LOADING FACILITIES. 



89 



a Fairbanks platform scale on their way to the jetty, the 

 weight thus found being accepted by the buyers. There 

 are two tipplers for the trucks : one for the black trucks 

 only, which has a catch to work the trigger that opens 

 the end door of the truck; the other at the end of the 

 jetty, that serves for either black or hopper trucks ; as the 

 hopper trucks are longer than the black trucks, swing rails 

 are let down to allow the bottom of the truck to be over the 

 .shoot leading to the ship's hold. There are two roadways 

 on this jetty; the upper one, for the loaded trucks, is 1630ft. 

 long, w T hile the lower, which serves for the empties to return 

 on, is 1230ft. After the full trucks are left on the upper line, 

 they are hauled to the shoots by ropes attached to winches. 

 The jetty was being repaired at the time of my visit, a truss 

 being used to span the space, while a bent was being re- 

 newed, and this truss supported the sleepers and rails. The 

 legs of the bent are dowelled into the solid rock. The bunkers 

 for small coal at the jetty hold 700 tons. There is a very com- 

 plete water system laid on, with standpipes at convenient in- 

 tervals, in case of fire. 



At Wollongong, the Belniore Basin (Fig. 30) has been 

 for the most part cut out of the rock; it has an area of about 

 three acres, and an average depth of 14 feet. Mostly coasters 

 load here, the coal being sent down shoots into the holds. 



Fig. 30. Belmore Basin. 



