1.
Main Southern railway line, New South Wales
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The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, the Main Southern Railway commences as an electrified pair of tracks in the Sydney metropolitan area. Originally the line branched from the Main Suburban railway line at Granville, passing through Fairfield, however this section was later bypassed with a more direct route from Lidcombe via Regents Park to Cabramatta. The former route through Fairfield became known as the Old Main South, from Liverpool, the line heads into Campbelltown and Macarthur, the current limit of electrification and suburban passenger services. The electrification previously extended to Glenlee colliery, but this was removed following the cessation of electric haulage of trains in the 1990s. The line continues as a double non-electrified track south through the Southern Highlands towns of Mittagong, here the line becomes single track for the remainder of its journey south to the state border with Victoria at Albury. The North East railway line continues through northern Victoria to Melbourne. The line north of Macarthur is maintained by RailCorp, South of Macarthur the line is leased to the Australian Rail Track Corporation until 2064. On 26 September 1855 the first railway in New South Wales, exactly a year later, a branch was opened from what was known as Parramatta Junction to Liverpool. The Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge was completed in 1881 and the line was extended to Wagga Wagga, Uranquinty, The Rock, Henty, Victorian Railways North East 1,600 mm gauge line was extended from Wodonga to Albury station in 1883. To accommodate the break of gauge, a long railway platform was built. The original alignment was built under the supervision of John Whitton, the original single track was duplicated from Granville to Liverpool in 1857, to Campbelltown in 1891, to Picton in 1892. Between 1913 and 1922 the 343 km section from Picton to Cootamundra was duplicated, other sections of the original Whitton alignment between Goulburn and Wagga Wagga were also replaced by more curvy sections with lower grades. The section from Cootamundra to Junee, including a spiral at Bethungra, was duplicated between 1941 and 1945. Construction of a standard gauge track parallel with the broad gauge track from Albury to Melbourne commenced in 1959, the first freight train operated on the line on 3 January 1962, followed by the first passenger train on 16 April 1962. The original wrought iron Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge at Wagga Wagga was replaced in 2007 by a new concrete, the main line south of Junee was substantially upgraded in 2007 and 2008, including the construction of passing loops up to 7 kilometres. Redbank Tunnel near Tahmoor closed on 30 November 2012 when replaced by a deviation funded by Xstrata to allow expansion of its Tahmoor Colliery under the tunnel which was sealed. In January 2013 the Australian Rail Track Corporation opened the Southern Sydney Freight Line between Sefton and Macarthur as a line for freight services
2.
KiwiRail
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KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand State-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the chairman, KiwiRail Freight, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys and the Interisland Line are all subsidiaries of KiwiRail. KiwiRail was created from a number of entities that date back to the 19th century, prior to KiwiRail, rail transport in New Zealand has been under both public and private ownership. Government operators included the Public Works Department, New Zealand Railways Department, New Zealand Rail Limited was split off from the Railways Corporation in 1990, privatised in 1993 and then renamed in 1995 to Tranz Rail. After several years of negotiations the two parties could not come to an agreement on the amount that Toll should pay for access to the rail network, in July 2008, the government announced the purchase of Toll Rail from Toll, renaming it KiwiRail. Toll retained ownership of its trucking operation, for 13 years during private ownership, infrastructure investment outside of Wellington dropped to an average of just over $25m a year. Since then it has ranged between $100 and $200m a year, in the 2010 New Zealand budget KiwiRail received a capital injection of $250 million, and a further $500 million in principle to make it sustainable within a decade. The $4.6 billion would come from business itself, the plan aims to increase rail traffic volumes and revenue, increase productivity, modernise assets and separate out the commercial elements of the business from the non-commercial. Currently, a freight train journey between Auckland and Wellington takes thirteen and a half hours – similar to transit times in the late 1970s. A truck on the route takes nine hours. KiwiRail aims to reduce times to 11 hours. Enabling investment, Improved IT systems and processes, equipment and facilities at terminals Forty new locomotives and 3,000 new wagons. Improved track infrastructure The minor lines, KiwiRail will review business on, North Auckland Line Stratford - Okahukura Line Napier – Gisborne Line and North Wairarapa line. As a result, the Tranz Metro assets were transferred to the Greater Wellington Regional Council, two of KiwiRails major customers, Mainfreight and Fonterra, have invested heavily in rail-related infrastructure. Mainfreight has allocated $60 million for investment in new railhead depots, while Fonterra has invested $130 million in a new rail hub complex in Hamilton and another in Mosgiel. In 2013, company Chairman John Spencer stated that over the last three years of the plan, rail freight revenue has increased by over 25%, KiwiRails South Island operations were disrupted by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, but KiwiRail also participated in disaster relief efforts. Their operations were again disrupted by the 2011 Canterbury earthquake, resulting in the cancellation of the TranzAlpine
3.
Rail freight transport
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Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. Trains may haul bulk material, intermodal containers, general freight or specialized freight in purpose-designed cars, Rail freight practices and economics vary by country and region. When considered in terms of ton-miles or tonne-kilometers hauled per unit of energy consumed, maximum economies are typically realized with bulk commodities, especially when hauled over long distances. However, shipment by rail is not as flexible as by highway, moving goods by rail often involves transshipment costs, particularly when the shipper or receiver lack direct rail access. These costs may exceed that of operating the train itself, a factor that practices such as containerization aim to minimize. Traditionally, large shippers build factories and warehouses near rail lines and have a section of track on their property called a siding where goods are loaded onto or unloaded from rail cars, other shippers have their goods hauled by wagon or truck to or from a goods station. When long enough, or based on a schedule, each long distance train is dispatched to another classification yard. At the next classification yard, cars are resorted and those that are destined for stations served by that yard are assigned to local trains for delivery. Others are reassembled into trains heading to classification yards closer to their final destination, a single car might be reclassified or switched in several yards before reaching its final destination, a process that made rail freight slow and increased costs. Many freight rail operators are trying to reduce costs by reducing or eliminating switching in classification yards through techniques such as unit trains. In many countries, railroads have been built to haul one commodity, such as coal or ore, Rail freight uses many types of goods wagon or freight car. Most coal and aggregates are moved in wagons or gondolas or open wagons that can be filled and discharged rapidly. A major disadvantage of rail freight is its lack of flexibility, in part for this reason, rail has lost much of the freight business to road transport. Many governments are now trying to encourage more freight trains, because of the environmental benefits that it would bring. Compared tо road transport whісh employs thе uѕе оf trucks, rail transportation ensures thаt goods thаt соuld оthеrwіѕе bе transported оn а number оf trucks аrе transported іn а single shipment, thіѕ saves а lot аѕ fаr аѕ cost connected tо thе transportation аrе concerned. In Europe many manufacturing towns developed before the railway, many factories did not have direct rail access. This meant that freight had to be shipped through a station, sent by train. When lorries replaced horses it was economic and faster to make one movement by road
4.
