Okaihau Branch

Last updated

Okaihau Branch
Otiria Junction showing railway yards, the railway station, and several trains ATLIB 338372.png
View of Otiria Junction, showing railway yards, the railway station, and several trains.
Overview
Other name(s)Kaikohe Branch
Rangiahua Branch
Owner Railways Department
Locale Northland, New Zealand
Termini
Stations8
Service
Type Heavy Rail
System New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR)
Operator(s) Railways Department
History
Opened1 May 1914 (1914-05-01)
Complete to Ōkaihau29 October 1923 (1923-10-29)
Closed to Passengers21 July 1976 (1976-07-21)
Closed1 November 1987 (1987-11-01)
Technical
Line length40.00 km (24.85 mi)
Track length61.29 km (38.08 mi)
Number of tracksSingle
CharacterRural
Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Okaihau Branch
km00
BSicon exCONTg.svg
BSicon eKHSTxa.svg
Otiria
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon eABZg3.svg
BSicon exSTR+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
5.00
Kawiti
BSicon exHST.svg
7.00
Cameron's Crossing
BSicon exHST.svg
10.00
Ngapipito
BSicon exHST.svg
17.00
Rakautao
BSicon exHST.svg
22.00
Ngapuhi
BSicon exHST.svg
26.00
Kaikohe
BSicon exHST.svg
35.00
Lake Omapere
Road Crossing
BSicon exHST.svg
40.00
Okaihau
BSicon exHST.svg
61.24
Rangiahua
BSicon exENDEe.svg
61.29
end of track
Okaihau Branch
Map

The Okaihau Branch, sometimes known as the Kaikohe Branch and rarely the Rangiahua Branch, was a branch line railway that joined the North Auckland Line of the national rail network of New Zealand at Otiria. It was the most northerly line in New Zealand and was intended to run all the way to Kaitaia. It opened to Ōkaihau in 1923 and closed in 1987.

Contents

Construction

Proposals for a railway line to Kaitaia and the Far North existed as early as the 1870s, but it was not until 1909 that preliminary surveys were conducted. After the North Auckland Line was linked to and extended over the Opua Branch in 1911, construction progressed in earnest from Otiria towards Kaikohe: initial work had been undertaken in 1910. On 1 May 1914, this section opened. A small amount of further construction took place over the next two years, but World War I meant that no work took place between 1916 and 1919. The resumption of work led to the completion of the line to Ōkaihau on 29 October 1923.

Debate raged over what route to follow to Kaitaia. The proposal was to run from Ōkaihau to Rangiahua, near the Hokianga Harbour, and then either through the Maungataniwha Range, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) long with two tunnels; or skirting the range, roughly ten kilometres (6.2 mi) longer with no tunnels. A 1921 commission did not support work beyond Ōkaihau, but a compromise in 1923 established Rangiahua as the northern terminus and the Public Works Department continued to build northwards, albeit slowly. [1]

Due to the Great Depression construction of the line beyond Ōkaihau was abandoned in 1931. [2] The Rangiahua section was essentially complete: the line wound downhill to the settlement and a station yard complete with platform was built, though the station building itself was not erected. Following a change in government in 1935, a 1936 review of the work beyond Ōkaihau was undertaken, and the decision was made not to extend the line to Kaitaia. [1] The steep route to Rangiahua was not seen as being particularly useful and had been plagued by slips. The line was accordingly terminated in Okaihau, which was on the main State Highway north (SH1). During 1938 [2] and World War II the abandoned trackage was salvaged, sometimes by bullock teams, [2] for use elsewhere, especially the Dargaville Branch. [2]

Stations

The following stations were on the Okaihau Branch, with the distance from Otiria in brackets. The extension to Rangiahua is not included, as it never saw regular service.

Otiria to Kaikohe (opened 1 May 1914)

Kaikohe to Okaihau (opened 29 October 1923)

Operation

Although Kaikohe has become established as the service centre of the Far North, it failed to generate much rail traffic in the early years of the line. During the first ten months of existence, just 1,500 tons of inbound freight was carried, with roughly half that carried outbound; the decline continued to the point that in 1918 Kaikohe lost its stationmaster. Minimal services were offered, and although losses increased up to 1930, fortunes had somewhat improved by 1940, and by 1950 there was sufficient traffic to justify six trains each way a week. Two carried solely freight, while four were mixed trains, also carrying passengers. Full complements of staff were employed at Kaikohe and Ōkaihau, where a locomotive depot was located.

