History of the Kelburn Cable Car
1898 to 1997
At the end of the nineteenth century the hills around Wellington were still predominantly farmland. Residential land close to Wellington was becoming very difficult to find while some houses were being erected on very small and awkward sections. There was some development along the two lines of railway, to the Wairarapa and to Horowhenua, but apart from that there was no wider transport infrastructure in these days before the motorcar to help open up land further than the limit of the horse drawn trams or reasonable walking distance.
Some of Wellington’s most immediately available land was in the hills directly above the city, in Kelburn. Its potential, only lessened by the steep access, was realised by the newly formed Upland Estate Company, established in 1898. The company took its name from the Upland Farms, located in the hills behind Wellington, and aimed to turn these farms and scrub into residential areas.
In order to make this venture a success it was necessary to provide transport facilities between the proposed subdivision and the city. A tramway was settled on. In July of 1898 the shareholders of the Upland Estate Company were instrumental in the formation of the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Co. (Note the spelling of Kelburne with an "e", later abandoned).
Although 20,000 ordinary shares of £1 each had already been subscribed by the promoters (Upland Estate Co. 10,000, Charles Pharazyn 8,000, Martin Kennedy 1,000 and C.Izard 1,000), another 10,000 preference shares of £1 each were made available to the public on the release of the company’s prospectus.
By the time the prospectus was issued, the infant company had already acquired, or was negotiating to acquire, lands owned by Bendix Hallenstein Esq., Charles Pharazyn and the New Zealand Times Co. and had negotiated with the Karori Borough Council to construct a road (now known as Upland Rd.) connecting the tramway with the village of Karori by horse drawn carriages.
Initially it was proposed that the tramway could be built by private interests and then made available for sale to the Wellington City Council on completion. However the council was unwilling at that time to take on such a speculative venture. Under the Tramway Act 1894 only local authorities were permitted to apply for an authority order to construct a tramway.
As a result a parliamentary bill was drawn up. The Wellington High Levels Tramway Act 1898 was designed to "enable the Mayor, Councillors, and Citizens of the City of Wellington to acquire Power to construct a Tramway above and below Ground, and under and over the Public Reserves of the City of Wellington, and to delegate such Power." .In July 1899 the council obtained an Order-in-Council which authorised the WCC to build a tramway. The act also allowed for the tramway to be considered a public work and it is assumed that this allowed the use of prison labour from the Terrace Goal to help build the incline.
By a Deed of Delegation this authority was then transferred to the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company Ltd. However the council maintained the right to acquire the tramway, at seven yearly intervals from the date of completion, up to 21 years, plus a general right of purchase.
The tramway was designed by engineer James Fulton and he proposed it serve a variety of interests, including local residents and people visiting the Karori Cemetery or the yet to be completed sports venue of Kelburn Park. The proposed line extended from Lambton Quay, The Terrace (then known as "Wellington Terrace"), Clifton Terrace, Salamanca Road, and the summit at the edge of the Botanical Gardens where the winding house/engine house was located. It was designed to interfere as little as possible with the existing roads and traffic.
James Fulton, one of the first qualified New Zealand trained Engineers, was also the engineer for the first Kelburn viaduct, built to provide a direct route from the top of the Cable Car to Karori. The original viaduct was replaced with the present one in 1933.
Cable railway technology was nearly 70 years old by the time Fulton designed the Kelburn tramway. Trains were first hauled by cables, initially rope, in Canterbury in England in 1830, a year after the Rocket proved the success of the railway engine. Entirely cable hauled railways were initially common but after the first few decades cable haulage was usually used where gradients were considered too steep for the safe passage of the vehicle. In 1873 the world’s first municipal cable car ran in San Francisco. Funicular technology, the counterbalancing of ascending and descending cars by means of a common cable, was developed in Europe after 1850 and refined in the latter part of the century in countries such as Switzerland.
The design of the cable cars would appear to have been based on that of the Mornington Cable Cars and the Kaikorai Trams, both of Dunedin, which first ran in 1883. Plans of the original cars state the builder as Mark Sinclair of Dunedin and the year of construction as 1901.
Work on the Kelburn tramway seems to have been carried out both night and day. In 1901 a case for compensation was brought against the company by a Mrs Jack who owned a property above where one of the tunnels was being built. The construction of the tramway had caused cracks in the walls of the house. "The clang of picks and shovels, and the sounds of blasting, were heard night and day." Not unnaturally, night blasting operations left the occupants of the house "greatly disturbed." There was also worry over the safety of the tunnels. In June 1901 a concrete retaining wall had collapsed causing substantial subsidence on the same property.