South Island
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The South Island or Te Waipounamu is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, the South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres and has a temperate climate. In the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population, in prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article. Charcoal drawings can be found on rock shelters in the centre of the South Island. The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old, and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles, some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haasts eagles. They were drawn by early Māori, but by the time Europeans arrived, early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha. They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Mamoe in the 16th century, Kāti Mamoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Mamoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Mamoe links in their whakapapa and, a notable feature of the Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism, proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship. In the early 18th century, Kāi Tahu, a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island, There they and Kāti Mamoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley. Ngāti Māmoe then ceded the east coast regions north of the Clarence River to Kāi Tahu, Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikoura. By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury, including Banks Peninsula, from there they spread further south and into the West Coast. In 1827-1828 Ngāti Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha successfully attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikoura, Ngāti Toa then visited Kaiapoi, ostensibly to trade. When they attacked their hosts, the well-prepared Kāi Tahu killed all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs except Te Rauparaha, Te Rauparaha returned to his Kapiti Island stronghold. After destroying Te Maiharanuis village they took their captives to Kapiti, John Stewart, though arrested and sent to trial in Sydney as an accomplice to murder, nevertheless escaped conviction. In the summer of 1831–32 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā, Kaiapoi was engaged in a three-month siege by Te Rauparaha, during which his men successfully sapped the pā. They then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the pā at Onawe, in 1832-33 Kāi Tahu retaliated under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and others, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere. Kāi Tahu prevailed, and killed many Ngāti Toa, although Te Rauparaha again escaped, fighting continued for a year or so, with Kāi Tahu maintaining the upper hand. Ngāti Toa never again made an incursion into Kāi Tahu territory
5.
New Zealand
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New Zealand /njuːˈziːlənd/ is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, the countrys varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealands capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland, sometime between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that later were named New Zealand and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand, in 1840, representatives of Britain and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, today, the majority of New Zealands population of 4.7 million is of European descent, the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealands culture is derived from Māori and early British settlers. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, New Zealand is a developed country and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life. Since the 1980s, New Zealand has transformed from an agrarian, Queen Elizabeth II is the countrys head of state and is represented by a governor-general. In addition, New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes, the Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue, and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealands territorial claim in Antarctica. New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pacific Islands Forum, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand in 1642 and called it Staten Landt, in 1645, Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand, Aotearoa is the current Māori name for New Zealand. It is unknown whether Māori had a name for the country before the arrival of Europeans. Māori had several names for the two main islands, including Te Ika-a-Māui for the North Island and Te Waipounamu or Te Waka o Aoraki for the South Island. Early European maps labelled the islands North, Middle and South, in 1830, maps began to use North and South to distinguish the two largest islands and by 1907, this was the accepted norm. The New Zealand Geographic Board discovered in 2009 that the names of the North Island and South Island had never been formalised and this set the names as North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, and South Island or Te Waipounamu
6.
Lyttelton, New Zealand
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Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour, at the north-western end of Banks Peninsula and close to Christchurch, on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Due to its establishment as a point for Christchurch-bound seafarers. The port remains a destination for cruise liners and is the South Islands principal goods transport terminal, handling 34% of exports. According to the 2013 census, the resident population of Lyttelton, including neighbouring communities of Rapaki, Cass Bay. Lyttelton is the largest settlement on Lyttelton Harbour, an inlet on the side of Banks Peninsula extending 18 km inland from the southern end of Pegasus Bay. The town is situated on the slopes of the Port Hills. This steep-sided crater rim acts as an amphitheatre and a boundary to urban development. A tunnel through the Port Hills provides direct access to Christchurch,12 km to the north-west. The town of Sumner, some 6 km to the north-east, is accessed via Evans Pass, another settlement at Governors Bay lies 10 km to the west and a ferry service connects the suburb of Diamond Harbour on the southern shore of the harbour. The uninhabited Quail Island sits in the upper harbour southwest of Lyttelton, a home for Māori for about 700 years, Lyttelton Harbour was discovered by European voyagers passing by on 16 February 1770 during the Endeavours first voyage to New Zealand. Aiming to establish a Church of England colony in New Zealand, as Lyttelton was a harbour, and had a large amount of flat land suitable for farming and development nearby, it was ideal for a colony. Joseph Thomas as the agent of the Canterbury Association and its chief surveyor was in charge of preparing the settlement for the settlers and he initially placed the port town at Rapaki and the settlements capital, Christchurch, and the head of the harbour at present-day Teddington. Early survey work in Lyttelton was done by Thomas and Charles Torlesse, if I agreed with him that it did, I put the name to one of the streets requiring baptism. This accounts for, what to anyone not knowing the circumstances, appears strange, viz, in August 1849 it was officially proclaimed a port. Pilgrims Rock shows the place where European settlers first set foot in the harbour, the present location of the rock is well inland from the sea, as much of Lytteltons dockside has been reclaimed from the harbour waters in recent years. Lyttelton was formerly called Port Cooper and Port Victoria and it was the original settlement in the district. The name Lyttelton was given to it in honour of George William Lyttelton of the Canterbury Association, on 1 July 1862, the first telegraph transmission in New Zealand was made from Lyttelton Post Office. In 1870, fire destroyed all the buildings in Norwich Quay
7.
Invercargill
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Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff. Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Great Britain, mainly Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as named after the Forth, Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey. The 2013 census showed the population was 51,696, up 2. 7% on the 2006 census number, Southland was a scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Maori, notably whalers and missionaries – Wohlers at Ruapuke. In 1853, Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Maori iwi, Otago, of which Southland was itself part, was the subject of planned settlement by the Free Church, an offshoot of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Settlement broadened with the discovery of gold in Central Otago in the 1860s, today, traces of Scottish speech persist in Southland voices, with R often pronounced with a rolling burr. This is more noticeable among country people, in 1856, a petition was put forward to Thomas Gore Browne, the Governor of New Zealand, for a port at Bluff. Due to the Otago gold rush, the population grew during the 1860s with the settlement of Bluff. Browne agreed to the petition and gave the name Invercargill to the settlement north of the port, the settlements chief surveyor was John Turnbull Thomson, a British civil engineer. Under the influence of James Menzies, Southland Province seceded from Otago in 1861 following the escalation of political tensions, however, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870 and the provincial system, and with it the province of Otago, was abolished entirely in 1876. This debt was caused by a population decline stemming from poor returns from pastoral farming, in 1874, Invercargills population was less than 2,500 which reflected the drift north to large centres. In the 1880s, the development of an industry based on butter. In December 1905, Invercargill voted in local prohibition of alcohol sales and this lasted for 40 years until voted out by returning servicemen in the Second World War. When prohibition ended, a committee of citizens persuaded the Government to give the monopoly on sales in Invercargill to the specially formed Invercargill Licensing Trust. Based on a scheme in Carlisle, England, it returns profits to city amenities, even today, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets. In recent years, publicity has been brought to the city by the election of Tim Shadbolt
8.