Folk singer Peter Cape wrote and sang his song The Okaihau Express in the 1950s about the Ōkaihau train, which consisted of a steam engine, a carriage and a guards van. [5]

When railcars were introduced on services north of Auckland in November 1956, they ran all the way to Ōkaihau. Previously, a carriage train known as the Northland Express (or the Opua Express) had run from Auckland to Opua with connections to Okaihau via the mixed trains, but with the change of the northern terminus to Ōkaihau, the branch increased in importance. This proved to be short-lived as the railcar service was withdrawn in July 1967 due to mechanical problems plaguing the 88-seater railcars. [6] Passengers had to use the mixed trains, with significantly older rolling stock on a slower schedule, and demand slipped. The branch closed to passengers on 21 June 1976.

In 1977, a relaxation of road transport laws led to a decline in freight traffic on the line and forestry proposals that would have required a railway service failed to eventuate. Scheduled trains were cancelled on 12 August 1983, and for a little over four years the line was shunted when required. The branch closed on 1 November 1987.

Today

After the line's closure, the New Zealand Railways Corporation retained ownership over the trackbed in the hopes that forestry proposals would come to fruition, and some rails were still in place during the 1990s. In most places track and bridges have been removed, though evidence of the bridge piles and ballast remain. A loading bank and rails under a loading chute exist in Kaikohe, and in Ōkaihau, the flat area of the yard, the tunnel leading to Rangiahua and the platform are very apparent. For much of the line's length, its formation is quite obvious and includes embankments and cuttings. At Rangiahua State Highway 1 is where the rails used to be, with a loading bank to the west and a platform to the east. [1] The corridor is still owned by the Railways Corporation.

Pou Herenga Tai – Twin Coast Cycle Trail

A proposal was made by the Kaikohe Rau Marama Community Trust to convert the trackbed between Ōkaihau and Kaikohe into a walking and cycling track, much like the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Little River Rail Trail in the South Island. This was to be the first step in a plan to establish a rail trail through to the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway in Kawakawa. [7]

14 km (8.7 mi) of the line was opened in 2013 [8] as the first part of the 87 km (54 mi) Twin Coast Cycle Trail from Opua to Horeke, [9] which opened fully in 2017. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaikohe</span> Town in the Northland Region of New Zealand

Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of over 4000 people it is a shopping and service centre for an extensive farming district and is sometimes referred to as "the hub of the north".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston Branch</span> Railway line in Southland, New Zealand.

The Kingston Branch was a major railway line in Southland, New Zealand. It formed part of New Zealand's national rail network for over a century: construction began in 1864, Kingston was reached in 1878, and it closed in 1979. For much of its life, it was considered a secondary main line rather than a branch line, and in its earlier years, it was sometimes known as the "Great Northern Railway". Today, the southern portion now forms a part of the Wairio Branch and the northernmost 14 kilometres was used by the Kingston Flyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waikaia Branch</span> Closed South Island railway branch line

The Waikaia Branch, also known as the Switzers Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. Proposed as early as the 1870s, it was not opened until 1909 and was operated by the New Zealand Railways Department for half a century until its closure in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dargaville Branch</span>

The Dargaville Branch is a branch line railway that leaves the North Auckland Line not far south of Whangarei and runs westward to Dargaville. Construction of this relatively short line took approximately two decades, and when it was completed, it linked the now closed Donnellys Crossing Section with the national rail network. The branch has been closed to all traffic since 2014 and is currently used by a tourist railcart operation.

The Donnellys Crossing Section, also known as the Kaihu Valley Railway or Kaihu Branch, was a railway line in Northland, New Zealand. Initially an isolated line of 35.91 kilometres (22.31 mi), it became a branch line when the Dargaville Branch was opened and connected it with the North Auckland Line and the rest of the national rail network in 1943. The branch was closed in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Auckland Line</span> Railway line in New Zealand

The North Auckland Line is a major section of New Zealand's national rail network, and is made up of the following parts: the portion of track that runs northward from Westfield Junction to Newmarket Station; from there, westward to Waitakere; from there, northward to Otiria via Whangārei. The first section was opened in 1868 and the line was completed in 1925. The line, or sections of it, have been known at various times as the Kaipara Line, the Waikato-Kaipara Line, the Kaipara Branch and the North Auckland Main Trunk.

