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The Kurow Branch (also known as the Hakataramea Branch) was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route usually a main line. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge ( Cape gauge) Railway lines in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand Located in the North Otago region of the South Island, it was built in the 1870s to open up the land behind Oamaru for development and closed in 1983. The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. Events and Trends Technology The invention of the prototype telephone by Alexander G History The vicinity of Oamaru features some important archaeological sites

Contents

Construction

The Kurow Branch started life as a tramway when the Awamoko Tramway Company was formed in 1873. The New Zealand railway network consists of four main lines seven secondary lines and numerous short Branch lines in almost every region Construction of a tramway from the Main South Line at Awamoko (now Pukeuri) to Duntroon commenced the next year with approval from the Otago provincial government. |}}|}The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, runs south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch Pukeuri is a settlement just north of Oamaru in the North Otago region of New Zealand 's South Island. Duntroon is a small farming town in the southern part of the Canterbury Region of New Zealand 's South Island. (For the current top-level subdivision of Otago in New Zealand see Otago) The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until In 1875, after the realisation that tramway standards were not sufficient for the line's purposes, an upgrade to railway standards commenced. Almost everything that had already been constructed had to be rebuilt; the rails were too light for the trains that were to operate, the sleepers were too small, and insufficient ballast had been laid. A railroad tie, cross tie, or railway sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for Railroad tracks. Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which Railroad ties (US or railway sleepers (UK are laid Nonetheless, only a fortnight after reconstruction began, the official opening ceremony took place on 1 December 1875. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Freight trains did not actually begin running for another three weeks, and passengers were not carried until 16 August 1876, when the reconstruction programme had been completed. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Furthermore, the line had not actually reached Duntroon; it terminated on the opposite, east bank of the Maerewhenua River due to bridging difficulties. The Maerewhenua River, also known as the Marewhenua River, is a small river in the Otago region of New Zealand 's South Island. [1]

Another company, the Duntroon and Hakataramea Railway Company, formed in 1878 after the 1877 District Railways Act was passed, with the intention of building a railway from Duntroon to Kurow and then further up the Waitaki Valley. For the place of similar name in Poland see Kurów. For the video game character see Kurow Kirishima. Construction commenced in 1879, and when the Waitaki River was bridged on 7 November 1881, the line was completed to Hakataramea, 1. The Waitaki River is a large River in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hakataramea, spelt Hakateramea in some older sources is a rural village located in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand 's South Island 76 km beyond Kurow by rail on the northern side of the Waitaki. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand There were plans to build the line further, to a proposed town that was to have 10,000 residents, but the town never came to fruition, the railway was not extended, and Hakataramea remained the terminus. [2] A few months earlier, the Maerewhenua River was finally bridged on 2 July 1881, and with the completion of the Hakataramea section, the full line was opened for service. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Duntroon and Hakataramea Railway Company did not purchase its own equipment; the branch was always operated by the New Zealand Railways Department. The New Zealand Railways Department, abbreviated as NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways and often known simply as the "Railways" was a government This arrangement lasted for over three years while the company and government disputed about ownership, primarily due to the fact the line was abbreviated to terminating in Hakataramea rather than being built to the full extent of original plans. Ultimately, the government purchased the line in April 1885 and charged a tariff beyond Duntroon until 1897. [3]

Further railway construction in the area took place in 1928, when the Public Works Department built 6. The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD was founded in 1876 and 4 kilometres of railway from Kurow to the construction site of the Waitaki hydro-electric dam. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water This line was never owned or operated by NZR, though NZR trains did occasionally use the line (in such cases, a Public Works Department locomotive took over from NZR's in Kurow). Works and freight services began on 20 December 1928 and passengers were carried from 25 February 1929. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [4]

Stations

The following stations were located on the Kurow Branch (in brackets is the distance from the junction in Pukeuri):[5]

After the closure of the brief section between Kurow and Hakataramea, the end of the branch was just beyond the Kurow station at a distance of 59. 22 km from Pukeuri.