Track gauge
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In rail transport, track gauge is the spacing of the rails on a railway track and is measured between the inner faces of the load-bearing rails. All vehicles on a network must have running gear that is compatible with the track gauge, as the dominant parameter determining interoperability, it is still frequently used as a descriptor of a route or network. There is a distinction between the gauge and actual gauge at some locality, due to divergence of track components from the nominal. Railway engineers use a device, like a caliper, to measure the actual gauge, the nominal track gauge is the distance between the inner faces of the rails. In current practice, it is specified at a distance below the rail head as the inner faces of the rail head are not necessarily vertical. In some cases in the earliest days of railways, the company saw itself as an infrastructure provider only. Colloquially the wagons might be referred to as four-foot gauge wagons, say and this nominal value does not equate to the flange spacing, as some freedom is allowed for. An infrastructure manager might specify new or replacement track components at a variation from the nominal gauge for pragmatic reasons. Track is defined in old Imperial units or in universally accepted metric units or SI units, Imperial units were established in United Kingdom by The Weights and Measures Act of 1824. In addition, there are constraints, such as the load-carrying capacity of axles. Narrow gauge railways usually cost less to build because they are lighter in construction, using smaller cars and locomotives, as well as smaller bridges, smaller tunnels. Narrow gauge is often used in mountainous terrain, where the savings in civil engineering work can be substantial. Broader gauge railways are generally expensive to build and require wider curves. There is no single perfect gauge, because different environments and economic considerations come into play, a narrow gauge is superior if ones main considerations are economy and tight curvature. For direct, unimpeded routes with high traffic, a broad gauge may be preferable, the Standard, Russian, and 46 gauges are designed to strike a reasonable balance between these factors. In addition to the general trade-off, another important factor is standardization, once a standard has been chosen, and equipment, infrastructure, and training calibrated to that standard, conversion becomes difficult and expensive. This also makes it easier to adopt an existing standard than to invent a new one and this is true of many technologies, including railroad gauges. The reduced cost, greater efficiency, and greater economic opportunity offered by the use of a common standard explains why a number of gauges predominate worldwide
9.
3 ft 6 in gauge railways
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Railways with a track gauge of 3 ft 6 in/1,067 mm were first constructed as horse-drawn wagonways. From the mid-nineteenth century, the 3 ft 6 in gauge became widespread in the British Empire, there are approximately 112,000 kilometres of 1,067 mm gauge track in the world. 1795 One of the first railways to use 3 ft 6 in gauge was the Little Eaton Gangway in England, other 3 ft 6 in gauge wagonways in England and Wales were also built in the early nineteenth century. 1862 In 1862 the Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl constructed the first 3 ft 6 in gauge railway in Norway,1865 In 1865 the Queensland Railways were constructed. Its 3 ft 6 in gauge was promoted by the Irish engineer Abraham Fitzgibbon,1868 In 1868 Charles Fox asks civil engineer Edmund Wragge to survey a 3 ft 6 in railway in Costa Rica. 1871 In 1871 the Canadian Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway,1872 In January 1872 Robert Fairlie advocated the use of 3 ft 6 in gauge in his book Railways Or No Railways, Narrow Gauge, Economy with Efficiency v. Broad Gauge, Costliness with Extravagance. 1872 also saw the opening of the first 3 ft 6 in gauge railway in Japan,1873 On 1 January 1873, the first 3 ft 6 in gauge railway was opened in New Zealand, constructed by the British firm John Brogden and Sons. Earlier built 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in and broad gauge railways were converted to the narrower gauge. Also in 1873 the Cape Colony adopted the 3 ft 6 in gauge, after conducting several studies in southern Europe, the Molteno Government selected the gauge as being the most economically suited for traversing steep mountain ranges. Beginning in 1873, under supervision of Railway engineer of the Colony William Brounger, the Cape Government Railways rapidly expanded and the gauge became the standard for southern Africa. 1876 Natal also converted its short 10 kilometres long Durban network from 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in broad gauge prior to commencing with construction of a network across the colony in 1876. Other new railways in Southern Africa, notably Mozambique, Bechuanaland, after 1876 In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century numerous 3 ft 6 in gauge tram systems were built in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In Sweden, the gauge was nicknamed Blekinge gauge, as most of the railways in the province of Blekinge had this gauge. An alternate name for this gauge, Cape gauge, is named after the Cape Colony in what is now South Africa, the term Cape Gauge is used in other languages, such as the Dutch kaapspoor, German Kapspur, Norwegian kappspor and French voie cape. After metrication in the 1960s, the gauge was referred to in official South African Railways publications as 1065 mm instead of 1067 mm, the gauge is sometimes referred to as CAP gauge, after C. A. The gauge name Colonial Gauge was used in New Zealand, in Australia the imperial term 3 foot 6 inch is used. In some Australian publications the term medium gauge is also used, in Japan 1,067 mm gauge is referred to as kyōki, which directly translates as narrow gauge. It is defined in metric units, Cape Government Railways Heritage railway List of track gauges Norwegian gauge controversy South African Trains – A Pictorial Encyclopaedia Why Did Japan Choose the 36 Narrow Gauge
10.
Railway electrification system
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A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electrification has many advantages but requires significant capital expenditure, selection of an electrification system is based on economics of energy supply, maintenance, and capital cost compared to the revenue obtained for freight and passenger traffic. Different systems are used for urban and intercity areas, some electric locomotives can switch to different supply voltages to allow flexibility in operation, Electric railways use electric locomotives to haul passengers or freight in separate cars or electric multiple units, passenger cars with their own motors. Electricity is typically generated in large and relatively efficient generating stations, transmitted to the railway network, some electric railways have their own dedicated generating stations and transmission lines but most purchase power from an electric utility. The railway usually provides its own lines, switches and transformers. Power is supplied to moving trains with a continuous conductor running along the track usually takes one of two forms. The first is a line or catenary wire suspended from poles or towers along the track or from structure or tunnel ceilings. Locomotives or multiple units pick up power from the wire with pantographs on their roofs that press a conductive strip against it with a spring or air pressure. Examples are described later in this article, the second is a third rail mounted at track level and contacted by a sliding pickup shoe. Both overhead wire and third-rail systems usually use the rails as the return conductor. In comparison to the alternative, the diesel engine, electric railways offer substantially better energy efficiency, lower emissions. Electric locomotives are usually quieter, more powerful, and more responsive and they have no local emissions, an important advantage in tunnels and urban areas. Different regions may use different supply voltages and frequencies, complicating through service, the limited clearances available under catenaries may preclude efficient double-stack container service. Possible lethal electric current due to risk of contact with high-voltage contact wires, overhead wires are safer than third rails, but they are often considered unsightly. These are independent of the system used, so that. The permissible range of voltages allowed for the voltages is as stated in standards BS EN50163. These take into account the number of trains drawing current and their distance from the substation, railways must operate at variable speeds. Until the mid 1980s this was only practical with the brush-type DC motor, since such conversion was not well developed in the late 19th century and early 20th century, most early electrified railways used DC and many still do, particularly rapid transit and trams
11.
