line will be about 900 ft above the sea, while the easiest and best grade will be through the Ohura valley. It will probably be found necessary to construct a couple of viaducts in the Tangarakau Gorge. The completion of the line Wi~ certainly be a great boon to the fanners, who have had to contend with bad roads ever isince settlement commenced. The line will serve a big district, the original survey map estimating that it will benefit the country ten miles on each side of the track. Although most of the land through which the line will run is occupied, there still remains a few thousand 'acres of Crown land within coo-ee of the line. At the back of Mount Humphries, at a large piece of Crown land is now being surveyed and will be thrown open for selection in the near future. COAL BELTS.

The line in many places passes through coal belts, seams being tapped at several places on the. route. There is coal in the Tangarakau Gorge, and seams exist on the furthest side of the Paparata saddle. In fact, there is coal throughout the whole district, and the opening up of the line may do. a great deal towards the establishment of a profitable industry. Firewood is becoming scarcer each year, and it will be a great boon to the settlers, dairy factories and creameries if they can get plentiful supplies of lignite—there are no bituminous coal indications—at a reasonable cost.