Overview
Sun. Mar 26.
My 14th visit to Mangahao. Weather dull + threatening but heavy rain improbable. Mr Ballinger arrived in car + we left Woodside at 8:20 a.m. Met Mr Lancaster in his car with Messrs Ramsay (Levin Town Clerk + Kirby ("Chronicle" reporter) down the road + we then proceeded to Shannon. On arrival at Base Camp we stopped to inspect the machinery in the temporary powerhouse + having two electrical experts with us learned a good deal relating to the production + transmission of
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electric current. One half of the powerhouse is occupied by a great boiler plant which drives the steam engine of 365 (B.Jt.P.?) which is directly coupled to an alternator (dynamo) + an Exciter. These two machines are of similar pattern tho’ [though] smaller to what will be installed in the permanent powerhouse. From the dynamo wires lead to a switchboard + this indicates that the plant generates at a pressure of 3300 volts. From the switchboard the current goes to a transformer, a box-like + rather unobtrusive machine or more correctly apparatus. Jack informed me that the Transformer is what makes the transmission of power over long distances possible, the current being transmitted at high voltage + low amperage. In this powerhouse there is also a small "set" which generates 400 volts. [The volts generated multiplies by the amperes gives the number of watts and 746 watts = 1 elec.(electric) horse-power.] Proceeding we went on to Mangatangi Ford where we left the car at 9:40 a.m. ¼ pl[ate] photo (1) of party + cars at Mangatangi Ford. Left road at 10.5 + ascended spur reaching timber tram saddle at 10:45
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On reaching Arapeti we first visited the inlet end of Tunnel No.2. This is now in a distance of 32 chains + the concrete lining is being pushed on with. From the tunnel we went on past the small temporary powerhouse (now superseded except for compressor, by elec [electric] current from Mangaore), stone-crushing plant (still under construction + for which wooden piers for the aerial tram to carry up the rock + boulders have now been erected) + on the Tokomaru Dam site. Nothing further has been done here so we proceeded up the Tokomaru R[iver] to the outlet of Tunnel No1. arriving at 11:40. Followed river through bush to the tramline past sawmill + on along the service road arriving at the top of the jig tram-line at 12:30 p.m. The Wgtn [Wellington] visitors especially were impressed with the view from this point. On arrival at No1 Gorge we found that additional excavation work is the opening up of a cross-trench to define + lay bare the eastern side of the rib of rock between the old filled channel + the present gorge. Photo (2) of eastern side of No1 Gorge showing cross-trenched tunnel.
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Lunched on top of high-level terrace. Kirby + I descended the vertical ladders into No1 Gorge to the entrance of the adit driven through the rock-rib from the gorge to the old boulder-filled channel. This adit connects with two of the list pits previously sunk + material from the necessary excavation for the dam across the high-level terrace will be conducted via shafts + adit to the river in the gorge there to be carried away by floods. The adit is in 35 yards at date + I noted that the width of the rock-rib at the river-level is 20 yds [yards], the other 15 yds of the adit being into the boulder deposit. Jack took a photo of me ascending the ladder out of No1 Gorge. After a look at the jig tramline from the southern end of the high-level terrace we re-crossed suspension bridge to the left bank of river + went down to the lower end of No1 Gorge. Photo (3) of Gorge + lower end of left-bank by-pass tunnel. Left No 1 Gorge at 2.20 + returned to Arapeti via service road 3:40. Afternoon tea at Kelly’s hut. Timber tram saddle 4.5. Met a man named
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McCulloch who used to run a sawmill in the Mangatainoka Valley near Clark’s Road – he pointed out that the ridge* immediately above Clark’s Road + mentioned a Mr Arthur Escott of Putara Eketahuna, as one who would give us any information [Following text is completely circled and refers to above asterisk] (* From timber tram saddle this ridge is visible immediately to the north of the high ridge rising above No 1 Gorge.) on the country on that side of the range in the event of a party crossing over from Levin. We reached Tokomaru Valley Rd at 4:30, car 4.45 + Woodside at 5.30 p.m.