The Onerahi Branch, sometimes known as the Grahamstown Railway, was a branch line railway in the Northland Region of New Zealand. It operated from 1911 until 1933 and linked the city of Whangārei to the nearby harbour in Onerahi.

The Opua Branch or Otiria-Opua Industrial Line, partially still operational as the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, is a former section of the North Auckland Line in the Northland Region of New Zealand, between Otiria and the Bay of Islands township of Opua. The first section was constructed as a bush tramway in 1868 and converted to a railway in the next decade. Today the railway is partially used by the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, which runs tourist services between Kawakawa and Lone Cow. The line's centrepiece is the section where it runs down along the main street of Kawakawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Railways Department</span> Government agency (1880–1982)

The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was corporatised on 1 April 1982 into the New Zealand Railways Corporation. Originally, railway construction and operation took place under the auspices of the former provincial governments and some private railways, before all of the provincial operations came under the central Public Works Department. The role of operating the rail network was subsequently separated from that of the network's construction. From 1895 to 1993 there was a responsible Minister, the Minister of Railways. He was often also the Minister of Public Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago Central Railway</span> Branch railway line in Otago, New Zealand

The Otago Central Railway (OCR) or in later years Otago Central Branch Railway, now often referred to as the Taieri Gorge Railway, was a secondary railway line in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Branch (railway line)</span>

The Ross Branch, officially known as the Hokitika Line since 2011, and previously as the Hokitika Industrial Line, is a branch line railway that forms part of New Zealand's national rail network. It is located in the Westland District of the South Island's West Coast region and opened to Hokitika in 1893. A further extension to Ross operated from 1909 until 1980.

The Maungataniwha Range is a volcanic mountain range located in Northland Region of New Zealand. The Mangamukas, as it is known by the local residents and many Northlanders because of the name of the settlement and river on the southern side, separates Kaitaia and the Aupouri Peninsula from the rest of Northland. The highest point in the Maungataniwha Ranges is Raetea at 744m. The range is home to many kauri trees and part of the range is a part of Northland Forest Park.

The Northland Express, also known as the Opua Express, was an express passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between 1925 and 1956. It ran from Auckland via Whangārei to Opua in the Bay of Islands.

Ōkaihau is a small town in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island, just north of Kaikohe. State Highway 1 passes through Ōkaihau making it fairly busy. Ōkaihau has a primary school and a secondary school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay of Islands Vintage Railway</span> Heritage railway in New Zealand

The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust (BOIVRT) is a heritage railway in Kawakawa, in Northland, New Zealand. The railway operates on part of the former Opua Branch railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otiria</span> Place in Northland Region, New Zealand

Otiria is a rural locality in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It neighbours Moerewa to the east, with the nearest major town, Kawakawa a few kilometres further eastwards. Other nearby localities include Pokapu to the south, Orauta to the west, and Hupara to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotorua Branch</span> Mothballed railway line in New Zealand

The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putāruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department (PWD). The complete line, 50.5 kilometres (31.4 mi) in length, opened in two sections; on 24 November 1893 to Tārukenga and the final 8 mi 43 ch (13.7 km) to Rotorua on 8 December 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames Branch</span>

The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as the Waitoa Branch line, connecting to the Fonterra Dairy Factory at Waitoa.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Tony Hurst (October–November 2021). "Rails Laid but Line Never Opened: Ōkaihau to Rangiahua". New Zealand Railway Observer (369). New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society: 139.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Removing Materials from an Abandoned North Auckland Railway Project". www.aucklandcity.govt.nz. Auckland Weekly News. 6 July 1938. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2018.
  4. "Railway notices". Northern Advocate. 22 March 1941.
  5. Cape, Peter. "The Okaihau Express" (song).
  6. T. A. McGavin (Spring 1967). "Railcars No More to Whangarei, Tauranga or Westport". New Zealand Railway Observer. 24 (3). New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society: 88. ISSN   0028-8624.
  7. Kate Molloy, "Proposed Walkway Opens Historic Rail Track", Northern News, 6 June 2007.
  8. "Easy rider: A treasure trove of cycle paths". The New Zealand Herald. 22 February 2013. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  9. "Twin Coast Cycle Trail Details" . Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  10. "Northland's coast to coast bike trail opens at last". New Zealand Herald. 6 January 2017. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 17 November 2019.

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. p. 24. ISBN   978-1-86934-126-8.
  • Hermann, Bruce J; North Island Branch Lines p 4 (2007, New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society, Wellington) ISBN   978-0-908573-83-7