Wyndham Branch
| Wyndham Branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other name(s) | Glenham Branch Edendale Fortrose Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Closed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | NZ Railways Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1882 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Extended to Glenham | 1890 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed beyond Wyndham | 1930 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1962 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 15.17 kilometres (9.43 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | Single | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Rural | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Wyndham Branch, also known as the Glenham Branch, was a
Construction
The
Stations
The following stations were located on the Wyndham Branch (in brackets is the distance from the junction in Edendale):[4]
- Menzies Ferry (3.4 km)
- Wyndham Racecourse (5.2 km)
- Wyndham (6.5 km)
- Glenham (15.17)
The tunnel between Wyndham and Glenham was approximately 301 metres (988 ft) long.
Operation
Traffic on the Wyndham Branch was light from the beginning, and in its early years, it was described as being "in fine running trim".[3] It adequately served the needs of the local community and provided access to markets before the establishment of a modern road network, but as the 20th century progressed, it began to lose money. Ford Model T bus equipment was used as the basis for two railcars in 1925, and in May 1926, the RM class Model T Ford railcars began providing a service on the line as well as on the Waikaia Branch. They were economic, consuming 18.8 litres per 100 km and capable of running at 48 km/h, a reasonable speed for rural branch lines at the time. Despite that, they did not prove sufficiently successful: problems related to rough riding and overheating made them unpopular with the public and they were discarded in 1931.[5]
A 1930 commission of New Zealand's railway network recommended that passenger traffic be discontinued on the Wyndham Branch, as well as reducing staff and closing the locomotive depot. The administration of the railways went one step further than that, closing the entire section from Wyndham to Glenham on 14 July 1930. Soon afterwards, passenger services on the rest of the line were cancelled on 9 February 1931 and goods services were modified to run from Invercargill and return rather than from the branch's terminus and return.[3] The only passenger trains on the line after 1931 were infrequent chartered excursions, such as one from Waikaka at the end of the Waikaka Branch on 26 March 1962 that carried almost 800 passengers.[6] World War II provided a temporary boost in traffic and the line lost less money, but due to a lack of significant traffic, a 1952 commission recommended full closure. This did not occur for another ten years, however; the line essentially became an extended siding from Edendale's yard that was shunted by passing services on the main line. Closure was announced on 20 June 1962 and the last services ran a few months later on 9 September 1962.[3]
Today
Remnants of old railways typically fade with time or wholly disappear, and this is true for the Wyndham Branch. Very little of the route from Edendale to Wyndham is evident, except some traces of the formation around Edendale. Traces of the formation to Glenham are clearer and include embankments and cuttings, and the tunnel is difficult to find but viewable. At some point in the 1990s, the
See also
- Main South Line
- Waimea Plains Railway
- Kingston Branch
- Mossburn Branch
- Waikaia/Switzers Branch
- Waikaka branch
References
Citations
- ^ a b Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 210.
- ^ Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 114-115.
- ^ a b c d e Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 115.
- ^ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, fourth edition, edited by John Yonge (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 30.
- ^ David Jones, Where Railcars Roamed: The Railcars Which Have Served New Zealand Railways (Wellington: Wellington Tramway Museum, 1997), 10.
- ^ "The Waikaka Excursion", Yarn 99 (May 1962).
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. 205–210. ISBN 978-1-86934-126-8.