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- The Kailway Works at Peiirilh.
- The bridge at renrith, and the viaduct over Knap
- sack Gully, the two heaviest works on tho Western
- linuof Kail way, aro proceeding rapidly — the latter
- being nearly completed. This viaduct, although b.v
- no means so costly as some undertakings of very
- infurior magnitude, which havo been executed in
- this colony, is certainly thu most imposing, pictnres
- que, finely proportioned, and substantial structure o^
- which New South Wales can boast. It is entirely of
- stone, and carries tho railway actoss a deep gully, by
- means of semi-circular arches, resting on piers up
- wards of one hundred feet in height. Tho work,
- closely examined, hits an exceedingly light and airy
- appearance when seen fmm a distance. The tail
- piers of white stone, when looked at from tho plains
- below, having a dark background of mountain and
- forest, siucm but slender shafts, aud tho wholu struc
- ture but a picture in stone. The railway ovor the
- viaduct is part of the steepest gradient ever
- adopted in this colony — about 1 in '!) — and almost
- immediately abovo it commences the zigzag by
- which tho first part of tlio Uluo Mountain ran°e is
- ascended. No railway in England has, wo are in
- formed, been carried over so high a r.tngo or so diffi
- cult a country as this part of tho Western line.
- Whether this zig_zag nrrnngemout, with its exceed,
- in ;ly steep gradients, can be safely and economic
- ally worked remains to be seen ;' on that subject no
- opinion is hero offered ; but thuro enn be no doubt
- about tho excellency of tho workmanship aud the
- substantial character »f tlio structnro which Mr
- Watkins and his oovljntor, Mr Morgan, aro now
- executing. The viaduct is certainly tho finest piece
- of masonry in New So'.ith Wales, and the pijrs of
- tho bridge over the Nepean, so far as thu work has
- proceeded, do oqual credit to tho same contractors.
- This bridge, when complete, will consist of four
- stone piers, 180 feet apart, of which tho misonry of
- No. 1 was commenced on the 2nd January, 18(55, at
- a depth of 10 feet 9 invhes below tho oivHu'nry
- water level; since then thero have bc«n CO'O cubiu
- yards of masonry set on thu said pier, weighing
- about 1OS0 tons. Vier No. 2 is completed to thu
- underside of tho dentail course, which is within
- seven feet of rail line. The foundation of this pier
- was 1(! feet below tho ordinary water levul, batter
- ing on tho ends one in 15, on thu side ono in 20,
- the length at bottom boinjj u8 x 17 feet i inches
- thick, finishing at tho present under the impost at
- 50 feet G inches lung, and 12 fout thick, total
- hoig-ht from tho foundation lo the present
- level being 5o feet, the. quantity of masonry
- being about ISO!) cubic yards, of which WM)
- cubic yards was erected by the iormer contractor.
- Thu weieht of stone in pier'No. 2 will Ijc about 24(54.
- tons, concrete P.Sfi tons. These piers arc not built
- solid there being spaces left which aro filled in vrth
- concrete. Tho coffer dam is nearly completed for No.
- U, and in all probability will bu ready to receive tin
- masonry in a week or fen days. For No. 4 pier tho
- piles are being driven for the cotl'er dam. Tho inanno.
- in which tho contracts undertaken by Mr. Watkins
- have been carried out proves conclusively what
- colonial contractors can do if allowed fair play. Tho
- Knapsack Gully viaduct in mc.uy respects a moic dit
- iieult aud extensive work thiin the Munanglo Jiridgo,
- will bu executed for less than a third of°tho costTof
- that ruinously expeusivo and absurd structure. Somo
- idea of what sort of undertaking tho viaduct is, may
- bo gathered from tho fact that tho massivo and lof y
- scaffolding ulono cost nearly £5000 in its erection.