Wellington
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Wellington is the capital and second most populous urban area of New Zealand, with 405,000 residents. It is at the tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. Wellington is the population centre of the southern North Island and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the worlds windiest city, with a wind speed of over 26 km/h. Situated near the centre of the country, Wellington was well placed for trade. In 1839 it was chosen as the first major planned settlement for British immigrants coming to New Zealand, the settlement was named in honour of the Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. As the nations capital since 1865, the New Zealand Government and Parliament, Supreme Court, despite being much smaller than Auckland, Wellington is also referred to as New Zealands cultural capital. The city is home to the National Archives, the National Library, architectural sights include the Government Building—one of the largest wooden buildings in the world—as well as the iconic Beehive. Wellington plays host to artistic and cultural organisations, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It has an urban culture, with many cafés, restaurants. One of the worlds most liveable cities, the 2014 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Wellington 12th in the world, Wellingtons economy is primarily service-based, with an emphasis on finance, business services, and government. It is the centre of New Zealands film and special effects industries, Wellington ranks as one of New Zealands chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The city is served by Wellington International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, Wellingtons transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa, and ferries connect the city to the South Island. Wellington takes its name from Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo, his title comes from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset. One of the founders of the settlement, Edward Jerningham Wakefield, reported that the settlers took up the views of the directors with great cordiality, in Māori, Wellington has three names. In New Zealand Sign Language, the name is signed by raising the index, middle and ring fingers of one hand, palm forward, to form a W, and shaking it slightly from side to side twice. The citys location close to the mouth of the narrow Cook Strait leads to its vulnerability to strong gales, legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the 10th century. The earliest date with hard evidence for Maori living in New Zealand is about 1280, European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora on 22 January 1840
12.
Lyttelton Rail Tunnel
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The Lyttelton Rail Tunnel, initially called the Moorhouse Tunnel, links the city of Christchurch with the port of Lyttelton in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island. It is the country’s oldest operational rail tunnel, and is on the Lyttelton Line, one of the first in the province. On completion in 1867 it became the first tunnel in the world to be taken through the side of a volcano, and at 2.7 km. Its opening made the Ferrymead Railway, New Zealands first public railway line, only one road route was considered feasible, the Sumner Road passing under the summit of Evans Pass via a 350-yard tunnel. There were two contenders for the line, a direct route down the Heathcote Valley and through a 2. This only exacerbated the problem to the point where, in 1858, in response, the council set aside £4,000 to engage the services of an engineer and to seek tenders from reputable engineering firms that may be interested in the project. The provincial Commission that had established to implement the recommendations of the council. Bray, set about investigating the two proposals that had earlier been considered, west and east of Mount Pleasant. Provincial Engineer Edward Dobson favoured the latter route as it meant that Gollans Bay could be used to ships at a deepwater jetty without having to dredge the area. The only point he noted in favour of the route via Gollans Bay was that it would three years to construct as opposed to five years for the direct route. Having considered the data, the commission adopted the report from Stephenson. Superintendent Moorhouse became a proponent of the tunnel project. During the campaign for election of the superintendent in 1857. However, overall results were a victory for Moorhouse by 727 votes to 352, Moorhouse later began the project by turning the first sod on 17 July 1861. Stephenson retained the services of English contractors John Smith and George Knight and they dispatched an agent, chief miner and a party of 12 miners to New Zealand near the end of 1859. On arrival in Canterbury, Smith & Knight’s miners drove trial shafts at each end of the tunnel. Given this new information, they concluded that it would not be possible to complete the contract for the original amount, after consulting with the provincial engineers, the Canterbury Government decided not to proceed with the services of Smith & Knight. It was later discovered that Smith & Knight were in financial difficulty at the time
13.
Ferrymead Railway
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The Ferrymead Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway built upon the formation of New Zealands first public railway, from Ferrymead to Christchurch, which opened in 1863. On the opening of the line to Lyttelton on 9 December 1867, in 1964, rail enthusiasts began relaying track on the historic formation and the new 3 ft 6 in narrow gauge Ferrymead Railway officially opened in 1977. It now operates steam, diesel and electric trains regularly and is recognised as one of the most significant rail preservation sites in New Zealand and it serviced ships which docked at the Ferrymead wharf. Construction of the tunnel to the port of Lyttelton was in progress, when this was finished in 1867, after 27 July 1868, the line was used as a siding, by which time the station buildings had been relocated to Christchurch and Heathcote station. It was the first railway in New Zealand to be opened and closed. At that time the Canterbury Branch of the NZRLS applied to the New Zealand Railways Department to lease part of the old Southbridge Branch at Prebbleton, when this was turned down, Ferrymead became a serious possibility. The Museum of Science and Industry and the Canterbury Branch decided that the Ferrymead site was ideal, the centenary of the original line was commemorated in 1963 and the beginnings of the present Ferrymead Railway date to November 1964. The Canterbury Branch started construction of the Ferrymead Railway with infrastructure and facilities including the workshop, engine shed, stations, signalling systems, the railway began to operate trains during 1972 and was officially opened in 1977. Up to that time, locomotives and rolling stock were transported to the site by truck, the arrival of the Vulcans, the first real example of economical diesel motive power, allowed Saturday services and steam substitution to become a reality. Locomotives and rolling stock left Ferrymead by rail to participate in other parts of the rail festival, including several main-line excursions. In 1988, a NZR DM class EMU set comprising motor coach DM320 and trailer D2695 arrived at Ferrymead before the Ferrymead 125 celebrations, but did not attend the actual celebrations. In 1990 there was another festival in conjunction with the New Zealand sesquicentennial. Also in that year, the NZRLS Canterbury Branch was reconstituted as the Canterbury Railway Society, the economic recession of 1991 also had its effect upon CRS. Ferrymead Heritage Park was also in trouble as a result of the economic downturn. This era ushered in a number of changes for rail preservation groups including the introduction of new safety systems under the Land Transport Safety Authority, in 1995 Ferrymead Historic Park was taken over by the Christchurch City Council when its financial losses became unsustainable. Since that time there have been a number of changes in the way that the Park is run, a feature of recent years has been the Waipara Vintage Festivals held every second year from 1995. Ferrymead Railway and Diesel Traction Group locomotives and carriages have participated in each of these festivals, held on the Weka Pass Railway. In 2005 plans for a National Rail Museum were revealed, construction of the first stage will cost approximately $3.5 million
14.
