45

D.—l

Murchison Section (63 m. 10 ch. to 86 m. ; length, 22 m. 70 ch.). —The formation, culverting, and road-cleviations generally have been completed to 64 m. 58 ch. and from there on to the Gowan stationyard, the formation and culverting is in hand, the principal work on the formation to the Gowan station-yard yet to be done, comprising two large rock cuttings at 65 m. and 66 m. Loop tramways have been constructed at both places to enable additional faces to be opened up and facilitate completion. 20 ch. of road-deviations have been formed and metalled ; 55 ch. of line have been felled and cleared, and a substantial retaining-wall has been erected at 65 m. 75 ch. The formation of the Gowan station-yard is in hand, and the approach road has been formed and metalled. A concrete reservoir and the necessary main to serve the station have been constructed. Workmen's dwellings have been shifted forward as the work progressed, and a platelayers' cottage and large store erected at the Gowan station-yard. Westport-Inangahua Railway. Cascade Section (5 m. 70 ch. to 9 m. ; length, 3 m. 10 ch.). —The position regarding this line is that some years ago the heavy rock formation between Te Kuha Station and Cascade Creek was practically completed. The work was abandoned for some years, but with the opening-up of the coal-measures, particularly the Cascade Creek Mine, it was decided to proceed with the work. The work still remaining on the Cascade Section was a considerable amount of bridging and culverting, the general completion of formation and platelaying, and ballasting throughout. In my last report I indicated that this work was well in hand, and since then all work on this section is almost completed, and in addition a loop siding has been put in up the Cascade Creek to tap the coal company's bins and provide shunting facilities. The principal work carried out during the past twelve months is as under : Formation between 8 m. 65 ch. and 8 m. 75 ch. has been widened to enable a loop siding to be put in. Stringers were placed on the open culverts at 7 m. 2 ch., 7 m. 34 ch., and 7 m. 50 ch., thus completing the culverting of the section. A retaining-wall 67 ft. long was erected at Bm. 67 ch. The bridge at 7 m. 65 ch., consisting of two 20 ft. and two 30 ft. plate-girder spans on concrete piers, is complete ; that at 8 m. 7 ch., consisting of two 20 ft., two 30 ft., and two 40 ft. spans similarly arranged, being well in hand. The Little Cascade Creek Bridge at Bm. 40 ch., consisting of one 20 ft., two 30 ft., and four 50 ft. plate-girder spans on concrete piers, has been erected. Platelaying and. ballasting are complete to 9 m. on the main line, as well as on the loop siding of 33 ch. and dead-end to the Coal Company's bins. The Coal Company are fluming their coal 7m. from the mine to the railway, and a trial run has demonstrated the flume to be successful. It is anticipated, therefore, that a considerable coal traffic is likely to develop over this section. Cascade Creek-Hawk's Crag Section (9 m. to 14 m. ; length, 5 m.). —Twenty men have been employed on this section clearing up the formation, shifting slips, and generally preparing for the further prosecution of the work on the section. Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway. Roxburgh Section (49 m. 59 ch. to 58 m. 69 ch. ; length, 9m. 10 ch.). —The construction of this section has now been in hand for two years. During the last year the formation has been completed, including the heavy schist-rock cutting at Dumbarton. The three bridges on the section will total 270 ft. in length, with eleven steel-plate girder spans. Concrete piers for bridges at 49 m. 67 ch. and 53 m. 59 ch. are complete, and those for bridge at 50 m. 36 ch. are in hand. The plate-girders are being fabricated by the Department at Tauranga Workshops. Platelaying is complete except for a portion of the loops in the sidings. Ballasting of the main line is almost complete ; most of the ballasting in the Roxburgh Station yard has yet to be done. Station buildings : A contract has been let for the erection of shelter-shed, goods-shed, and stockyards at Teviot Station yard. At Roxburgh Station a contract is in hand for the erection of four cottages, stock-yards, and 6,000 gal. water-vat. Certain other buildings are to be moved up from Beaumont and Miller's Plat. It is anticipated that the line will be ready to hand over to the Railway Department early in the new year. SURVEYS OF LINES UNDER CONSTRUCTION, NEW RAILWAYS, ETC. Dargaville Branch Railway. The permanent-line survey for this railway has been pegged from Kirikopuni Station, on the North Auckland Main Trunk Railway, to Tangowahine, a distance of 9m. An additional mile of pegging is almost completed, and the remaining Bm. to Dargaville is now being surveyed. The whole survey should be completed before the summer. Rotortja-Taupo Railway. Nothing further has been done on this survey during the year, with the exception of completing plans of surveys already done. Gisborne-Wairoa Railway. Trial lines for the coastal route between Waikokopu and Gisborne were completed last year. This year the permanent-line survey along the coastal route was started, and has been completed from 24 m. 28 ch. to 28 ni. Drainage areas have been surveyed as far as 32 m. Another trial line was run between 28 m, 57 ch. and 31 m. 5 ch., and the location of the permanent line over this length has now also been fixed. Survey for a service tram for a distance of 2m. beyond 29 m. 40 ch. was made. A service road 60 ch. in length was made to the new camp at 29 m. 40 ch.