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The line continued for a further
150 yds. in tunnel under the Argotti Botanical Gardens and St
Phillip Gardens to the exit at St Philip's Bastion near to Porte
Des Bombes. Here was sited the first of the 14 railway guard
huts G.H. No1.
The line continued under the
Fausse Braye through a short 33 yds. long tunnel before passing
over a viaduct, constructed from timber on War Office instructions,
that carried the line over the drop ditch near the Porte des
Bombes. In 1894 the timber viaduct was replaced with a six arched
masonry structure at a cost of £655.
A short distance further the
line passed over the Princess Melita Road on a 3 span structure.
The side spans were masonry arches and the central span used
iron girders, presumably to give more headroom to vehicles passing
beneath, supported on masonry abutments attached to the side
span arches. This area is now the site of the new road interchange. A small
masonry wall marks
the site of the old 3 span viaduct.
Only a matter of a few yds.
further a single masonry arched bridge carried the line over
the access road to the Ta' Braxia cemetery.
The line continued and ran
almost parallel to the San Giuseppe road, Triq Nazzjonali, the Texaco
Garage is built over
the old line, passing the Spencer
Monument, the Mile
End sports ground and the backs of the houses before reaching
Hamrun station. G.H. No 2 was sited approximately 1 mile from
Valletta at the junction with the access road to the Mile End
sports ground. G. H. No 3 was sited at 1mile 250 yds., on
the corner of Triq
Mile End and Triq Schembri , just after the sports ground. Today the area
just before Hamrun station is used by Benna
milk products, the workshop building is just visible in the background. |