Main North Line, New Zealand
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It is a major link in New Zealands national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington. It was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealands history, with the first stages built in the 1870s, the first proposal for a line resembling the present day Main North Line was made in 1861. A proposal for a line linking Christchurch and Blenheim was put before the Marlborough Provincial Council in April 1861. Later that year, the government passed the Picton Railway Act in October. However, the political authorisation did not translate into actual construction, at the other end of the line, progress had been made in Marlborough, with a line opened between Blenheim and Picton. In the 1880s, work ground to a halt as debate raged over what route to construct, an 1880 Royal Commission on the state of New Zealands railways felt that an east coast main line would be premature, but possibly necessary in the future. Contrarily, regional actors in Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury slowly progressed its Great Northern Railway and pursued an inland route from Waipara, reaching Waikari in 1882, Medbury in 1884, and Culverden in 1886. From Culverden up the Waiau River to Reefton, New Zealand, establishing a route to the West Coast. From Waipara up the coast to Blenheim via Parnassus and Kaikoura, interests in Marlborough favoured the coastal proposal and began work on extending their railway south from Blenheim. This reached Scargill in 1902, Ethelton in 1905, Domett in 1907, Cheviot in 1910, the line was envisaged to then follow a series of inland valleys to Kaikoura. The outbreak of World War I led to a halt on construction, at the Marlborough end, the line was extended southward from Blenheim to reach Seddon in 1902 and Ward in 1911. The line reached Wharanui,13 km south of Ward, before the onset of World War I saw construction halted, not all work was postponed by the war. A campaign to extend the line from Culverden to Waiau was successful and construction continued through the war, the 1920s saw little progress made on the Main North Line as various interest groups, governments, and expert reports contested to achieve their respective desired outcomes. In the late 1920s, construction finally recommenced on the line south of Wharanui. Public pressure for a resumption of work was strong, and as the economy was starting to improve in 1936 the government issued orders for completion in four years. In 1939, the line beyond Parnassus was opened to Hundalee, but the outbreak of World War II created more delays, construction continued through the war, and not long after the resumption of peace the northern and southern railheads met in Kaikoura. The Main North Line from Christchurch to Picton was completed and officially opened on 15 December 1945, for a number of decades before the connection of the northern and southern ends, the Canterbury section was operated with its terminus in Culverden, even when the coastal route reached Parnassus. The most important passenger train was the Culverden Express, with carriages for Parnassus detached at Waipara, the express was supplemented by slower mixed trains
15.
Christchurch Railway Station (New Zealand)
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Christchurch Railway Station is in the Canterbury region of New Zealands South Island. It is on the Main North Line at Addington junction, and is the remaining passenger railway station in the city. It is the terminus of the South Island’s two remaining long-distance passenger trains, the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific, the current station is the third Christchurch railway station. The two earlier stations were adjacent to other on Moorhouse Avenue, a short distance to the east on the Main South Line. Christchurchs first railway station was built by the Canterbury Provincial Council for its 5 ft 3 in broad-gauge railway line between the city and the wharf at Ferrymead, opening on 1 December 1863. From 1867 the station received traffic from Lyttelton, and from the west, as the Main South Line was extended out to Addington, Rolleston, Selwyn, Rakaia, and destinations further south. Facilities at the station were initially modest, consisting of a platform, station building, goods shed, locomotive shed, staff accommodation, a single main line and siding. It was not long before this proved to be inadequate, with an authorisation for the enlargement of the goods shed and the provision of a refreshment room forthcoming in January 1864. Later, the arrival of new locomotives resulted in the construction of additional storage. In October 1873, a new siding was laid and by 1874 a stores building with derrick had been added, despite these improvements, the problem of a lack of storage space at the station for goods continued. This resulted in the practice of storing goods in wagons outside the sheds. This, combined with a staff turnover, led to pillage becoming a significant problem. The colonial government received many complaints and, on bringing this to the attention of the railways, was reminded of the lack of storage facilities. Also of concern was the deterioration of the rolling stock, the engineer reported in late 1867 that new engineering facilities were urgently required to enable adequate attention to be given to maintenance. The opportunity was taken to point out the unnecessarily high cost of handling goods traffic with inadequate shed. By early the year, nearly the whole of the goods shed was in use for customs traffic. The situation had reached the point where a goods shed, grain. These problems persisted despite the relocation of buildings from Ferrymead to Christchurch, including the goods shed, traffic volume had increased to the point where, in 1874, passenger services from Lyttelton had been separated from goods traffic
16.
Midland Line, New Zealand
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The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the famous KiwiRail Scenic Journeys train, the TranzAlpine, travels this line. Freight on the line depends largely on coal traffic, with general freight being restricted to products from the Westland Milk Products factory at Hokitika. In 2003, Tranz Rail carried a total of 2.1 million tonnes of coal over the line, usually, coal services are headed by two class DX locomotives, and consist of 30 coal hopper wagons, with a total capacity of 1,800 tonnes. On 27 November 2007, it was announced that coal from the Pike River Coal mine would be transported to Lyttelton for export. Pike River Coal had reserved under contract with Toll Rail 1.3 million tonnes of capacity for their coal on the line, however coal from the Pike River facility at Rapahoe stopped since the series of explosions that killed 29 miners in November 2010. The company was liquidated and sold to Solid Energy, the Pike River Mine was closed, the other primary source of coal traffic is from the Solid Energy facility at Ngakawau, north of Westport. Trains to and from Ngakawau use the Midland line as far as the junction with the Stillwater - Westport Line and these later included a branch to Springfield which was reached by January 1880. The major obstacle to engineers and politicians was the Southern Alps, the Company entered into a contract with the Government the same year. The major obstacle to the route lay immediately ahead, the forcing of the Waimakariri and Broken River gorges, some 8.5 miles of the route surveyed by C. Napier Bell in 1883 and described to the Royal Commission by District Engineer W. N. Blair as very rough, the section would include 16 tunnels and four major viaducts not including the Kowai already constructed. The viaducts were built under Treasury contracts by both New Zealand and British bridging firms, the most spectacular of these, the Staircase Viaduct carries the rails 75 metres above the bed of the stream. It was slow laborious work with men, horses, picks, shovels, progress slowed after that although the country to be traversed became much easier. Cass was not reached until 1910 and Arthurs Pass township in 1914 – the Westland section meantime having advanced to Otira – to meet the major obstacle. Construction of Otira Tunnel began in 1907, but progress was very slow, cobb & Co coaches were used to transport passengers between the two railheads while the tunnel was under construction. The tunnel was completed in 1923. The line was unique in New Zealand for its use of many different types of locomotives. These locomotives include the KB class locomotives between Arthurs Pass and Springfield, once the second most powerful locomotives in New Zealand
17.
