WHERE IT BEGAN

The 3 ft, 6 in scale railways of New Zealand began humbly enough on the Dunedin to Port Chalmers Railway.  It was the gauge adopted for the rest of the country.  OK there was the railway from Ferrymead, but that was a broad gauge not suitable for the mountainous terrain that is New Zealand.  Eventually the adopted gauge was all over the country, in every corner that was capable of supporting rail traffic.  The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway Company’s track was opened for traffic on 31 December 1872, and purchased by the then Colonial Government in April 1873.  The two Fairlie Patent locomotives named Rose and Josephine respectively began operating the trains soon after being landed at Port Chalmers. 

 

It came to pass that Rose had a serious accident, which rendered the locomotive incapable of carrying out any more duties.  It was Josephine which hauled trains from Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and further afield in the Otago district. 

 

That was the beginning of New Zealand Railways as I knew it.

 

Enter the 1960s and I have noticed quite a few disappearances from the scene as far as the railways are concerned.  The steam locomotives had met their end as far as common every day train services are concerned, although there had been quite a few excursions using steam as a motive power.

 

December 1970, and the start of a new era in rail travel had begun.  It was the Southerner service, which replaced the earlier 143 and 144 Limited Expresses which were usually steam hauled, except the occasional use of diesel power.  With that, came the on board catering service, which in effect wiped the queues of passengers lining the railway refreshment rooms waiting for something to eat.  There were pockets of places which still offered the service, but nothing to the extent that was before this superb service began.

 

The carriages were painted in a pleasant colour blue, with a lighter blue shade along the sides, with the name “Southerner” in white. A very popular service it was too, with hostesses to serve drinks, and food at people’s seats, as well as the on board Buffet Car service. 

 

They offered full menu, including such delights as savoury mince on rice, or something similar, a desert made with trifle, to name a few which tempted the taste buds of many people. 

 

As well as this crack service, there were also the railcar services which served all areas on the main trunk as well as to Central Otago, and one to Palmerston.  I have not had much experience with the FIAT railcars, only to see people off, or to watch them roll by from different vantage points depending on where I was staying on holiday time.  But the latter parts of the 1960s saw the eventual demise of the Fiats as they were not as reliable, leaving nine Vulcan cars to make journeys, carrying passengers from all parts of the country.  So it was decided to end the railcar services altogether, replacing them with buses.  Then it was announced, in the late seventies to cease some more services, including the Silver Star overnight service between Wellington and Auckland, and the full services of the other expresses. 

 

The southerner service was no exception, the Buffet Car ceased to provide full services, only the basic pies, and sandwiches and drinks. However as each separate carriage went into overhaul, they always seem to come out with improvements, and more pleasant interiors. 

 

Come the 1980s, and it was the suburban trains that serviced Port Chalmers and Mosgiel that received the chop.  These were popular with passengers, as the buses of the day were not as pleasant to ride in.  People did not mind the walk from the station to their homes, or in the case of Mosgiel, were provided with bus transport from the station to places in the township.

 

Also receiving the axe, were excursion trains as operated by New Zealand Railways, taking people on special outings.  These were enjoyable, people leaving the car at home, and taking the train to picnic places along the way, and in the case of Otago, the annual Blossom Festival in Alexandra, in the last week in September.  However that was not the end of excursions by rail as some Otago people got together and started their own excursion train services, using old wooden carriages and volunteer labour at the start.

 

Then all went quiet for at least a decade or two, when all rail services were running happily to the accountant’s pocket’s delight.  The only passenger trains to use Dunedin Station were the Southerner, and the Taieri Gorge Limited, which offered trips to Pukerangi, and return, as well as the occasional excursion services.  At the end of the 1980s it was clear that the Central Otago branch railway was to close, due to the completion of the Clyde Hydro dam.  There was just not enough traffic to warrant the continuation of the line.  However after a lot of fundraising the only part of this spectacular line left in tact was the Wingatui to Middlemarch sector, the rest was pulled up, making way for the eventual creation of the Central Otago Rail Trail.

 

With that closure, the only goods traffic to reach Dunedin by rail were from either Christchurch, Invercargill or places in between, along the main trunk line.  There were plenty of goods trains, but most were running at night.

 

The next train to receive the chop was in February 2002, when it was the Southerner’s turn.  That only left the TGL.  However Dunedin Railway Station received a major refurbishment, with much of the Oamaru Stone fascia receiving a clean up.  And what a spectacular sight it is too, however with only one passenger service running, and little in the way of freight, the place is bare.  Void of all New Zealand Railway or its Tranzrail equivalent staff or equipment, the revamped Dunedin Railway Station remains an empty place to be. 

 

So what started the narrow gauge revolution in New Zealand ended as at 2003 an empty void.  The rails that ran the full length of New Zealand still existed, but that was about all, there were no small branch lines, they were considered uneconomic.

 

My personal reason why they should have kept the branch lines, and services, is that if you chop all the branches off a tree, the tree itself would eventually die, and die Tranzrail will be, with no small services to keep it running as a profitable enterprise.  My feeling of the future is that there will be no rails in Otago and Southland, except the Taieri Gorge Railway, which owes its existence to the wisdom of the Otago people a couple of decades ago, and the tourist dollars.  Also the Cruise ships which dock at Port Chalmers bring tourist wealth to the TGL.

 

 

Rail Index

Main Index