Wednesday 15 May 1861, page 2

Cost of Railway Construction

Amongst the documents appended to the Report of the Commissioner of Public Works recently laid on the table of the House of Assembly is one from Mr. W. Hanson relating to railway construction in the colony. He considers the present opportunity, now that all the works sanctioned are being brought to a final close, a favourable moment for reviewing "the total cost of railways constructed in this province." He accordingly enters into detail on this subject, and shows that there are now opened and at work fifty-seven miles of railway, which have cost £758,000, or £13,300 per mile. The way in which this expenditure has been distributed is as follows :—

For the Port Line (£150,000 and £30,000)	£186,000
Gawler Line	£250,000
Joint Lines	£73,000
Kapunda Extension (£120,000, £60,000, £20,000)	£200,000
Bridge over Morphett-street	£1,250
Level-crossing at Bowden	£300
Goods-shed	£7,000
Joint Lines	£36,000
Excess already received	£2,000
Estimate to finish	£2,450
	£758,000

The cost of £13,300 per mile for our railways Mr. Hanson considers extremely moderate. In Victoria he states the lines constructed cost £38,000 per mile, and in New South Wales £22,300 per mile. But, we may remark, the circumstances of each colony at the time of construction, and numerous other particulars, should be stated in order to make a comparison like this valuable. On the question of cheap construction Mr. Hanson makes the following observations : —

"I would, however, beg to remark, that in making the railways in this province at so low a figure, economy in working has in one instance been sacrificed to economy in construction. I refer to the want of proper workshops. The shops and tools were originally designed for seven miles of railway, four locomotive engines, and about forty carriages and wagons, and are totally inadequate to fifty-seven miles of line, nine engines (shortly to be increased to eleven), and about 200 wagons and carriages.

"In laying out the station-yard, and in raising the approach to the new goods-shed, I have always contemplated the erection of proper staiths for the unloading of coal and stone, both of them large items of traffic. I am of opinion that great economy in working these two articles would accrue from the immediate erection of staiths, especially if accompanied by the use of hopper wagons, with loose bottoms.

"There are several other matters in which I think the working of the line would be benefited, and economy be enhanced, by the expenditure of further capital, such as the erection of coal and wood stores, convenient for the supplying of the engines, the putting down a large turntable at the Adelaide Station, together with several minor things.

"It is satisfactory to find by the receipts of the railway, as published, that the element of length is telling very favourably here as elsewhere, and proving that the longer the line the greater the ratio of profit."

Mr. Hanson gives the estimates of such of the railway works as were carried out by himself, from which it appears that the excesses upon those works were at the rate of not quite 12 per cent.

Subjoined is a description of the works, with tho original estimates : —

Gawler Line	£251,000
Joint Lines (£73,000 less £37,000)	£46,000
Kapunda Extension	£200,000
Bridge over Morphett-street	£1,250
Level-crossing at Bowden	£300
Goods-shed	£7,000
Joint Lines (£36,000 less £20,000)	£16,000
	£521,550

During the year ended December 31,1860, the sum of £8,750 was expended upon construction, principally upon the new goods shed. But of this only £3,203 was money from the Government not accounted for before. Upon the extension account the sum of £79,214 was expended, and of this £77,131 was an excess upon moneys from the Government.