Rakaia River
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The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand, the Rakaia River has a mean flow of 203 cubic metres per second and a mean annual seven-day low flow of 87 cubic metres per second. In the 1850s, European settlers named it the Cholmondeley River and it rises in the Southern Alps, travelling 150 kilometres in a generally easterly or southeasterly direction before entering the Pacific Ocean 50 kilometres south of Christchurch. As it reaches the river-coast interface, a hapua forms, for much of its journey, the river is a braided river, running through a wide shingle bed. Close to Mount Hutt, however, it is confined to a narrow canyon known as the Rakaia Gorge. The Rakaia River is bridged in two places, the busiest crossing is at the small town of Rakaia,20 kilometres from the river mouth, where State Highway 1 and the South Island Main Trunk Railway cross the river using separate bridges. These two bridges are New Zealands longest road and rail bridges respectively, approximately 1.75 kilometres long, a second bridge, much shorter and less used, spans the Rakaia Gorge. The Central Plains Water Trust is proposing to take up to 40 cubic metres per second of water from the Rakaia River as part of the Central Plains Water enhancement scheme, the Rakaia River is a celebrated Chinook salmon fishery. It has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of the endangered black-billed gull, the river is also known for its large wrybill population which represents 73 percent of the total population. Other important bird species using the riverbed are black-fronted tern and banded dotterel, selwyn District Council page for the Rakaia River Te Ara website page for the Rakaia River Salmon fishing on the Rakaia River
18.
Methven Branch
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The Methven Branch was a branch line railway that was part of New Zealands national rail network in Canterbury. It opened in 1880 and operated until 1976, originally, the line was planned to connect to Mount Somers however this did not eventuate. The Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway Company possessed two 2-4-4T tank locomotives built by Rogers Locomotive Works and they were used to trains from the opening of the line. As of 13 December 1880, the government operated the Methven Branch, passenger numbers, however, hit their peak in the 1920s, and subsequently declined until the passenger service was cancelled on 7 September 1958. AB class steam locomotives were the form of motive power for many years on the line until it was dieselised in September 1967. Despite trains being cut to run only thrice weekly in 1969, however, traffic simply was not sufficient to justify the continued existence of the line and it was closed on 31 July 1976. Remnants of closed railway lines naturally diminish and disappear over time due to natural and human impacts, though some relics of the Methven Branch can still be found. Some bridge abutments can also be sighted, and goods sheds remain in Lauriston, in the latter town, loading platforms built to serve sidings from the railway can still be seen at two businesses. Only one railway building now remains in Methven, though the embankment the railway used as it approached the town is still apparent. The Railway Reserve in the centre of Methven is a park adjacent to the Blue Pub and Medical Centre. An Ab locomotive and train approaching Rakaia on the Methven-Rakaia Branch c1940 Churchman, Geoffrey B
19.
Ashburton River / Hakatere
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The Ashburton River / Hakatere is a river in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand. The official name of the river was amended to become a name by the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. It has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of the endangered black-billed gull, the river has two branches which meet 21 kilometres from the coast, just inland of the town of Ashburton. The branches remain parallel and no more than 3 kilometres apart for a further 20 kilometres upstream of their confluence, the rivers path southeast across the Canterbury Plains lies in a shallow depression between the higher shingle fans created by the much larger Rakaia and Rangitata rivers. Both branches are crossed via siphons by the Rangitata Diversion Race, the river separates Ashburton from its southern suburb, Tinwald. Both river and town are named for Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton, the Ashburton River North Branch / Hakatere flows from the slopes of Godley Peak in the Palmer Range. The uppermost reach of the river is known as Petticoat lane, the river flows south then southwest through narrow scree-sided valleys with almost no areas of river flats. The Black Hills Range and Pudding Hill Range lie to the northeast, the river emerges from the hills adjacent to Pudding Hill airfield. The larger Ashburton River South Branch / Hakatere starts as the outflow of the Ashburton Glacier which flows down from Mount Arrowsmith,26 kilometres west of the North branch source and it initially flows southeast down a narrow valley between the Big Hill Range and the Wild Mans Brother Range. 10 kilometres from source the river south, turning southeast again to cross the flat Hakatere Valley where the outflows of several small lakes join it
20.
The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum
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The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum is a heritage railway and recreated historic village located inside the Tinwald Domain, Tinwald, New Zealand. The railway operates on approximately three kilometres of railway line that once formed part of the Mount Somers Branch. The Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society Inc, the K88 Trust Board was formed on 23 May 1995 and ceased to exist on November 3rd 2015. Their overarching goal was to restore and overhaul Ks 88 and, fundraising was well under-way before September 1996 and the first goal of restoring K88 was achieved in 1997 with the construction of its new tender tank well under-way. The trust financed the construction of a new boiler for K88, after the refitting of the boiler and other restoration works the locomotive was recommissioned on 30 March 2002. K94 was never restored, but was used as a source of parts as many parts on it were in better condition than those on K88. On the morning of 17 January 2015, the old workshop building burnt down after an arsonist set light to it, the fire destroyed most things contained within the shed with only few very of the contents able to be recovered. The fire was reported at around 5, 00am that morning, five fire engines and a water tanker attended the blaze to bring it under control. The fire was labelled suspicious and a Police investigation is ongoing, the locomotive shed alongside the workshop was damaged, but has been made safe with minor repairs to secure the building. The Plains Railway came to attention when a member of the Rogers K class. Transported by truck to The Plains Railway in July 1974 and restored to an operational condition on 27 November 1982. This has set a pattern other railway enthusiasts recovering a number of locomotives of classes from where they were dumped including two other Ks. One of them being K94 was recovered by a private owner, Restoration commenced in April 1986 but was later cancelled. K88 received a second restoration beginning in 1997 by the K88 Trust Board and it was completed on 30 March 2002. The second restoration saw her receive a brand new Belpaire Boiler and tender tank, the museums rail rolling stock contains several historically important items. In addition, B10 from the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society for the NZ Rail 150 celebrations in October 2013 and it also hosted a running day at the railway on 3 November in the same year. Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealands F163 Ivanhoe visited the railway in February 1979 for display in a festival, the locomotive did not run on the Railway. Spare bogies and driving wheels from Js of 1874, K95, Ps of 1885, in addition, Spare power bogies, frames and engines for the railcar are currently in outside storage
21.
Rangitata River
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The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres northeast of Timaru, the river has a catchment area of 1,773 square kilometres, and a mean annual flow of 95 cubic metres per second at Klondyke. The Māori name Rangitata has been translated as day of lowering clouds, close sky. Several remote sheep stations are located near Mount Sunday and these include Mesopotamia, Mt Potts, and Erewhon. Erewhon was named by Samuel Butler who was the first white settler to live at the Mesopotamia sheep station, Erewhon is also the name of a novel written by Butler anonymously in 1872. Before the river enters the Canterbury Plains, part of it is diverted to the Rangitata Diversion Race for irrigation, the RDR was built between 2 April 1937 and 1944, and supplies water to the Montalto and Highbank schemes before joining the Rakaia River. The entry point has New Zealands first acoustic fish fence, keeping salmon smolt in the river, towards its mouth, the river originally split into two streams, forming a large delta island. However, the branch of this split has since been blocked. Its course remains as a plain, but water does not normally flow here any longer. The Rangitata is the most fished river in the Central South Island Region, the salmon account for about 75 percent of angler activity on the river, other species fished are brown trout, rainbow trout and brook char. On 23 December 1999, Fish and Game New Zealand lodged an application for a conservation order on the Rangitata River. In June 2006, the water conservation order was gazetted, a locomotive, DC4686, ended up completely submerged in the river on 4 January 2002, after floodwater undermined a stopbank supporting the railway line, causing a derailment
22.
