O.— ENGINEERING. 139 



It may be pointed out that the present mileage from Fremantle to 

 Brisbane is 3,448 miles, and that the chief reduction in the mileage 

 would be brought about by adopting a coastal route from Sydney to 

 Brisbane instead of the present route, shortening the distance between 

 these cajiitals from 715 to 616 miles. If the main-lme route alone 

 were provided for, serious complications and a great increase in the cost 

 of operating the unconverted 5 ft. 3 in. lines in Victoria and South 

 Australia would ensue, and the Commission therefore were of opinion 

 tliat the other 5 ft. 3 in. lines in both States would have to be con- 

 verted at once to the 4 ft. 8^ in. gauge, bringing up the total cost to 

 somewhere about 21,60O,OO0Z" 



Conversion of all Lines to the 4 ft. Sh in. Gauge. 



The Eoyal Commission estimated this would involve a capital ex- 

 penditure of about o7,'20t),000L ; this estimate made provision for the 

 necessary transfer temporary stations as well as the actual work of 

 conversion, but did not provide anytliing for the cost of transfer of 

 goods and passengers during the transition period, or for interest on 

 capital expenditui'e while the work was ]>eing carried out. 



The Commission recommended the appointment of a director to 

 carry out the whole work, who should bei assisted by a. competent pro- 

 fessional staff. In forwarding their report to the Conmionwealth 

 Government the Chairman raised the important question as to whether 

 the huge expenditui-? which would be required would be justified under 

 existing conditions of the money market and the present high cost of 

 all engineering works. 



Method of Changing the Track from the 5 ft. 3 in. Gauge to the 

 4 ft. 8i in. Gauge suggested by the Royal Commission. 



On the existing 5 ft. 3 in. lines the rails are usually canted inwardly 

 from about 1 in 20 to 1 in 26, though actually in practice the canting 

 varies from 1 in 12 to 1 in 40, and at crossings tlie rails are kept flat. 

 As far as is known at the present time there is no practical or theoretical 

 reason why one rail of a track should not be on the fiat while the other 

 rail is on a cant. It would much facilitate the work of removing inwards 

 one of the rails if this rail could be laid on the sleeper in its new 

 position on the flat, the other rail being left undisturbed. It would 

 be desirable, however, to test this question experimentally by actually 

 altering one of the rails on a short length of existing main track from 

 the canted to the flat position ; if it were found that high-speed traffic 

 could be safely carried on under sucH a- condition, the experiment 

 might ]ye further extended by converting to this condition a length of 

 about 50 to 60 miles ; if again the running results wei^e satisfactory, 

 this method might be adopted tTiroughout during the process of con- 

 version. If this plan were adopted there ^^■ou!d be no necessity to adze 

 the sleepers for the new rail position, and the only operation required 

 on the sleepers would he the boring of the holes for the dog spikes in 

 the new ))osition of the i-ail ; tliis could be done throughout before any 

 attempt was made to move the rails. If: would be better from the 

 point of view of securing a symmetrical position of the rails on the 

 slee])ers to move both rails inwardly b\- the necessary small amount, 



