✨ Tramway Construction Report
69
bridge, and at the same time gives great
facilities for extending the line at a future
time, so as to be worked economically both
to the Upper Wairau Districts, up the
lower road by the Plough Inn, or by another route south of the swamps, which is
more secure from floods, and also to the
Awatere by the pass below Sixteen-valley,
which not only affords the best route to
the Awatere and the south as to gradient,
but also passes through a considerable
quantity of agricultural land.
The total length of the line to the
Omaka at Blenheim is 19 miles 48
chains, or, by the more direct route,
19 miles 25 chains.
In making estimates for the arrangement
and establishment required for working
this tramway, I do not see any necessity
for providing passenger stations, booking
offices, waiting rooms, and such like. Some
sheds will be required for protecting carriages from the weather, and sidings and
turn-outs will be required at intervals; and,
by degrees, as local traffic becomes developed, additional accommodation can be
provided. As for passengers, with the low
speed which will be most suited to the
economical working of the line, they may
be taken up and set down at almost any
part of the line; and instead of providing
ticket clerks to collect their fares, a responsible guard will be necessary, just as in
a stage coach. This guard can also attend
to the whole of the light parcel traffic.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your very obedient servant,
ALFRED DOBSON,
To His Honour the Superintendent,
Marlborough.
PICTON AND WAIRAU TRAMWAY,
1863.
ESTIMATE OF FIRST COST OF CONSTRUCTION.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Land and Fencing | 2,000 |
| Works— | |
| Clearing Timber | 475 |
| Earthwork | 7,795 |
| Bridges and Viaducts | 7,660 |
| Culverts | 750 |
| Main Drains | 750 |
| 17,430 | |
| Permanent Way, 19 ½ miles @ £1,200 | 23,700 |
| Stations, Sheds, Sidings | 3,560 |
| Rolling Stock—1 engine, 11 carriages | 3,500 |
| Superintendence | 2,500 |
| Bridge over Wairau River (say) | 6,000 |
| Electric Telegraph | 1,300 |
| Contingencies | 6,010 |
| £66,000 |
ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL WORKING EXPENSES.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Locomotive Power | 1,000 |
| Staff— | |
| Manager | 400 |
| Accountant | 150 |
| Guard | 150 |
| Porters—Foreman, £130 | |
| Five, @ £100 | 630 |
| 1,330 | |
| Maintenance of Way— | |
| Two Plate-layers @ £120 | 240 |
| Six Labourers, @ £100 | 600 |
| Tools, Sleepers, etc. | 360 |
| 1,200 | |
| Engineer’s Superintendence | 250 |
| Sundries | 220 |
| £4,000 |
PRINTED FOR THE MARLBOROUGH PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT BY COWARD AND MILLINGTON,
Next Page →
Marlborough Provincial Gazette 1863, No 60
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🚂
Report on Picton and Wairau Tramway or Railway
(continued from previous page)
🚂 Transport & Communications5 October 1863
Tramway, Railway, Picton, Wairau, Light railway, Engineering, Route description, Gradients, Construction, Land use
- Alfred Dobson, Author of the report
- Alfred Dobson
🚂 Estimate of First Cost of Construction for Picton and Wairau Tramway
🚂 Transport & Communications1 January 1970
Construction, Cost estimate, Land, Fencing, Earthwork, Bridges, Permanent way, Rolling stock, Telegraph
🚂 Estimate of Annual Working Expenses for Picton and Wairau Tramway
🚂 Transport & Communications1 January 1970
Operational costs, Staff, Maintenance, Locomotive power, Engineering superintendence