Waitaki River
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It starts at the confluence of the Ohau River and the Tekapo River, now in the head of the artificial Lake Benmore, these rivers being fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo, and Ohau. The Waitaki flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki, the Waitaki has several tributaries, notably the Ahuriri River and the Hakataramea River. It passes Kurow and Glenavy before entering the Pacific Ocean, the median flow of the Waitaki River at Kurow is 356 cubic metres per second. The middle of the bed formed a traditional political boundary between Canterbury and Otago. As such, the term South of the Waitaki is often used to refer to the Otago, the river is popular for recreational fishing and jetboating. In 2001 a proposal for a series of canals and dams was made by Meridian Energy for irrigation and electricity generation on the river. This scheme, known as Project Aqua, planned to divert up to 77 percent of the rivers flow to create a hydroelectric scheme. Lack of commercial viability was given as the reason for the schemes shelving. List of rivers of New Zealand Reservoirs and dams in New Zealand Nordmeyer, Waitaki – The River and its Lakes, The Land and its People. Waitaki Valley website Meridian energy Waitaki hydro scheme Hydrologic webmap of the Waitaki river basin
23.
Port Chalmers Branch
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The Port Chalmers Branch was the first railway line built in Otago, New Zealand, and linked the regions major city of Dunedin with the port in Port Chalmers. The line is operational today. Built by the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway Company Limited, the line was approved by and constructed under the auspices of the Otago Provincial Council, not the national government. However, it was built to the adopted national track gauge of 1,067 mm. The line was opened by Sir George Bowen, former Governor of New Zealand. The first locomotive to run on the line - and the first 1,067 mm gauge locomotive to operate in New Zealand - was the E class Josephine, a double Fairlie steam locomotive. Whose local popularity ensured she was retained beyond her retirement from service on the railways in 1917 and is preserved today in the Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin, much of the Port Chalmers line is now part of the Main South Line from Christchurch to Dunedin. When the first section of the line, from Dunedin to Waitati. The section from Dunedin to Sawyers Bay became part of the Main South Line, in 1880 the line was vested in the newly established New Zealand Railways Department, and the private company dissolved. Suburban passenger services were run from Dunedin on the line for over 100 years and these were usually locomotive-hauled carriage trains, but infrequently, RM class Vulcan railcars were used too. The main reason for the existence is freight to and from the port. It has evolved from nineteenth century imports of supplies and exports of produce from rural Otagos farms, the line remains an important link in New Zealands transport infrastructure and trains are operated by KiwiRail. The Taieri Gorge Railway recently sought a contract to haul logs from a location in the Taieri Gorge to Port Chalmers, the volume of logs equated to 15,000 truck movements inwards. For up to $1.5 million, connecting the site to the Main South Line would reduce truck movements by 7,500 each year, KiwiRail also noted it had increased its Otago operations, carrying 320,000 tonnes, up from 150,000 tonnes in 2010. This was mainly due to increases in freight dispatched by Fonterra from its Edendale, motive power has often been provided by shunting locomotives rather than larger main line engines. At the start of the century, small tank locomotives such as members of the FA class were used. However, in the 1960s, as diesel locomotives replaced steam locomotives on the main lines, hermann, Bruce J, South Island Branch Lines p 26 ISBN 0-908573-70-7 Photo of locomotive Josephine at Dunedin
24.
Dunedin Railway Station
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Dunedin Railway Station in Dunedin on New Zealands South Island, designed by George Troup, is the citys fourth station. It earned its architect the nickname of Gingerbread George, Dunedin was linked to Christchurch by rail in 1878, with a link south to Invercargill completed the following year, and the first railway workshops were opened at Hillside in South Dunedin in 1875. It took close to 20 years for government funding to be allocated, the logistics of constructing what was at the time New Zealands busiest railway station took three years before construction began in 1903. Pink granite was used for a series of supporting pillars which line a colonnade at the front, the roof was tiled in terracotta shingles from Marseilles surmounted by copper-domed cupolas. The southern end is dominated by the 37-metre clocktower visible from much of central Dunedin, the booking hall features a mosaic floor of almost 750,000 Minton tiles. A frieze of Royal Doulton porcelain runs around the balcony above it from which the design, featuring a locomotive and related symbols. The main platform is the countrys longest, extending for about 500 metres, the foundation stone was laid by the Minister of Railways Joseph Ward on 3 June 1904. The Prime Minister Richard Seddon was also present, the station was opened by Ward, by then Prime Minister, in 1906. Construction was kept within budget, and cost £40,000, the citys economic decline and the reduction in the prominence of rail transport means that only a handful of trains use the station today. The station used to have platforms at both the north and south ends and a crossover midway along the main platform. Large shunting yards, most of which have now gone, occupied land to the south, much of this land has now been subdivided into wholesale and light industrial properties. With the decrease in rail traffic, the station now serves more functions than the one for which it was designed. Bought by the Dunedin City Council in 1994, its uses have greatly diversified, much of the ground floor is used as a restaurant, and the upper floor is home to both the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and the Otago Art Society. A produce market is held in the grounds to the north every Saturday morning, every year in March, the station takes centre stage in the South Islands main fashion show, with the main platform becoming reputedly the worlds longest catwalk. A thorough refurbishment of the exterior took place in the late 1990s, in October 2006 its centenary was celebrated with a festival of railway events, including the operation of eight steam railway locomotives from all over New Zealand. In 2006 it was recognised by DK Eyewitness Travel as one of The Worlds 200 Must-See Places. On 12 February 2008, a container wagon struck and partially destroyed the historic footbridge at the end of the station. Four people were on the bridge, with one suffering minor injuries when she fell 4.5 metres, reconstruction of a footbridge of similar design on the same site was carried out in September–October 2008
25.
