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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 9 (December 1, 1934)

Wellington's New Station

page 53

Wellington's New Station.

(Continued from page 49.)

Branches the eastern end. On the second floor are the Signal and Electrical Engineer's staff at the western end, the Chief Engineer's Branch and Land Office at the eastern, with the District Engineer and staff along the north side overlooking the concourse roof. The whole of the third floor is allocated to the General Manager's staff, the Commercial, Transport, Law and Staff Offices at the one end, the Board rooms, General Manager's suite, secretarial staff and general records room at the other. On the fourth floor are the Refreshment Branch and Publicity Branch at the Featherston Street end, the balance of this floor being occupied by the Chief Accountant's Branch. The fifth floor occupies part of the roof area, and contains a staff social room, staff women's tea and rest rooms, and the Photography and Plan Printing Division of the Publicity Branch.

An inter-communication telephone system connects up all departments, and in addition to public telephones the principal officers are connected with the North Island railway system. For the first time, the staff, formerly under ten different roofs, are accommodated in the one building.

The drastic cutting down of accommodation necessary to bring the work within the limits of present time finance leaves very little room for future expansion. This can be provided for, however, by adding further floors to the one-storey Featherston Street block as occasion requires, shifting smaller branches into the new rooms and thus allowing the larger branches room for expansion. Reasonable provision for the future is thus available.

The layout of the passenger yard is as simple as would be compatible with the efficient working of trains. There are no centre roads between adjacent platforms, but crossovers are provided enabling engines on arriving trains to be released along the adjoining platform roads. A platform occupation chart has been worked out ensuring that no two roads in the same dock (except in the case of departing trains) will be occupied at the same time. The seven platform roads converge on a “grand crossing” near Davis Street, giving access to arrival and departure main lines, to the carriage roads on each side, and to the locomotive depot and goods yard on the eastern side. Extra crossovers enable trains to be shunted between departure and arrival roads and the carriage sidings without interfering with the arrival or departure of trains on adjoining roads, and facilitate suburban traffic movements without affecting traffic at the other platforms.

All turnouts on main lines or roads converging on main lines are controlled from one central signal-box by a system of electric interlocking, under which points cannot be set for any two conflicting movements, and signals cannot be set while the line concerned is already occupied or could be reached by any converging movement for which the roads are set. Train movements to beyond the distant junction, one and a quarter miles from the station, are all controlled from the central signal-box.

The locomotive depot is on the eastern side, occupying practically the whole length from Davis Street to the Hutt Road. Separate roads are provided for steam and electric locomotives, only the former having to pass the 70ft turntables, ash-plant, coaling, sanding and watering facilities, and separate roads are also provided for inward and outward movements, with a stand-by road for engines clear of all running roads just outside the interlocked area. The main building of the locomotive depot is 227 feet long erected in five bays providing for steam locomotives (3 roads), electric locomotives (3 roads), engine repairs (2 roads), machine-shop and train-lighting, 45 feet span with one road, and wagon repair shop (3 roads). Each bay is covered by a gable roof of 45ft. span
The Booking Hall of Wellington's new station.

The Booking Hall of Wellington's new station.

except the last which is of 55ft. span. Engine pits provide access to under-gear throughout the full length of all roads within the shed. A 10 ton overhead travelling crane runs the full length of the engine-repair shed, necessitating this bay standing higher than the adjoining bays.

The engine pits and repair pits are constructed as girders supported on piles at 12ft. intervals. A separate building houses the locomotive foreman's staff, stores and also luncheon-room and locker-rooms, etc., for drivers and firemen.

In the goods yard, between the locomotive depot and the sea-wall, are three long arrival roads and four departure roads with crossovers leading to the marshalling sidings at each end. The marshalling yards are in five interconnected groups each averaging five roads to hold 40 wagons each, in addition to numerous run-round roads for shunting movements. The goods shed, wharves and local loading sidings at the north end of Waterloo Quay are connected with the northern group of sidings on the eastern side.

(Continued on page 55.)