The winding gear was originally operated by an engineer in the winding room (shown above) in response to bell signals from the Gripmen in the cars. The cable, a mile long wire rope was wound up and down the track by a 12 foot driving wheel, then run around huge pulleys as either end of the track, and through the driving mechanism.� The cars were joined together with a second "tail" rope, independent of the driving rope. Only the descending car gripped the drive rope, and as it was pulled down the hill the other car ascended, pulled by the tail rope attached to the descending car.
The tramway was finally opened on the 22 February 1902, and during its first days of operation free tickets were offered to those interested in buying land in Kelburne.
"Kelburne Tramway is now open to the public. The first sale of Kelburne will take place of Wednesday, 26 Feb., 1902. Free passes on the tramway will be given to intending Purchasers on application to Harcourt and Co. Auctioneers, or, I.H.B. Wilson Grey-street."
The New Zealand Times pronounced the opening weekend a huge success and the future of the tramway assured. Over 4000 people rode the cars that weekend. "The experience of being wafted effortlessly into the regions above is an exhilarating one," wrote the paper’s correspondent. Many people also took the opportunity to ride horse drawn "buses" to Karori.
Water, essential for the running of the steam engine, was scarce at the top of the hill. A windmill was acquired to pump water up from a spring on Salamanca Rd. in September 1901. At the same time the company acquired a geared aerometer, pump gears and air chambers.
Public demand to use the tramway was immediate and unexpectedly heavy. 425,000 people used the cars in their first year and the addition of extra capacity was urgently needed. "Palace" trams acquired from the Wellington City Council and modified to meet the needs of the Cable Car were added to the grip cars, and ran on the uphill side. With the addition of the trailers, the tramway could now carry 62 seated adult passengers each trip. In 1904 the company built a tea kiosk to cater for demand.
1905 saw the completion of Kelburn Park, followed the same year by the Dominion Observatory.
In October 1906 the registered offices of both the Upland Estate and Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company, situated in Grey Street opposite the Lambton Quay terminus of the tramway, were damaged by a large fire. It would seem likely that the original company records were destroyed, as the secretary of the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Co. asked for a new "Certificate of Incorporation" following the fire.
In 1910 the council sought to invoke its right of purchase. The company did not oppose this, and a valuation was made of the company’s assets. However the ratepayers would not sanction the purchase of what would have cost the city £43,587. By 1912 the numbers using the cars every year had increased to over 1,000,000.
A request was made to the Wellington City Council in 1912 to switch the system from steam to electric power, but this request was turned down.
In 1929 the now Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company constructed a shelter at the top of the incline. This was an unpopular structure with both the council and general public, as it partially blocked the entrance to the Botanic Gardens and was considered an unattractive building.
In 1933 an Order-in-Council empowered the council to replace steam with electricity to power the winding gear. Again, by Deed of Delegation, the council conveyed this power to the company. With electrification the drivers gained more control of the operation of the cars. Previously a bell was rung by the gripmen that indicated to the engineer in the engine room to start the winding gear. With electrification the motors could be controlled by switches in the cabins of the cars. One further advantage was that the company no longer had the added expense of carting coal to the summit to power the steam engine. Electrification also saw the removal of the smokestack of the steam-powered winding gear, a Kelburn landmark since 1902. The speed of operation of the electric system was 17 Km/Hr, slightly slower than toady's system speed of 18.3 Km/Hr.
In June 1935, in a move that had huge repercussions nearly 40 years later, the company was granted permission to remove the slipper brakes from both trailers.
In July of 1941 the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Co. accused the council of running a bus service in competition with the Cable Car. The company asked that either the council refrain from competing, or purchase the company. The council declined, citing the ageing stock and limited earning potential of the system as some of its reasons.
The company was still claiming unfair competition from the council’s services four years later and took its case to the Supreme Court. The Court found that to a limited extent, council’s Karori and Northland Bus services were being operated in breach of the Municipal Corporations Act 1933." Eventually a solution was reached when the council finally agreed to buy the company. In December 1946, the council paid £45,000 for the tramway and £4,835 for a small fleet of buses. The Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company was voluntarily dissolved on 13 February 1947. In its last year of operation the company had carried 873,150 passengers, and made £1635 profit from revenue of £14,532.
With the City Council’s acquisition of the tramway, its role slowly changed, with an increasing emphasis on its tourist potential. The Lambton Quay terminus was upgraded in October 1957 and included new staff facilities and a book stall. Four years later these buildings were damaged when a cable car crashed into the ticket box.
