Engineers and other staff have made ''very good progress'' in dismantling complex rope-making equipment at the Donaghys historic rope walk building in Dunedin.
The Southern Heritage Trust, which is co-ordinating the dismantling project, hopes to complete the work, including shifting all the required equipment, which weighs several tonnes, by early this week.
Dr Peter Petchey, an archaeologist who has been helping with the project, said the work had gone well and more than 80% of it was completed by late this week.
Many metal items had been coated with protective oil, for storage.
Trust founder Ann Barsby was ''feeling very relieved'' because of two positive developments.
The work of engineers, Dr Petchey, and other helpers, including two Malcam Trust workers, had been successful and much of the dismantled machinery was now stored in the rope walk building.
And she was particularly pleased that the underwriting of up to $11,000 of the estimated $15,000 dismantling costs had just been provided through the Dunedin City Council's heritage fund.
The trust is urgently seeking further funds to support the dismantling of the equipment that previously operated in a historic rope walk building in Bradshaw St, South Dunedin.
The 320m-long rope walk building, originally used for manufacturing long, heavy ropes for use on sailing ships in the 19th century, has a category one heritage listing.
It is no longer needed for industrial production, and the company is rationalising and modernising its plant this summer.
The trust plans to preserve the building as a ''living'' museum, with working rope-making equipment, but the immediate priority is to dismantle the gear and store it safely.
This is partly because some of the operating equipment has been housed in another part of the Donaghys plant, where the space is needed for more modern manufacturing operations.
The trust recently took over the responsibility ''to safeguard and restore'' the rope walk plant's land, buildings and equipment, and Mrs Barsby believes the building will become a key Dunedin heritage tourism asset.
