THE SURVEYOR. The Journal of the Institution of Surveyors, N. S. Wales [INCORPORATED.] VOL. XXI. No 2.] SYDNEY, FEBRUARY 29, 1908. [PRICE, 6D. "THE SURVEYOR," which is published monthly, contains original articles on matters connected with Surveying, both of a technical and of a general character, extracts from Scientific journals on allied subjects, notes upon topics of professional interest, notices of appointments or changes in the personnel of the Government Surveying and Engineering Staffs, reports of the proceedings and transactions of the Scientific Institutions, and correspondence. Literary matter may be sent to the Editor, Thos. Kennedy, at the Office of the Institution, Royal Society's House, 5 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Business communications should be addressed to the Business Manager, Institution of Surveyors, N.S.W., Royal Society's House, 5 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Items of News and Criticisms upon Contributed Articles appearing in our columns will be especially welcome. The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions of correspondents, nor for the return of manuscript. GENERAL NOTES. Members are notified that a General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17th, when discussion on the Presidential address will take place, and a paper by Mr. J. F. Campbell, entitled "Notes of the Pastures of Southern New England," will be read. On March 24th an examination for L. S. candidates will be held, and we trust the results will not be as shewn on the sketches published in this issue. Some of these drawings originally appeared in the early life of The Surveyor, copies of which are unavailable. MR PAPUA (BRITISH NEW GUINEA). AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY. R. DONALD MACKAY, Port Hacking (brother of the Hon. Colonel James A. K. MacKay, M.L.C.), contemplates making an exploration of the part of New Guinea which has not yet been explored. Mr. MacKay proposes to make a rough survey of the country, shewing principal features, heights above sea level, etc., and he would be glad to hear from any young and energetic surveyor who is adventurous enough to join the expedition, which it is expected will occupy about six months. THE NOTES ON RAILWAY LOCATION. BY THOS KENNEDY, ASSOC. M. INST.C.E. HE work of the locating engineer must rest entirely on each man's individual skill, and is unlike in that respect to other engineering knowledge, which practically consists of the accumulated knowledge of all previous engineers. No royal road or specific instructions can be issued to a locating engineer; every line must be studied and a decision given in each instance for each particular line of railway. The only guiding features are previous experience, and it is proposed to enumerate a few of the particular points and cases that have come under the writer's notice during a continuous period of 25 years on railway location. It is probable, in the near future, engineers with experience in railway location will not be obtainable, and recourse will have to be had to exhaustion contour surveys, so that innumerable lines can be tried on a paper location. An experienced engineer will locate a line of railway so close to the final line that only a narrow belt of cross sections or contours are necessary. There will always be the selection of the route which bears so important a part in the future life of a railway. This, however, is not usually left to the selection of one man, but often forms the basis of exhaustive enquiries, involving, besides the cost of construction, future traffic and the best means of giving railway facilities to the country which will produce the most freight. Often railways are built as national lines, then route, traffic, etc., only form the secondary principles in the decision of the best line to construct. In selecting the route for a survey of a proposed railway, a decision has to be made betweem a line that is impracticable and one that promises to prove a success as far as cost of construction grades and curves are concerned. Before commencing an exploration, obtain the best and latest maps of the district through which the proposed line is wanted, and have these maps joined and mounted on linen in rolls of |