The removal of the trams from Wellington streets in 1964 left the Cable Car the only link to that era in New Zealand. This further enhanced its status as a tourist attraction.
Changes to the Cable Car operation were minor in this period; some of them seem to have been in response to public requests. This included the signs to keep passenger's feet of the seats and the addition of the Wellington City Coat of Arms.
In May 1973 a construction worker, working on the new motorway extension at Shell Gully, was seriously injured when he accidentally stepped in front of a cable car. As a direct result of this mishap the Ministry of Works’ District Mechanical Engineer reassessed the overall safety of passengers, employees and the general public using the Cable Car. In a report to the Wellington City Transport Department the engineer recommended that modifications be made to the electromechanical brake, the over speed governor, the car controls, and the balance rope protection system, and that electrical control equipment be installed. The Wellington City Transport Engineer also outlined his concerns about the age of the equipment, and the high standards of safety expected by the public in comparison to when the system was designed in 1898. He suggested renewing the system or even replacing it.
In June of 1974 the Ministry of Works instructed the General Manager of the Wellington Transport Department that use of the trailer carriages, which operated without brakes, be discontinued "on a permanent basis as soon as is practicable and in any event within one month." Continued use of the grip cars was permitted on the condition that within six months "steel members of an approved design shall be added to the timber chassis to transmit the loads from the balance rope to the rear of the chassis." However, the Ministry of Works considered that these were to be interim measures and recommended a complete upgrading, to the extent of requiring new winding gear and the eventual replacement of carriages.
Although the Wellington City Council objected to the instructions of the Ministry of Works, citing various modifications that had been carried out to the system within the last two years, the trailers were removed from the tracks on the 28 July 1974. Attempts made to have the trailers reinstated were unsuccessful. Various public action groups formed to try and save the Cable Car, and the Council received numerous letters of support. The WCC Town Planning Committee considered declaring the Cable Car system a place of historic interest.
Several independent reports however confirmed the conclusions of the Ministry of Works. A Ministry of Transport report pointed to the lack of an automatic brake, signs of timber stress in the bearing parts in the cars, and poor driver visibility.
In October/November 1974 the grip cars underwent a refit at the Kilbirnie workshops. The braking systems were overhauled, their chassis strengthened, and improvements made to their bodywork. By 6 December 1974 grip car 2 was back in service and grip car 1 followed on 15 January 1975.
Various other modifications were made to the grip cars and tracks during 1975. Cars 1 and 2 are again reported to have had steel members added to the timber chassis and a modified "Fell" brake installed. Mirrors were installed at scheduled stops to assist drivers’ vision, and then windscreen wipers and maximum number signs were installed inside compartments.
Despite all the modifications and efforts to bring the Cable Car to contemporary safety standards the Ministry of Works advised, in September of 1975, that the cars only had a life of 10 years.
In early 1976 the Cable Car was shut down for a further two months for another overhaul required by the Ministry of Works and in June of that year the council finally decided to replace the cars with a fully automatic version.
Grip car 3 meanwhile had been parked at Kilbirnie bus yard for some time and as it had not been strengthened to meet Ministry of Works requirements it was decided it would never be used again in service.
June 1977 tenders closed for a new Cable Car. Four tenders were received by the council, three Swiss and one Austrian. A consultant's report was commissioned from England. This report was lost on its way to New Zealand so a decision on the tenders was delayed until September 1977 when the tender from Habegger AG, Switzerland was chosen, at an estimated cost to the city of $1.5 Million.
One year later on 22 September 1978, amid great publicity, the old Cable Cars made their final run. Immediately the cars were withdrawn from service the tracks were pulled up and work started on installation of the new system.
The Wellington Tramway Museum acquired 800 metres of the old track, for extensions to their line at Paekakariki, and were also granted long term loan of grip car 2 and trailer 5. In January 1981, despite some public criticism, trailer 6 was placed by WCC in Kelburn playground, Salamanca Road, where it can still be seen from the present Cable Car. Grip car 3 was offered to the Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, on a loan only basis, but thus far has never made the journey north.
The double track was replaced with a single track with a 300 metre radiused central passing loop. Each new car was fitted on one side with flanged wheels, and with flat wheels on the other side. This enables each car to steer with its flanged wheels around the passing loop, while the flat wheels slide across the central rails.
The intermediate stations were repositioned to be equidistant from the middle of the track so to reduce the number of stops. This is why the Salamanca station is positioned half way up the Salamanca bridge.
