The Argus at KellyGang 28/7/1873 (2)

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Benalla station has been elected a few hundred yards beyond the river. The Government in the choice of site has favoured the bulk of the inhabitants and the portion of the township which contains the public offices has been left out in the cold. The second section ends practically at the station. An engine, 20 tons weight, has been driven safely up to the station, but the "road," as the permanent way is called still wants firmness and in places the speed has to be slackened to a sedate crawl. In a few days the whole of the ballast should be laid. The ballast consists of coarse gravel, dug out of a quarry about four miles above Seymour . The supplies of metal which the contractors have been able to obtain on the wayside are scanty. They have been more fortunate with the redgum required for sleepers. The contractors on the first section had to got a large proportion of the sleepers from Echuca, but the creeks met with on the second section have furnished timber in abundance of excellent quality.

The whole of the second section has been laid with steel rails. For the third section iron rails about 101b heavier than the steel rails have been provided. Throughout the North Eastern line the rails lest upon the sleeper and the chair has been discarded. The result is a comparatively smooth road. On the first section from Melbourne to Seymour the trains run with undoubted smoothness. But on the second section the road has not had time to settle and, of course jolts occur occasionally. On the last section the ruling gradient is 1 in 50, but on the second and third only l in 75.

The third section is to be opened in November. It will be opened from end to end at once and not opened in bits. The heaviest works upon it are the bridges over the Ovens River and between the Ovens and Reids Creek. The bridge at Wangaratta will cost about as much as the Benalla bridge, £30,000. About 30 miles of permanent way in detached portions have been laid. The contractors have to some extent been obliged to make the River Murray the base of operations. Rails and ironwork have been forwarded to Wodonga by way of Echuca, instead of by the direct route. The delay on the second section has deprived the contractors fori the third section of the speedy means of transit which they had a right to count upon. When the line has been opened to Benalla travellers may be well content to wait until November for the completion of the rest of the line for the worst part of the ordinary roads is between Seymour and Benalla.

The 16 miles journey from Violet Town to Benalla is a terror to many persons but the railway will soon take the place of the coach and the rough parts of the toad onward to Wangaratta will not draw forth complaints from those who have known what it is to travel by coach on the Melbourne side of Benalla. One or two residents of the town- ship winch we have so frequently mentioned are proud to remember the time 20 years ago when the mails were carried in a two-wheeled vehicle, and passengers had to get down and walk every few miles. At that remote period of the history of the colony a seat was obtained cheap at £10, if the traveller was not asked to walk more than half the way from Melbourne to Beechworth Benalla at this moment boasts of an in habitant who in 1837 was employed to fence in an allotment in Melbourne which now supports the Town hall. He elected the fence, and a small hut for the accommodation of the first occupant.

The completion of the North Eastern Railway in November is to be celebrated as an important event in the Upper Murray district.

The Commissioner of Railways expects that the Governors of two of the neighbouring colonies will be present at the opening. The representatives of the localities speak of a carnival which is to last three days -Albury on the New South Wales side, is to play an important part. An effort will be made to get the line finished by the Melbourne Cup week.

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