My 14th visit to Mangahao. Weather dull + threatening but heavy rain improbable. Mr Ballinger arrived in car + we left Woodside at 8:20 a.m. Met Mr Lancaster in his car with Messrs Ramsay (Levin Town Clerk + Kirby ("Chronicle" reporter) down the road + we then proceeded to Shannon. On arrival at Base Camp we stopped to inspect the machinery in the temporary powerhouse + having two electrical experts with us learned a good deal relating to the production + transmission of
[page break]
electric current. One half of the powerhouse is occupied by a great boiler plant which drives the steam engine of 365 (B.Jt.P.?) which is directly coupled to an alternator (dynamo) + an Exciter. These two machines are of similar pattern tho’ [though] smaller to what will be installed in the permanent powerhouse. From the dynamo wires lead to a switchboard + this indicates that the plant generates at a pressure of 3300 volts. From the switchboard the current goes to a transformer, a box-like + rather unobtrusive machine or more correctly apparatus. Jack informed me that the Transformer is what makes the transmission of power over long distances possible, the current being transmitted at high voltage + low amperage. In this powerhouse there is also a small "set" which generates 400 volts. [The volts generated multiplies by the amperes gives the number of watts and 746 watts = 1 elec.(electric) horse-power.] Proceeding we went on to Mangatangi Ford where we left the car at 9:40 a.m. ¼ pl[ate] photo (1) of party + cars at Mangatangi Ford. Left road at 10.5 + ascended spur reaching timber tram saddle at 10:45
[page break]
On reaching Arapeti we first visited the inlet end of Tunnel No.2. This is now in a distance of 32 chains + the concrete lining is being pushed on with. From the tunnel we went on past the small temporary powerhouse (now superseded except for compressor, by elec [electric] current from Mangaore), stone-crushing plant (still under construction + for which wooden piers for the aerial tram to carry up the rock + boulders have now been erected) + on the Tokomaru Dam site. Nothing further has been done here so we proceeded up the Tokomaru R[iver] to the outlet of Tunnel No1. arriving at 11:40. Followed river through bush to the tramline past sawmill + on along the service road arriving at the top of the jig tram-line at 12:30 p.m. The Wgtn [Wellington] visitors especially were impressed with the view from this point. On arrival at No1 Gorge we found that additional excavation work is the opening up of a cross-trench to define + lay bare the eastern side of the rib of rock between the old filled channel + the present gorge. Photo (2) of eastern side of No1 Gorge showing cross-trenched tunnel.
[page break]
Lunched on top of high-level terrace. Kirby + I descended the vertical ladders into No1 Gorge to the entrance of the adit driven through the rock-rib from the gorge to the old boulder-filled channel. This adit connects with two of the list pits previously sunk + material from the necessary excavation for the dam across the high-level terrace will be conducted via shafts + adit to the river in the gorge there to be carried away by floods. The adit is in 35 yards at date + I noted that the width of the rock-rib at the river-level is 20 yds [yards], the other 15 yds of the adit being into the boulder deposit. Jack took a photo of me ascending the ladder out of No1 Gorge. After a look at the jig tramline from the southern end of the high-level terrace we re-crossed suspension bridge to the left bank of river + went down to the lower end of No1 Gorge. Photo (3) of Gorge + lower end of left-bank by-pass tunnel. Left No 1 Gorge at 2.20 + returned to Arapeti via service road 3:40. Afternoon tea at Kelly’s hut. Timber tram saddle 4.5. Met a man named
[page break]
McCulloch who used to run a sawmill in the Mangatainoka Valley near Clark’s Road – he pointed out that the ridge* immediately above Clark’s Road + mentioned a Mr Arthur Escott of Putara Eketahuna, as one who would give us any information [Following text is completely circled and refers to above asterisk] (* From timber tram saddle this ridge is visible immediately to the north of the high ridge rising above No 1 Gorge.) on the country on that side of the range in the event of a party crossing over from Levin. We reached Tokomaru Valley Rd at 4:30, car 4.45 + Woodside at 5.30 p.m.