D.—2b.

burned in places by cinders from engine. It is totara, of the best quality, and still good, though parts have been taken out and renewed. Structures There are no timber structures except the wind-screens, which are sound and in good repair Culverts are stone, and in good condition , tunnels in good condition. Fencing There is no fencing. Stations At foot of incline the engine-shed is old but good, though the floor is damaged and partly rotten, and some ground-sills and covering-boards rotten, smith's shop good, coal-stores and platforms good, water-tank stands good, permanent-way store in good condition, oil-store in good order but very old, water-service and signals in good order, signal cabins in good order, Stationmaster's house and fourteen cottages in good order Main sidings and extra new sidings good and well ballasted, runaway-siding in good condition, points and crossings in good trim. Foot of Incline to Master ton. Formation is in good order, cuttings and drains clean, and one wind-screen in good order. Permanent-way The road is in very good running trim, rails, 521b. iron, in very fair condition up to 56 miles, then 531b.-steel rails are mixed with the iron to Masterton. The ballast is gravel, good and abundant, though there are places where it is very earthy , sleepers, usually very good, but in places there are a few old matai sleepers partly rotten. Structures The bridges have been extensively renewed and strengthened in ironbark, and are now in excellent condition , the piles, caps, and trusses are mostly the original totara, and are still in very good condition. Open culverts are some timber sides, and some are masonry walls; a large number have new ironbark beams, others the original totara beams, which are still good, those with timber sides are getting old, but still serviceable , box-culverts are few and good. Fencing is mostly in good order, but there are patches where the posts want renewing ; cattlestops usually good, many with new ironbark beams, some are very old but still good; gates in good condition. Stations . The station-buildings and shelter-sheds are all in good condition and well preserved and neatly kept, platforms very good, goods-shed, loading-banks, privies, and urinals in good order; cattle-pens very good, and well kept, high-pressure water-supplies and tank-stands good, coal-store at Featherston very old and disused; post-and-rail fencing at stations good but old, Stationmaster's house in good order Greytoivn Branch (three miles long). Formation Good, and clear of weeds. Permanent-way The road is in excellent running trim, rails, 521b. iron, good gravel ballast and good sleepers. Structures There are no bridges. Fencing Fences are in fair condition, but there are places where new posts are wanted, cattlestops and gates in good order. Stations Grey town station-building good and tidily kept, platform good, privies and urinals good and clean, goods-sheds very good condition, loading-bank and cattle-pen old and somewhat knocked about in the timber-work, tank-stand good, engine-shed very fair condition and well kept. Masterton to Eketahuna. Formation of first part very good; towards the summit a number of cuttings slipping and stopped by timber struts, the struts being very rotten; generally the formation is in very good trim, drains neat and clean, and the whole of this road from Wellington is clear of weeds. Permanent-way The road is generally in very good running trim , the rails are mixed 521b.--iron and 531b.-steel-—from 68 to 88 miles are steel rails. Most of the ballast is good, towards the Summit it is indifferent. As far as we could see the sleepers are very good, there are extensive renewals in good totara, and we noticed few bad sleepers, which were chiefly beyond Masterton for a short space. Structures The bridges are in excellent condition, due to very extensive renewals in ironbark , we noticed none with any defect. Culverts, as far as we saw, are in good condition, the open culverts with birch and ironbark beams. Fencing is usually in good condition, but there are stretches which look very old, though none actually damaged. Cattle-stops usually very good, some renewed with ironbark beams, the original ones are still good. Gates vary—many are very good, some are old-looking and slight, the posts of all are very stout and presumably good underground, but we could not examine them. Signboards all in good condition. Stations At Masterton the station-building and its platform is very good, neat, and well kept, privies and urinals good and clean , goods-shed very good , cattle-pens, loading-bank, and crane in very good condition, Stationmaster's house very good , picket and other fences good , engine-shed, earth-floor good, but roof old and worn , coal-store old but good, tank-stand good, windmill new At Eketahuna Station everything is excellent condition and nearly new The intermediate stations have station-houses and shelter-sheds very good, platforms good, privies and urinals good and clean, cattle-pens and loading-banks good, platelayers' cottages and Stationmasters' houses good and tidy , tank-stands good, goods-shed and picket fences all in good condition. Napieb to Spit. Formation in very good condition. Permanent-way The line is well kept and in good trim. The rails, 401b. to the yard, are in good condition , they have been in use twenty years, and with present traffic will last twenty years more, notwithstanding that they are fastened with the objectionable Ibottson joint. The ballast is fairly good and sufficient, the sleepers of totara are good, and very few decayed.

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