Riccarton Racecourse Siding
| Riccarton Racecourse Siding | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Canterbury, New Zealand | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1877 | ||
| Closed | 1954 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| |||
The Riccarton Racecourse Siding or Line was a short (1.4 kilometres or 0.87 miles) siding or line on the
Riccarton Racecourse in the suburb of Riccarton
; this was (and remains) a place used for both racing and for outdoor events.
The line was promoted as a private enterprise by the
Minister of Public Works. The businessman George Stead, as honorary secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club from 1873 for over 30 years,[1] was a promoter of the idea of making the horse racing ground more accessible, and to increase turnover.[2] The line was surveyed in early October 1877 and opened four weeks later on 3 November 1877.[3] The contractor who carried out the works was William Stokes, who had in the previous year built the bridge over the Waimakariri Gorge.[3]
The line had competition from Christchurch trams in the 20th century; although slower the trams ran right into Cathedral Square in the centre of Christchurch. The last race train ran on 10 November 1954, and the line was lifted soon after.[4][5] It remained private over the course of its existence and never belonged to the New Zealand Railways Department.[6]
Notes
- ^ Ogilvie, Gordon. "Stead, George Gatonby". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ^ "Canterbury Jockey Club". The Star. No. 2848. 19 May 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ a b "By Rail to the Racecourse". The Press. Vol. XXVIII, no. 3834. 5 November 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ Churchman 1991, pp. 8f.
- ^ Yonge 1993, p. 19.
- ^ Leitch & Scott 1998, p. 6.
Bibliography
- Churchman, Geoffrey B. (1991). On the Trans-Alpine Trail: A Travel Guide to State Highway 73 and the Midland Railway. Johnsonville, Wellington: IPL Books. ISBN 0-908876-73-4.
- Leitch, David Bruce; Scott, Brian (1998). Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways. New Zealand: Grantham House. ISBN 1869340485.
- Yonge, John (1993). New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (4th ed.). Essex, England: Quail Map Company. ISBN 0-900609-92-3.
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