The North-East Dundas Tramway, Tasmania. (Including

154 HALES ON NORTH-EAST DUNDAS TRAMWAY, TASMANIA. [Selected

(Paper No. 3160.) The North-East Dundas Tramway, Tasmania.” By WILLIAMPRIOR HALES, M. Inst. C.E. THE WesternDistrict of Tasmania possesses numerousmineral deposits, principally copper pyrites, often carrying silver andgold, andgalena carrying silver. To develop thedistrict in the neighbourhood of Mounts Zeehan andDundas the Tasmanian Government constructed a railway of %foot 6-inch gauge, 29 miles in length, from theport of Strahan on Macquarie Harbour tothe town of Zeehan, Fig. 1, Plate 7. Thisline was opened in 1892 and cost S8,058 permile, includingrolling stock and wharf at Strahan. In 1895 it was decided to extend railway communication from Zeehan in a north-easterly direction to the Ring River valley at the foot of MountRead, to tap the numerousmineral deposits known toexist, and, in afew cases, partly opened out. The existing means of communication were pack tracks, 4 feet wide, and the cost of packing goods and minerals wasabout Id. per lb. Thecountry to betraversed was very rugged, and it was considered thatthe standard gauge, 3 feet6 inches, with a minimum radius of five chains on curves, would cost over Sl0,OOO per mile. It was decided for numerousreasons to construct a tramway of 2-foot gaugewith curves of not less than 99 feet radius. Surrey.-The survey was begun in November 1895. Zeehan, the starting point, is 533 feet above sea-level. Between this and the Ring River valleythere is a long spur, runningin a north-westerly direction from Mount Dundas, with only one practicable saddle, 1,520 feet above sea-level. The preliminary survey on the Zeehan side was complicatedby another long spurfrom Mount Dundaswith several saddles 1,000 feet to 1,300 feet above sea-level. Prom the sun:mit, known as the Confidence saddle, an accurate preliminary traverse and levels were run each way simultaneously, adhering as closely as possible to the gradientsdetermined on. This was

regulated by the leveller, who reduced the principal surface and formationlevels in the field. Occasionally the transit man also could indicate the direction of traverse by setting to the vertical angle of the gradient. The maximum gradient against outward loads wasfixed at 1 in 25, and against inward mineralloads at 1in 30 (Fig. 2, Plate 7). The traverse wasplotted by latitude and departure to scalea of 1 inch to1 chain, reduced levels being figured on, and the angles of cross slopes indicated about every 2 chains. The permanent line was then laid down on the plan, contour lines 5 feet or 10 feet above and below gradient being in many places first laid down as a guide to safe and economical location. The cross slopes being in many places 30' and even 45' would not hold a bank, and in most cases the line was located in the solid. In a few instances small retaining wallsof dry stone were adopted. To 54 miles the line traverses easy country, attains a height of 734 feet above sea-level, and has thirteen curves with a minimum radius of 5 chains. From 52 miles to the terminus at Deep Lead, 17 miles 70 chains, the line is almost a continuous succession of reverse and compound curves, the average number being thirty per mile. A length of at least 40 links, or 26.4 feet, was left in all cases betweenreverse curves. Except in difficult cases the tangent points and intersections were fixed by careful measure- ments on the plan, and the curves were ranged by offsets from the tangent lines. This method was found to be expeditious and fairlysatisfactory. Four miles of theline are on curves of 14 chainradius, and nearly 2 miles are on curves of 2 chains radius. The survey cost S103 per mile. Clearing and Timber.-From 3 miles to the terminus the country is densely timbered, principally with myrtle (Fagus cunningharnii), peppermint (Eucalyptusamygdalina), Eing William pine (Athro- taxis selaginoides), celery toppine (Dacrydiumfranklinii), and blackwood (Acacia metanozylon). Othersmall and unimportant treesare sassafras (Atherosperrna moschatum), cheesewood (Erio- stemon squameus), horizontal (Anodopetalum bigland$osum), and leatherwood (Eucryphia billardieri). Onlythree of thesewere durable enough for construction, viz., peppermint for all purposes, celery top pine for piles and log culverts, and leatherwood also for log culverts. The timbers used in bridges, box culverts and sleepers, were stringy bark, blue gum, and a little peppermint, almost entirely from the extensive forests of the Huon River district in Southern Tasmania. The heart timber of the Eucalypti for about 3 inches or 4 inches from the centre, warps and decays

