40 W. H. WARREN. 
The Lismore-Tweed Railway is part of the Grafton to the 
Tweed Railway, which was first submitted to Parliament as long 
agoas 1884. It passes through some of the most fertile country in 
New South Wales, the vegetation being most luxuriant in character 
and unequalled anywhere in the Colony. The works are for the 
most part heavy in character, the country being difficult for rail- 
way construction—the flats are subject to floods, so that heavy 
embankments are necessary to keep the line at all times out of 
the water, and the higher ground consists of spurs too sharp to 
get round, and to get through which heavy cuttings, and in some 
cases tunnels, have tobe driven. At the beginning of 1892 about 
forty miles of line had been opened up, viz., from Lismore to 
Mullumbimby on the Brunswick. During the year however the 
last contract was let, and the works are now in hand as far as 
the Tweed. There are eight tunnels on the works between 
Lismore and the Tweed, and ten bridges with steel super structure 
resting on cast iron or concrete pieces and abutments. As an 
engineering work this line presents greater points of interest than 
most of the railways hitherto constructed in this Colony. The 
central point of the line is Cavanba the Government township at 
Byron Bay, which even now is a fair port, but when the break- 
water is constructed may be expected to form the most important 
harbour on the north coast, and the second in the whole Colony 
to Sydney. 
In addition to the above mentioned lines the following were 
taken in hand last year, and rapid progress is being made :—l. 
Marrickville to Burwood Road, a double line, four and a half 
miles long, forming portion of the much talked of St. Peter’s to 
Liverpool loop line. The permanent way of this line will be 
similar to that described for the Milson’s Point extension. The 
works are heavy, and include a bridge of iron and steel over Cook’s: 
River at Canterbury ; the curves are easy and the ruling grade 
one in one hundred. 2. Molong to Parkes and Forbes railway, 
seventy-two miles long, a line of the less substantial class, with 
sixty pound steel rails; the earthworks near Porcupine Gap are 
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