- Thu place is well worth a visit from the character of
- tho scenery as wull as from the naturo of tho struc
- tures themseives. We ventiuu to say tlmt the manner
- in which these works have been carried out, and the
- moderalu amount of their cost will for evor silunco
- thu outcry that certain interested parties havo
- attempted to raise against entrusting tho construc
- tion of our public works tu colonial contractors.-^
- ' Umpire.'
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- The Railway Works at Penrilh.
- The bridge at Penrith, and the viaduct over Knap
- sack Gully, the two heaviest works on the Western
- lline of Railway, are proceeding rapidly — the latter
- being nearly completed. This viaduct, although by
- no means so costly as some undertakings of very
- inferior magnitude, which have been executed in
- this colony, is certainly the most imposing, pictures
- que, finely proportioned, and substantial structure of
- which New South Wales can boast. It is entirely of
- stone, and carries the railway across a deep gully, by
- means of semi-circular arches, resting on piers up
- wards of one hundred feet in height. The work,
- closely examined, hits an exceedingly light and airy
- appearance when seen from a distance. The tail
- piers of white stone, when looked at from the plains
- below, having a dark background of mountain and
- forest, seem but slender shafts, and the whole struc
- ture but a picture in stone. The railway over the
- viaduct is part of the steepest gradient ever
- adopted in this colony — about 1 in 39 — and almost
- immediately above it commences the zigzag by
- which the first part of the Bluo Mountain range is
- ascended. No railway in England has, we are in
- formed, been carried over so high a range or so diffi
- cult a country as this part of tho Western line.
- Whether this zig_zag arrangemout, with its exceed,
- inly steep gradients, can be safely and economic
- ally worked remains to be seen;' on that subject no
- opinion is here offered ; but there can be no doubt
- about tho excellency of the workmanship and the
- substantial character of theo strucutre which Mr
- Watkins and his coljnter, Mr Morgan, are now
- executing. The viaduct is certainly the finest piece
- of masonry in New South Wales, and the piers of
- the bridge over the Nepean, so far as the work has
- proceeded, do equal credit to the same contractors.
- This bridge, when complete, will consist of four
- stone piers, 180 feet apart, of which the masonry of
- No. 1 was commenced on the 2nd January, 1865, at
- a depth of 10 feet 9 inches below the ordinary
- water level; since then there have been 600 cubic
- yards of masonry set on the said pier, weighing
- about 1080 tons. Pier No. 2 is completed to the
- underside of the dentail course, which is within
- seven feet of rail line. The foundation of this pier
- was 16 feet below the ordinary water level, batter-
- ing on the ends one in 15, on the side one in 20,
- the length at bottom being 58 x 17 feet 4 inches
- thick, finishing at the present under the impost at
- 50 feet 6 inches long, and 12 feet thick, total
- height from the foundation lo the present
- level being 55 feet, the. quantity of masonry
- being about I369 cubic yards, of which 1030
- cubic yards was erected by the former contractor.
- The weight of stone in pier'No. 2 will be about 2464.
- tons, concrete 286 tons. These piers are not built
- solid there being spaces left which are filled in with
- concrete. The coffer dam is nearly completed for No.
- 3, and in all probability will be ready to receive the
- masonry in a week or ten days. For No. 4 pier the
- piles are being driven for the cotl'er dam. The mannor.
- in which the contracts undertaken by Mr. Watkins
- have been carried out proves conclusively what
- colonial contractors can do if allowed fair play. The
- Knapsack Gully viaduct in many respects a more dif-
- ficult and extensive work than the Menangle Bridge,
- will b executed for less than a third of the cost of
- that ruinously expensive and absurd structure. Some
- idea of what sort of undertaking the viaduct is, may
- be gathered from the fact that the massive and lofty
- scaffolding alone cost nearly £5000 in its erection.
- The place is well worth a visit from the character of
- the scenery as well as from the nature of the struc
- tures themseives. We venture to say that the manner
- in which these works have been carried out, and the
- moderate amount of their cost will for ever silunce
- the outcry that certain interested parties have
- attempted to raise against entrusting the construc
- tion of our public works tu colonial contractors.-^
- ' Empire.'
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