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 156 HALESON NORTH-EAST DUNDAS TRAMWAY,TASWANIA. [Selected rapidly when sawn, and is therefore rejected. For this reason, and for facility of renewal, beams of any size are used in paira, as shown in Figs. 4, Plate 7. The sap is generally 1 inch to 2 inches thick, and the timber nearest the sap isconsidered the best. The line was cleared in the first instance to a width of 30 feet, and the clearing is being gradually widened by timber-getters at no cost to the line, which makes a profit on the freight. Earthworks.-The formation width of cuttings and embankments is 10 feet, and the battersof cuttings were made as steep aspossible, frequently t to 1. The material was mostly slate, clay slate, trap rock and sandstone. Most of this work was done by day labour, and, to ensure economy, each ganger’s work was measured, andthe cost of labour and explosives was charged against it. Piecework men were found in all tools, plant and material,except shovels and explosives. In spite of the numerous curves to avoid heavy works, the earthworks totalled 247,769 cubic yards, oran average of about 14,000 cubic yards per mile. The average cost was Is. lld. per cubic yard. Although there is a heavy rainfall, very little side ditching was required owing to the solidity of the rock and the absorbentnature of theoverlying surface soil. Light wagon roads were used on the larger cuttings ; the rails were 14 lbs. per yard, on sleepers of splittimber, and iron tip-trucks of cubic yardcapacity were employed. Therails and trucks had to be hauled along pack tracks and then carried by men to cuttings. On curves, a cant was put on the formation. CuZwerts.-The largerculverts are built of logs, 15 inchesto 18 inches in diameter,roughly squared where bedded on one another.Their life is at least thirty years. Theyvary in size between 2 feet by1 foot and 6 feet by 3 feet (double) clear opening. Smaller ones between 12 inches by 9 inchesand 2 feet by2 feet are of sawn timber. Wherever possible, in gullies having a steep fall, the culverts are built as near to formation level as possible and a contoured inlet is cut. In one case a gully 30 feet deep is thus dealt with, and a box culvert, 12 feet long, with a 12-inch by %inch opening, takes the water. In another case a flume 60 feet in length, conducts the water from what was originally a waterfall 30 feet high to a box culvert 2 feet by 2 feet at formation level. The small spaces left on the upper side of the bank are amply provided for by drains filled with brushwood. Bridges.-Nine bridgesand one overhridgewere built. The spans adopted were 11 feet, 13 feet, 15 feet, 25 feet understrutted, and 30 feet understrutted. They areall of timber, the piles, except

those of Montezuma bridge, being of round timber, 18 inches in diameter. In one case piles were shod and driven. In all others the piles are tenoned to sills bedded in the rock or are footed and bedded in Portland cement concrete. Concrete was composed of 1 part of cement, 3 parts sand or tailings, and 5 parts broken stone, larger stones being built in wherepossible. The concrete required muchlonger to set when tailings were used. Thelatter were largely composed of carbonate of iron and were obtained from a galena dressing mill. The superstructures are of sawn timber and havetwo pairs of beamsfor facility of renewal, 14 inchesby 7 inches for 11-foot spans, and 15 inches by 7 inches for all other spans. The generalcharacter of thebridges is shown inthe drawing of No. 6 bridge, Fig. 3, Plate 7, which is 60 yards from the foot of the Montezuma falls, 340 feet high. The bridge being on a curve of 2 chains radius precluded the adoption of longer spans than 25 feet. Permanent Wuy.-The railsare of steel, Vignoles section, 24 feet in length, and, excepting about 1 mile of 40 lbs. section, weigh 46 lbs.per yard. The fishplates are of barsection, 14 inches in length, with four bolt holes, weighing 8$ lbs. per pair;the fishbolts are 8 inchin diameter. The dog-spikes are 4inches by &-inch square, manufactured inthe colony. All rails, fishplates and bolts are second-hand, and were taken from the main line from Hobart to Launceston, 3 feet 6 inches gauge, which is being relaid with a heavier rail. The rails were bent’ to the curvesas accurately as possible by ahand press. As the press could not curve the extreme ends this was done by a jim-crow after the rails were fished. The joint sleepers are 2 feet centres, andthe joints are “suspended ” and square. To 56 miles the curves are canted for a speed of 20 miles per hour, and beyond that pointfor a speed of 12 milesper hour. The switchesare 7 feet long, angle 1 in 21, and are planed to fit the stock rails in the usual way ; crossings angle 1 in 6, and are 46-lb. steel rails, having a turnout curve of 135feet radius. The sleepers are of stringy bark and blue-gum, 5 feet by 8 inches by 4 inches, 1,980 per mile, machine adzed and bored ; the inclinationof rail seat is 1 in 26. They cost 9$d. each delivered at Strahan. Ballast was composed of a kind of breccia ; also about 4 miles were ballasted with tailings from a galena dressing mill. The depth under thesleepers is 4 inches and the total depth 8 inches, the average width being 6 feet 9 inches. The estimated quantity was 800 cubic yards per mile ; the actual quantity as measured in trucks was nearly 1,000 cubic yards per mile.

