Waikaia Branch
Waikaia Branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Heavy Rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Railways Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1909 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 22.19 km (13.79 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of tracks | Single | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character | Rural | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Waikaia Branch, also known as the Switzers Branch, was a
Construction
In the late 1870s, proposals for a railway line to or through
Stations
The following were stations on the Waikaia Branch, in order from the junction at Riversdale:[6]
- Waipounamu
- Plains
- Waiparu
- Freshford
- Dome
- Waikaia, originally Switzers, 22.19 km from the junction.
Operation
The Waikaia Branch was essentially a line to nowhere. Roughly 1,700 people lived in the area served by the line when it opened, and Waikaia was home to a mere 250 people.[7] Photos of the grand opening, attended by Prime Minister Joseph Ward, show that the Waikaia station was essentially in the middle of a field.[2] Initially, there was some traffic generated by gold mining and dredging near Waikaia, but the line was much too late to serve the gold fields of the 19th century and it mainly carried agricultural traffic. Its role was essentially to open up the surrounding land to farming and to provide a convenient link to major centres before the development of modern road transportation.[3]
In 1925, Ford Model T bus equipment was used as the basis for two railcars, the RM class Model T Ford railcars. They began operating on the Waikaia Branch as well as the Wyndham Branch in late May 1926 in an attempt to provide more efficient passenger service at a lower operating cost. They proved to be economical by the Railways Department's fuel consumption standards of the time, able to run 100 km on 18.8 litres of fuel. However, as the railcars rode roughly and were prone to overheating, they were unpopular with passengers and thus unsuccessful.[8] The line became freight only from 9 February 1931.[6] By the 1950s, the region's population had dwindled to a meagre 200 and trains ran twice weekly. What traffic did exist - mainly livestock and agricultural lime - was being transferred to the expanding road network. With no reason to justify the line's continued existence, the Waikaia Branch closed on 16 May 1959.[7]
Motive power
In the early years of the line, small
Today
It is not unusual for relics from closed railway lines to deteriorate and disappear over time, but remnants can be found the length of the Waikaia Branch. Much of the formation is still visible from local roads, and bridge foundations remain at a number of stream crossings. Freshford station still possesses its loading bank, stockyard, and goods shed, which are preserved by local residents. A loading bank and ramp for sheep to board wagons remained in Waipounamu until being removed in the late 1990s or early 2000s to allow for other development. In Waikaia, the locomotive water tank has been preserved by the locals, and on its side, "Switzers - Estd 1909" is written in large letters.[7] Nearby, the goods shed remained standing, with both "Switzers" and "Waikaia" visible on the ends, until it collapsed in 2005. The water tank also collapsed around this time but was restored.
See also
- Main South Line
- Waimea Plains Railway
- Kingston Branch
- Mossburn Branch
- Waikaka branch
- Wyndham/Glenham Branch
References
Citations
- ^ a b "Projected Railways", Otago Witness 1369 (23 February 1878): 3.
- ^ a b c Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 113.
- ^ a b c Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 212.
- ^ "Opening of the New Switzers Railway and Traffic Bridge Over the Mataura River", Otago Witness 2616 (4 May 1904): 37.
- ^ "Riversdale-Switzers Railway: An Official Inspection", Otago Witness 2664 (5 April 1905): 23.
- ^ a b New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, fourth edition, edited by John Yonge (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 29.
- ^ a b c Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 114.
- ^ David Jones, Where Railcars Roamed: The Railcars Which Have Served New Zealand Railways (Wellington: Wellington Tramway Museum, 1997), 10.
Bibliography
- Churchman, Geoffrey B; Hurst, Tony (2001) [1990, 1991]. The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey through History (Second ed.). Transpress New Zealand. ISBN 0-908876-20-3.
- Leitch, David; Scott, Brian (1995). Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways (1998 ed.). Wellington: Grantham House. ISBN 1-86934-048-5.
- Mulligan, Barbara (2000). New Zealand Rail Trails: A Guide to 42 Ghost Lines. Wellington: Grantham House Publishing. pp. 221–224. ISBN 978-1-86934-126-8.