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7. Stations and Buildings generally as well as Staff Quarters at Stations have been overhauled and renovated where considered necessary during the year, with the exception of two wooden station buildings at Hunghom and Lowu. These buildings are of a temporary nature and in such an unsatisfactory condition that further expense on ordinary maintenance would not be justified, and the question of rebuilding or otherwise is now being considered. A concrete floor was laid in the wooden building at Sha Tau Kok Station at the terminus of the Fanling Branch Line and the old sleeper foundations replaced with concrete. Three gatekeepers' lodges and two watchmen's huts at the Beacon Hill Tunnel, all originally of wood, have been rebuilt in brickwork.
8. Most of the steel girder bridges were repainted towards the end of the year, and a few bridge timbers renewed. The southern abutment of Bridge No. 33 having settled about two inches, the girder bedstones were raised correspondingly during the night without interruption of traffic by the insertion of a composition of cement and plaster of Paris, which has proved most satisfactory.
9. At Bridge No. 10, the timber cribbing was found to have deteriorated to such an extent as to be practically useless. The Honourable Director of Public Works was consulted as to the necessity or otherwise of maintaining the cribbing seeing that the piers of the bridge had stood many years satisfactorily and acting on his advice the girders were reseated on fresh lead seatings and the cribbing removed.
10. Detailed surveys of possible routes for branch lines to points at Tai Kok Tsui on the western side of the peninsula and to Tai Wan Bay on the eastern side were undertaken during the year, with a view to earmarking the land necessary for such branch lines, but much still remains to be done before definite routes can be decided upon or estimates prepared, as both traverse difficult country and cross several public highways.
11. The generous assistance of the Botanical and Forestry Department has enabled the planting of 150 camphor saplings along the Railway banks. Other trees planted at different points were 50 shade trees, 50 banyans, and 80 pride of India.
12. At the end of 1916 it was decided to close the Capital Account and in future to charge all expenses other than revenue to the head of Special Expenditure. The amount included in the estimates for this purpose was $159,896 and during the year at various times other sums were voted making a total of $273,069.68. Of this however only $101,460.48 was actually expended and the details are shown in the table of expenditure herein.
13. Owing to the non-arrival of the Steelwork for the Platform Awnings and the Grinding Machine $64,248.18 lapsed, and a sum of $75,000 included in the estimates for the resumption of land for the Extension of Engine Shed and Loco Yard was not required.
In April $97,864.89 was voted for the erection of a Goods Examination Shed but as the building was not finished at the end of the year only $63,707.23 was expended and the amount needed to complete the building will appear in the 1918 accounts.
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7. Stations and Buildings generally as well as Staff Quarters at Stations have been overhauled and renovated where considered necessary during the year, with the exception of two wooden station buildings at Hunghom and Lowu. These buildings are of a temporary nature and in such an unsatisfactory condition that further expense on ordinary maintenance would not be justified, and the question of rebuilding or otherwise is now being consider- ed. A concrete floor was laid in the wooden building at Sha Tau Kok Station at the terminus of the Fanling Branch Line and the old sleeper foundations replaced with concrete. Three gatekeepers lodges and two watchmens huts at the Beacon Hill Tunnel, all originally of wood, have been rebuilt in brickwork.
8. Most of the steel girder bridges were repainted towards the end of the year, and a few bridge timbers renewed. The southern abutment of Bridge No. 33 having settled about two inches, the girder bedstones were raised correspondingly during the night with- out interruption of traffic by the insertion of a composition of cement and plaster of Paris, which has proved most satisfactory.
9. At Bridge No. 10, the timber cribbing was found to have deteriorated to such an extent as to be practically useless. The Honourable Director of Public Works was consulted as to the neces- sity or otherwise of maintaining the cribbing seeing that the piers of the bridge had stood many years satisfactorily and acting on his advice the girders were reseated on fresh lead seatings and the cribbing removed.
10. Detailed surveys of possible routes for branch lines to points at Tai Kok Tsui on the western side of the peninsula and to Tai Wan Bay on the eastern side were undertaken during the year, with a view to earmarking the land necessary for such branch lines, but much still remains to be done before definite routes can be decided upon or estimates prepared, as both traverse difficult country and cross several public highways.
11. The generous assistance of the Botanical and Forestry Depart- ment has enabled the planting of 150 camphor saplings along the Railway banks. Other trees planted at different points were 50 shade trees, 50 banyans, and 80 pride of India.
12. At the end of 1916 it was decided to close the Capital Account and in future to charge all expenses other than revenue to the head of Special Expenditure. The amount included in the estimates for this purpose was $159,896 and during the year at various times other sums were voted making a total of $273,069.68. Of this however only $101,460.48 was actually expended and the details are shown in the table of expenditure herein.
13. Owing to the non-arrival of the Steelwork for the Platform Awnings and the Grinding Machine $64,248.18 lapsed, and a sum of $75,000 included in the estimates for the resumption of land for the Extension of Engine Shed and Loco Yard was not required.
In April $97,864.89 was voted for the erection of a Goods Examination Shed but as the building was not finished at the end of the year only $63,707.23 was expended and the amount needed to complete the building will appear in the 1918 accounts.
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