Otago Central Railway
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The Otago Central Railway or Otago Central Branch Railway, now often referred to as the Taieri Gorge Railway, was a secondary railway line in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. Construction of the OCB began in 1877 and the 27-km section to Hindon was opened in 1889, the line was completed to Middlemarch two years later. The 26 km section of line from Middlemarch to Hyde then opened in 1894 and this was followed by the 16 km section from Hyde to Kokonga which opened in 1897. The section to Ranfurly opened in December 1898, the Ranfurly to Wedderburn section opened in 1900 followed by the Wedderburn to Ida Valley section which opened in 1901. The line was opened to Omakau in 1904, omakau-Chatto Creek opened in July 1906 followed by the line reaching Alexandra in December 1906. The line was opened to Clyde in April 1907, there then followed a delay until the section through the Cromwell Gorge was resumed in 1914. The line reached Cromwell,236 km, in 1921, the Clyde - Cromwell section was closed in 1980 due to construction of the Clyde Dam, a hydro-electric power station in the Cromwell Gorge on the Clutha River. The dam flooded the gorge, through which the line ran, the branch begins at Wingatui on the Main South Line south of Dunedin. After the branch closed, the first four kilometres were retained in the national railway network as a service line to local industries. After a second tunnel, the runs along Mullocky Gully, crossing it over the 197 metres long Wingatui Viaduct. Wingatui Viaduct has been the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand since it was built in 1887 and is the longest and tallest bridge on the line. The railway remains in the Taieri Gorge for 25 km, crossing 16 major bridges with a length of 1020m. Further notable viaducts along the way are Christmas Creek Viaduct, one of the viaducts, Deep Stream Viaduct. Just before Hindon station, the railway tracks share a combined road-rail bridge with Hindon Road, after Flat Stream Viaduct, the aptly named The Notches section also presented an engineering challenge, accomplished via three short bridges and cuttings through several rocky outcrops. In the second half of the section the line climbs steadily to exit the gorge at Pukerangi. Until the early 1960s the role of the railway remained largely unchanged, passenger traffic declined after the Second World War as private car usage increased but goods traffic was largely unaffected. The types of goods carried reflected the patterns of farming and changing market demands. When horses were used for Dunedin transport they consumed many wagon loads of oats, much of this came from Central Otago to be handled at a particular siding in the Dunedin railway yards which was still called the Chaff Siding long after that traffic had disappeared
26.
Kaitangata Line
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The Kaitangata Line, also known as the Kaitangata Branch in its first years of operation, was a railway line in Otago, New Zealand. It was built by a company and was later acquired by the governments Mines Department. In 1874 the Provincial Government applied for consent to raise a ₤27,750 loan to construct the Branch line with an extension as far as Coal Point and this was unsuccessful and as a result the Kaitangata Rail Company began to investigate constructing its own line. Legislation was required to allow the construction of the railway by the Company, initially this took the form of an ordinance by the Provincial Government, but this was disallowed by the Governor. Wishing to pursue this, the company pressed the General Assembly for consent, the ordinance was redrafted into a Bill and passed as the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company Empowering Act 1875. The legislation was passed some months after construction had commenced, construction had also commenced before the Main Trunk had been opned to Dunedin. On Friday,26 February 1875 the Kaitangata Rail Company merged with the Kaitangata Coal Company to form the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company. With the route of the railway from its mine in Kaitangata and to the Main South Line at Stirling, having already agreed to. A sod turning ceremony was carried out near the Kaitangata Creek bridge by Sir J L C Richardson on 19 June 1875, construction of the line began under a contract let in May 1875, using about 40 Chinese labourers and some Europeans under A Jerusalem Smyth. By September they had completed some 4.5 miles of the rail bed, the sleepers for the line were locally produced, while the rails came from the Darlington Iron Company and the spikes, bolts, and nuts came from Bayliss, Jones, and Bayliss of Wolverhampton. The New Zealand Government Inspector, Mr G B Bruce of Westminster, a locomotive and 25 coal trucks were ordered in September or early October from James Davidson and Co of Dunedin. By the end of February 1876 the lines had been laid, the intention was to open the line for freight and a few weeks later, passenger traffic. Ballasting was completed on 31 March and although the line was considered ready for traffic, by June a goods shed and engine shed were under construction at Kaitangata. The platform had been built, but the building had yet to be constructed. The first informal journey on the line was on 8 April when a group of local dignatories were bought from Balclutha to Kaitangata on the line by the Company, formal inspection of the new line was carried out by W N Blair, District Engineer, on 22 April. By 20 May passenger and goods trains were running daily on the line and these early trains were Government owned ones as the Company was still waiting for delivery of its own engine and rolling stock. The formal opening ceremony was on 16 June 1876, about 300 people journeyed by train from Dunedin to attend the opening performed by the Mayor of Dunedin, H J Walker. Andrew Davidson was the conductor on the train, at the ceremony, the company announced its intention to acquire a second engine and run three trains a day on the line
27.
Clutha River
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The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean,75 kilometres south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of 21,960 square kilometres, the Clutha River is known for its scenery, gold-rush history, and swift turquoise waters. A river conservation group, the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group, is working to establish a regional river parkway, with a trail, the name of the river was changed to a dual name by the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. The ultimate source of the river is at the head of the Makarora River, close to the saddle of the Haast Pass, which flows into the northern end of Lake Wanaka. The southern end of the drains into the nascent Clutha close to Albert Town, where it is met by its first main tributary, the Hāwea River. It is also met here by the Cardrona River, the river soon narrows as it passes through the Maori Gorge at Queensberry. Shortly thereafter it is joined by another tributary, the Lindis, before widening as it enters Lake Dunstan, fifty kilometres south of Lake Wanaka, the Clutha reaches the town of Cromwell, which was substantially altered when the Clyde Dam project was commissioned in 1992. Here the river is joined by the waters of the Kawarau, prior to the construction of the Clyde Dam, this river junction, known as the Cromwell Junction, was renowned for the difference in colour between the two rivers’ waters. The river then flows southeast through the inundated Cromwell Gorge to Clyde and nearby Alexandra, South of Alexandra the river widens again to form Lake Roxburgh, another artificial lake, behind the Roxburgh Dam, which was commissioned in 1956. The hydroelectric reservoir flooded the Roxburgh Gorge and several large rapids including the Molyneux Falls, the town of Roxburgh sits close to the river,120 kilometres downstream from Lake Wanaka. Beyond here, the river is met by the Tuapeka River at Tuapeka Mouth, at this point the river turns southward, before being met by its last major tributary, the Pomahaka River, which joins the Clutha 30 kilometres from the coast. The river passes the town of Balclutha before widening into the Clutha delta which contains the flat island of Inch Clutha. Here the river divides into two branches, the Matau, which flows past Kaitangata, and Koau. Both branches flow into the Pacific Ocean at Molyneux Bay, the Cluthas average discharge is estimated at 614 cubic metres per second, comparable to many much larger rivers. The highest recorded flow on the Clutha was during heavy storms in June 2015, the waters of the Upper Clutha are clear turquoise, the result of glacial and snow-melt filtering when the water flows through Lake Wanaka. This is a characteristic for a high volume river. Below Cromwell, where the silt-laden Kawarau enters, the waters are less turquoise, such is the nature of the geology of the New Zealand region that the true river tells only half the story of the Cluthas course
