11 



per annum, and this could be doubled by increasing the 

 number of trains. 



I am afraid that I have already occupied your attention 

 too long, and should weary you too much were I to touch 

 more than briefly upon the dry subject of figures. In a few 

 words, the class of railway will be understood from the follow- 

 ing short description :— 



Gauge, 2ft.; maximum gradient, 1 in 25 ; curves, minimum 

 radius 99ft. ; width cleared, 30ft., to be increased where 

 necessary. 



I may here mention that the clearing for a chain on each 

 side of the liue is being let to firewood getters, wbo clear the 

 line for the value of the firewood, paying freight for its 

 carriage to the terminus of the line. The wood is stacked at 

 convenient places and picked up by ballast trains. 



The cuttings are 10ft. in width at base, and banks 10ft. in 

 width at top. The bridges are all timber, built of stringy 

 bark and blue gum. The culverts are log culverts and 

 timber boxes, made from local timber, chiefly celery top 

 pine. 



The quantity of ballast is 800 cubic yards per mile, being 

 4in. in depth under the sleepers. 



The sleepers are 5ft. by 8in. by 4in. of stringy bark and 

 blue gum. 



The rails and fastenings (except dog- spikes which have 

 been made in the colony) are second-hand from the broader 

 gauge railways. The rails are of steel, 461bs. and 401bs. to 

 the yard. 



The goods trucks, which are on bogies, have a carrying 

 capacity of 10 tons, and weigh 2 tons 14 cwt. each. Passenger 

 cars seat 18 passengers, but we have had a car designed, 

 which we are about to construct, seating 26 passengers. The 

 carriages and trucks were designed and built in the railway 

 workshops. 



In addition to the usual hand brakes, all the stock is fitted 

 with the vacuum brakes. 



The construction of the railway is being carried out in all 

 its branches by piece work and day work, under a resident 

 engineer, with very satisfactory results, both as to workman- 

 ship and cost. The daily wage paid on this work is 7s. The 

 cost of the line, including surveys, construction, and equip- 

 ment, is approximately .£2,000 per mile. 



In further justification of the adoption of the class of line 

 I have described this evening, I may say that we are con- 

 structing and equipping nearly 20 miles of railway at a cost 



