The winter is a slack period in most enterprises, but this is not the case in the new railway yard, where provision is being made to have this huge network of lines and sidings ready for the opening of the new railway station in April, 1937. There is usually a falling-off in both goods and passenger traffic during the non-productive period of the year, and advantage is being taken of this to make alterations in the layout from old to new which would prove more embarrassing to the working of the unfinished yard during the busier summer months. By the courtesy of Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, a Wellington “Post” representative was given an opportunity to view all the work in progress, the following account being taken from a recent issue of that paper:

“The reconstruction of the yard which will serve the new railway station and freight traffic needs of this important terminus is being proceeded with as rapidly as the circumstances permit. Many of the new shunting and car sidings and connections are permanent as far as they can be laid, but until all the old yard has been lifted there are limits to the possible extensions of the new work done. Nevertheless there is much to interest the prospective passenger and the commercial man in the present position, as it shows what will eventually form the goods and passenger yards.

“Not the least attractive of the new arrangements are those being made for the convenience of passengers. At the back of the station will be a large concourse, roofed by an arch springing from buttresses on the main building. This will serve as a well-lit sheltered promenade for those awaiting trains or friends. Beyond this concourse there will be a roofed luggage-trucking platform where luggage may be taken to any of the new platforms without impeding the movement of passengers. On the Waterloo Quay side of the station there will be a deep covered traffic bay where motor vehicles may back in to the luggage platform. A number of old buildings remain to be demolished along the Waterloo Quay side of the railway property, between Waterloo Quay and the most eastern platform. This piece of ground will be retained as a wide sealed roadway, and somewhere here will be the taxi stand, within easy reach of the passenger platforms.

“The close proximity of the Ferry Wharf and its ready accessibility from the new station will be a pleasant change to inter-island passengers. In the case of Wellington, there are no departures of ferry steamers and important trains within a few minutes of each other, as happens at Lyttelton, and there is no need for a railway line to the wharf.

Massive Platforms.

“The new platforms are solidly constructed to a design which has been very favourably commented upon by overseas engineers. Steel moulds, polished and oiled to prevent the concrete sticking to them, are used to give a smart profile to the outer edge of the reinforced concrete retaining walls which form the boundaries of the platforms, the space between being filled with shingle and gravel, later to have a sealed surface. These platforms will be covered from the weather by cantilever roofs on pillars, and one of the new features is that the sealing will give a drainage to the centre of the platform, the water finding its way to the storm sewers through the hollow pillars supporting the roof. The main platforms will be wider than the others, and for these there will be two rows of roof-supporting pillars instead of one.

“It is rather difficult at present for the visitor to visualise the eventual layout of the yards, except from the plans which show them as they will be in a year or two. It is not that the finished plans are not being adhered to, but that so little relation to them is apparent in some of the lines being used to-day; some of them will have to be pulled up and moved, perhaps twice. None of the permanent yard is being treated in this way, but only short lengths of permanent sidings are yet possible in many cases, and these have to be used as “dead ends,” because between them and the as yet un-constructed lines they will eventually be joined to, there lie portions of the old yard which are necessary to keep the yard open for traffic and cannot yet be taken up.

Goods Sidings.

“The most conspicuous and extensive part of the new yard that has been laid to date is the goods sidings passing diagonally west of the goods shed. These will eventually extend in their present direction to approximately twice the length they are now. The connections now in use between these page 39 and the rest of the yard will be taken up later on. Provision has also been made for connections from the goods sidings to the waterfront, along the new wharf frontage, which extends to the floating dock. When the yard is complete there will be two main passenger tracks on the west side, and one main goods running line. Between these and the goods sidings on the west side will run the passenger sidings and between the passenger sidings and the goods sidings there are several spaces which will be utilised for various buildings.

“The main lines out of the yard will run in a gentle curve from beyond the platforms; they will roughly parallel Thorndon Quay, passing through what is now the Thorndon Station, and the present coaling place, which will be brought more towards the centre of the yard. Before reaching the oil stores, the main goods line joins the main passenger lines, and only two lines of heavy rail continue on to a point a hundred yards past the oil stores. Here are the points where the two lines towards the Wairarapa leave the North Island Main Trunk, which thenceforwards is a welded 100lb. rail double track up the ramp to the tunnels. In a central position in the yard is the 70ft. turntable, a size demanded by the modern K engine. It seems incredible that such a huge table could be turned by hand, but it is on roller bearings, and swings easily.

Acre and Quarter Building.

“The most arresting buildings in the yard, apart from the new station, will be the locomotive shed and the repair sheds. These buildings, with roofs designed to suit the particular purpose of each, will cover an acre and a quarter of ground, and the lines to carry the steam locomotives will be 220 feet long. The roof will be provided with special smoke “chutes” and stacks. Separate accommodation will be provided for the steam and electric locomotives, and towards the eastern side of the building will be the repair shops. As the reclamation has not yet fully consolidated, piles obtained from the Department's own plantations in the South Island have been sunk to carry the building, and piles will also be used beneath the pits for the engines. Provision for the locomotive men is being made in a special building close at hand.

A “smoker's clock” is just now on exhibition in Berlin. The base is formed of a large cigar-box; the hands are two cigars, a big one for the minute hand, a small one for the hour hand. The minutes are indicated by the tips of cigars, glued all round the edge of the dial, and the pendulum is a big briar pipe. Across the dial appear the names of sundry brands of tobacco, the sale of which it is desired to “push.” This clock keeps excellent time and the enterprising tobacconist finds it quite a good advertising medium. But no such novel device as a smoker's clock is needed to push the sale of our beautiful New Zealand toasted tobaccos. They sell themselves! And all five brands of the genuine toasted: Navy Cut No. 3 (Bull dog), Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, River-head Gold and Desert Gold, are so popular that smokers innumerable prefer them to anything imported! Not only are they full of fragrance but quite harmless—the toasting sees to that!^*

“Another building which is in course of erection and will soon be finished contains the accommodation for the yard staff. There is a well-lit dining-room, a drying-room, and various other accommodation. Several questions have been asked by the curious regarding the style of this building, and one of the answers is that the tower on the top will be occupied by the yard foreman who is given a good outlook over practically the whole of the yard. Provision for coaling is made by an elevated incline, in another part of the yard, the trucks being hauled up by cable. The preparation of dry sand for locomotives, which is used to give grip on grades, in wet weather, is carried out at another spot, the sand being dropped from bins. There is little that has been forgotten in the necessary adjuncts to complete and perfect the yard,

View showing the Main Entrance of Wellington's New Station as it will appear upon completion.

and the convenience of working in what is probably the biggest yard in the Dominion will be appreciated by railway servants, while there is the added comfort to the workers that the safety factor has been a determining influence in the whole layout.

“There are many things included in the design and fittings of the yard the full value of which may not be apparent at the moment, but the endeavour has been made to safeguard its efficient working for many years to come, and the convenience to passengers and users of goods will no doubt be appreciated when the whole is working.

“The several arrangements for the new facilities have been very favourably commented upon by leading business people and others interested in modern transport developments. These opinions will doubtless be still more favourable when the new accommodation is brought into full operation for handling the traffic at this central entrepot of Dominion trade and travel.”