D,—2b,

38

Invercaegill to Bluff (17 Miles) 1. Formation in good order. 2. There are 16 miles 30 chains of 701b. double-headed iron rails, and 30 chains of 531b. sbeel. The iron rails are somewhat worn and laminated, but good for many years yet. About thirteen miles of the road has had extra sleepers respaoed, and the remainder is being done, greatly improving the road thereby The ballast of quartz-gravel is very good. 3. The two principal bridges have been ahnost entirely renewed; two others are masonry, all have new ironbark beams, and are in excellent condition. 4. There are no fences. 5. Platforms have concrete or masonry fronts, and all buildings are in good preservation. Privies and urinals good and clean. At the Bluff, station-building very good and neatly kept. Guard's room good. Goods-shed very good. Coal store, outside pit, and tank-stand good. Engineshed good and new. Sidings all in good order Invekcargill to Makaeewa Junction (8 Miles). 1. Formation in good order 2. Bails are 701b. double-headed iron, in very fair condition. They have been turned, and are good for twenty years more. Sleepers mostly matai and totara. Many of the origina ones are in the road, and are twenty-five years old. They are generally very good, but there are some dosed sleepers in the line. Ballast is sandy, dirty gravel, and poor stuff. 3. Bridges are almost entirely renewed. Three have iron girders, the rest have ironbark beams. Some of the old original piles remain. Those on the bridges at 3 miles 24 chains have some decayed piles, but enough sound timber remains to be safe, all the others are very good. Sign-posts very good, and well painted. 4. Fences are private only 5. All station-buildings and station appurtenances are in good condition and repair At Makarewa, tank-stand and windmill very good. Double platform, with timber front, good. Stationbuilding very good and well kept. Privies and urinals good and clean. Loading-bank good. Stationmaster's house very good. Makaeewa Junction to Biveeton (18 Miles). 1. Formation good, trim, clean, and well drained. Banks all widened to 14ft. 2. Bails are twelve miles 531b. steel and six miles 401b. steel, in very good condition. Ballast and sleepers are in fair condition, but the road is in excellent running trim. 3. The bridges were extensively overhauled about 1884, and consequently are in good condition. Most of the original timber remaining is good for six or eight years; some pieces will require renewal from time to time, but there is nothing urgently needed to any of these bridges. The bridge at 8 miles 50 chains has some decayed piles, which should not be left in too long. The Apanma Bridge has round piles of miro and totara, very old and badly cut into by the carpenters, but they are good for some years yet. Upper works, matai and totara, very old, but good. Beams under the rails are ironbark, resting on double caps of totara. Half the bridge has new planking. The planking of other half is much worn, and somewhat rotten at ends. The bridge is good for some few years yet. 4. Fences are fairly good, though some posts are burnt. Thirteen cattle-stops are renewed in ironbark beams, six of which have new concrete frames seven have old matai beams, and frames and sills are in frail condition. Gates and sign-boards are good. 5. At Branxholm, platform, shelter-shed, and loading-bank are in good condition. At Oporo, shelter-shed, platform, and privies and urinals in good condition. At Waianiwa, shelter-shed and platform in good order Wright's Bush Shelter-shed, platform, privies and urinals in good condition , cattle-pen repaired, new, and good. Waimatuku Shelter-shed good, loading-bank repaired and good , privies and urinals old and dilapidated. Thornbury Station Building, platform, privies and urinals very good ; small cottage, cattle-pen and goods-shed in good condition , Stationmaster's cottage very good; loading-bank, timbers somewhat decayed at ground, tank-stand in good order. Otaitai Platform of heavy beams, and shelter-shed very good. Biverton Station Building in good condition and neatly kept, platform, picket-fence, privies and urinals very good ; coal store and engine-shed in good preservation, goods-shed, turntable, and tank-stand all in good preservation. Biveeton to Oeepuki (17 Miles). 1. Formation in good condition, except in one or two places where cuttings are slipping. 2. Bails are 401b. steel, in good condition. The ballast is a little scanty, the sleepers good, and the line kept in very good running trim. : 3. These bridges are twelve years and less old, but already most of them have had repairs in ironbark. For instance, the bridge at 27 miles 13 chains has new ironbark beams , at 27 miles 24 chains, new upper and lower chord, new cap, and old piles cut off and stumped in totara; at 27 miles 32 chains, new ironbark caps , at 27 miles, fifty-two beams new in ironbark, at 31 miles 3 chains, new ironbark beams , at 31 miles, 46 chains new ironbark beams , at 32 miles 32 chains, one new ironbark beam, at 34 miles, twenty-six new ironbark rail-beams, one pile stumped. But with all these renewals these bridges are in very good condition. 4. There is very little fencing, and eleven cattle-stops, with matai and totara beams, are in good condition. 5. Platforms, shelter-sheds, platelayers' cottages, loading-banks, cattle-pen, goods-sheds, tankstands, and privies and urinals all in good preservation. At Orepuki, platform of heavy beams. Station-house and four cottages, all good. Coal store, windmill, tank-stand, engine-shed, all in good order. Goods-shed, loading-bank, and cattle-pen, all very good. All these stations are comparatively new 6. There are no mile-posts yet fixed.