The overall track gradient is a constant 19.78%, except for a 4000 metre radiused curve leading to a gradient of 17% at the Lambton terminal. This is necessary to compensate for the change in rope length (and weight) attached to the lower car when it approaches the lower end of the track.
Grip cars 1 and 3 and trailer 4 are now held in storage at Karori but it is hoped that they will soon be part of a Cable Car museum in the old winding house at the top of the incline.
Several problems plagued the development of the new system. A firmer Swiss franc meant cost increases of close to $1 million. There were delays in transporting the new cars to New Zealand, including a period where the cars were lost at sea, later discovered stranded at the port of Sydney.
The "New" Cable Car system was finally opened on 20 October 1979 by The Mayor of Auckland Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, the Mayor of Wellington Sir Michael Fowler, and City councillor Wotton - Transport committee chairman.
The system was built to the latest Swiss standards, with numerous safety features including two gripper brakes on each car, passenger load sensing and overload protection, roll back, overspeed, slack rope and earthquake protection.
Unfortunately the new system did not have the luxury of a spare set of cars or a spare drive motor like it’s predecessor. When a problem did occur the entire system would often be out of service until the fault was repaired.
Disruptions to service were also caused by the requirement for the system to be shut down annually usually for two to six weeks for a safety survey conducted by the Marine department.
Complicating matters further was the fact that servicing was conducted by the City Transport Department Bus workshop based in Kilbirnie 20 minutes across town.
In July 1986 in response to falling passenger numbers and recurring stoppages the Council made the decision to upgrade the electronic control system at an estimated cost of close to $100,000. Over five weeks from early March 1987 the entire control system was replaced with an ASEA Programmable Logic Controller.
All went well until the annual survey in 1988, which took a record nine weeks to complete due to PLC programming difficulties. Shortly after the cars returned to service in May they crashed causing minor injuries to two people.
The cars were out of service until September, during which time car 1 was removed from the track and repaired in the Kilbirnie Bus workshop. Extensive modifications were also carried out to the control system and safety equipment.
Additional safety devices such as station approach speed monitors and windspeed detectors were added to the system.
The cars returned to service much improved, the timing of the annual survey was altered to less disrupt customers and reliability improved immensely.
During the 1992 Annual survey it was discovered the bogie swing arms on each car had developed small cracks. The cars continued to operate with weekly inspections of the swing arms for several months while replacements were designed by Von Roll of Switzerland, who had bought out the bankrupt Habegger company some years earlier.
The swing arms, manufactured in New Zealand were fitted when the cars were finally withdrawn from service later that year.
Deregulation of the transport industry in 1991 caused some uncertainty over the future of the Cable Car. The City Council sold its entire Passenger transport service to Scottish company Stagecoach. To the relief of many the Cable Car remained in city ownership however, and became the responsibility of Wellington Cable Car Limited, a Council owned company set up to administer the Cable Car and the city’s trolley bus overhead cable network.
Initially the operation and maintenance of the Cable Car were contracted out under separate contracts of three years duration.
Stagecoach in partnership with the Days Bay ferry operator East by West formed Harbour City Cable Car Limited which in turn won the right to operate the service from 1991 to 1994. The maintenance contract was won by Stagecoach, and was administered from the Kilbirnie Bus workshop.
Wellington Cable Car chose to conduct their own maintenance from 1994, and the contract with Stagecoach was not renewed. On-site staff meant problems could be remedied faster, and reliability increased to over 99.9%.
The data communication system between each car and the PLC based in the Control Room at Kelburn was replaced in 1996. This part of the system had not been upgraded with the rest of the control gear in 1987 and had become unreliable and difficult to repair.
Harbour City Cable Car Limited won the operating contract again in 1994, and operated the service until June 1997.
Serco took over the operation of the Cable Car in July 1997, and continue to operate the service under the watchful eye of Wellington Cable Car Limited.
The present day system completes just under one hundred trips every day of the year except Christmas Day. The duration of the annual survey has been reduced to around three days. Passenger numbers continue to increase from a low of 500,000 in 1982 to nearly double that today.
The service operates today with no subsidy from the city or regional Council, in spite of full competition from bus services.
Cable Car technical information.
Safety features of the present system:
other links of interest:
San Francisco Cable Car: www.cablecarmuseum.com
Archaeological
Evidence for a Horse Drawn Tramway - A case study of the Bawley Point Sawmill
System.
Wellington Regional Council cable car timetable page http://www.wrc.govt.nz/rt/cablecar.cfm
Cable Car Winding House entry in the WCC Heritage listing http://www.wcc.govt.nz/wellington/heritage/pg52.html