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 158 EALES ON NORTH-EAST DUNDAS TRAMWAY, TASMANIA. [Selected Rolling Stock.-The firstengine acquired was by Krauss of Munich, with four coupled wheels 2 feet in diameter, and cylinders 6$ inches in diameterby 11 inchesstroke, weighing in steam 64 tons. She proveaextremely useful and hauled all material, including ballast, for the first 11 miles of construction. The type of engine adopted for permanent working (Fig. 5, Plate 7) was built by Messrs. Sharp, Stewart & Co. of Glasgow, and has the following general dimensions, etc. :- 12 inches in diameter, by Cylinders ...... { 16inches stroke. Four coupled wheels ...... 2 feet 6 inches in diameter. Trailingbogie wheels .....1 foot 9 inches in diameter. Fixed wheel base ...... 5 feet 6 inches. Total ,, ,, ...... 10 feet 3 inches. Weight in steam ...... 192 tons. Watertanks (side) ...... 550 gallons. Fuel capacity ...... 60 cubic feet. Heatingsurface,firebox .....42 square feet.

,, ,, ,, tubes ...... 99 9, -340 -382 ' Grate area ...... 92 square fect. Boiler pressure ...... 140 lbs. per square inch. Tractive force with 100 lbs. per square 7,680 Ibs. inchmean cylinder pressure ...) The engine is fitted with vacuum brake gear, and hauls four loaded eight-wheel trucks, weighing a little over 50 tons, against the maximumresistance of a 1 in 27 gradient, combined with curves of 14 chains radius. Two of these engines are now in use. The other rolling stock was built in the Launceston Railway workshops, and comprised twenty-five eight-wheel low-side trucks (Fig. 6, Plate 7), tare 3 tons 1 cwt. 1 qr., load 10 tons ; six eight- wheelflat trucks, tare 2 tons 18 cwt. 1 qr., load 10 tons;two four-wheel bolster trucks, for carrying long timber, tare 1 ton 19 cwt., load 5 tons (Fig. 7, Plate 7); and four passenger cars, each with six cross-seats with reversible backs, to carry eighteen pas- sengers, also a locker for mails and parcels. All trucks and cars have cast-steel wheels 21 inches in diameter, and are fitted with automaticvacuum brakes. Thetrucks have side levers and the cars have hand-screw brakes. The vacuum brake can be worked from the engine or from the passenger cars, which act as brake vans. When this brake was introduced, one effect was to accelerate thejourney speed by about 10 minutes,owing to more even running on down gradients.

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. Papers.] HALES ON NORTE-EAST DUNDAS TRAMWAY, TASMANIA. 159 Stations and Equipntent.-Besides thetermini at Zeehan and Deep Lead, there are five stations, and provision is made for seven more stations when required. The buildings are of the simplest and most inexpensive kind, with no platforms, a 20-foot turntable at each terminus, and at Zeehan a 20-ton weighbridge. At Zeehan the arrangements for transfer of ore, timber, etc., to and from the %foot 6-inch gauge railway consist simply of a railway siding and a tramway siding laid as close together as possible, the tramway rails being 8 inches higher so that the truck-floors on both gauges are at the same level. Forgeneral merchandisea 2-foot gauge siding was laid along the cart entranceside of the goods shed ; its floor is therefore between the two gauges. The tramway is connected with the Zeehan street tramway, which runs through the town and ramifies to seven galena mines. These mines draw large supplies of firewood and mining timber from the forest through which the North-East Dundas Tramway runs. This street tramway has similar arrangements for the transfer oftraffic, which have answered satisfactorily for Borne years. It transfers to the Strahan Railway about 20,000 tons per annum of galena (silver lead ore), in l-cwt. bags, at a cost of about ]$d. per ton. Working.-The traffic is worked by the staff and ticket system, and the staff stations are connected by telephone. The maximum journey speed is limited to 12 miles per hour on the first 5i miles, and to8 miles per hour on the remainder. The North-East Dundas Tramway is at present returning a profit above working expenses of 3 * 3 per cent.on the capital expenditure. A summary of the cost of the line is shown in the following Table :- t. S. a. Survey ...... 1,823 8 11 Clearing...... 1,588 2 4 Earthwork ...... 23,983 9 7 Bridges and culverts ...... 3,44016 5 Permanent nay ...... 9,367 17 3 Ballasting ...... 3,807 2 7 Buildings ...... 568 17 9 Equipment ...... 568 16 4 Rolling stock ...... 4,166 1911 Staff ...... 1,060 1 2 $50,37516 10

Coat per mile, $2,823. The work was carried out bythe railway department, without the intervention of a contractor, under the direction of Mr. F. Back, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., general manager, and Mr. J. M. McCormick,

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 160 HALE5 ON NORTH-EABTDUNDAS TRAMWAY, TA8MANIA. [Selected M. Inst. C.E., engineer of existing lines, the Author being resident engineer. As soon as the plansfor the first 2 miles or 3 miles were completed, constructionwas begun atthe Zeehan end, on the 17th January, 1896. The maximum rate for ordinary labour was fixed at 7s. per day, and was afterwards raised to 85. per day, about 3 months before the completion of the line in February, 1898. As far as possible the work was let by the piece to butty gangs, but the greater part was performed by day labour.

The Paper is accompanied by seven drawings, from which Plate 7 has been prepared.

PIERN03 CROSSSECTION

PIER N13. CROSSSECTION.

PIER NO 6. CROSS SECTION.

n P7g:6'. n Fig: 7 I