Many of the stations were progressively closed during the branch's lifetime; when it was closed, the only four in use were Papakaio, Duntroon, Otekaieke, and Kurow. [6]

Operation

The Kurow Branch's operations in its first few decades of existence were unremarkable from those typical of many rural New Zealand branch lines. A single mixed train that carried both passengers and freight would depart Kurow for Oamaru in the morning and return in the late afternoon. A mixed train is a Train that hauls both Passenger and Freight cars The train took roughly three hours each way. In 1926, the branch became the location for the trial of one of New Zealand's two steam railcars, the Clayton steam railcar, offering a passenger timetable of 1 hour and 45 minutes between Oamaru and Kurow. A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway Vehicle designed to Transport passengers The NZR RM class Clayton steam railcar was a unique Railcar that operated on New Zealand 's national rail network and one of only two steam railcars However, the railcar did not prove popular and it was replaced by a regular carriage passenger train hauled by a steam locomotive on 10 November 1928. A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This new train ran to the railcar's schedule but was cancelled as of 12 July 1930 due to the effects of the Great Depression. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Special passenger trains still ran on occasions, notably in 1931 when they took sightseers down the Public Works Department's line from Kurow to the then under construction Waitaki Dam. For a few years, the PWD used its own rolling stock to offer a passenger service to school children who lived along the line and attended classes in Kurow. Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado This service ceased with the other operations of the line in the mid-1930s; the line formally closed in late 1936 and the track was removed in April 1937. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Prior to this, NZR had closed their section of track from Kurow to Hakataramea on 14 July 1930. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [7]

From its opening until the 1960s, the line was operated by steam locomotives, initially of the F and T classes, later the WF and WW, and then from the late 1940s, the A and AB. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" The NZR F class was the first important class of steam locomotive built to operate on New Zealand 's Railway network after the national gauge The NZR T class was a class of Steam locomotive used in New Zealand. The NZR WF class were Steam locomotives designed built and used by New Zealand Railways Department. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The A class were Steam locomotives built in 1906 with a 4-6-2 Wheel arrangement for New Zealand 's national Railway The NZR AB class was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific tender Steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand 's national By the 1940s, traditional forms of traffic such as livestock and agricultural supplies were declining as competition from road transport increased, and the primary freight became goods for the Upper Waitaki Hydro Scheme. On 25 March 1947, passenger provisions were withdrawn and the mixed trains became goods only. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [8] In the late 1960s, the line's motive power was dieselised when the DJ class was introduced and trains were reduced to operating thrice weekly, then just on Mondays and Thursdays. Dieselisation or Dieselization (see spelling differences) is generally used for the nowadays increasingly common use of Diesel fuel in vehicles as The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The line's future rested upon its role as the railhead for the dam construction, and even with just two trains a week, sometimes one would be cancelled. When the final project was completed in the early eighties, the line ceased to have a sufficient reason to exist and it was accordingly closed on 5 June 1983, with the final train running two days later to collect rolling stock still on the line. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) [9]

The branch today

The forces of both natural and human activity cause remnants of closed railways to diminish and disappear, but relics of the Kurow Branch still exist. The formation of the line is still visible for much of its length, and some crossing gates, culverts, and bridge piles remain. The Maerewhenua River bridge is long gone, but the combined road/rail bridge over the Waitaki River to Hakataramea still exists as simply a road bridge. Loading banks or platforms can still be found at rural stations such as Papakaio and Uxbridge, and Otekaieke's station sign stands in a field. In Kurow, the station building has been modified by a farmer for private use and no longer fully recognisable. [10] The most significant remnant is in Duntroon, where the station building has been preserved as a community crafts centre and as base for Duntroon's farmers' markets, and a water tank stands nearby in good condition. [11]

References

  1. ^ David Leitch and Brian Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, revised edition (Wellington: Grantham House 1998 [1995]), 82.
  2. ^ North Otago Museum, "Duntroon Railway Station", High Country Herald, 17 October 2007.
  3. ^ Leitch and Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, 83.
  4. ^ John Yonge (editor), New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, fourth edition (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 24.
  5. ^ Yonge, New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, 24.
  6. ^ Geoffrey B. Churchman and Tony Hurst, The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History (Auckland: HarperCollins, 1991), 205.
  7. ^ Leitch and Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, 83.
  8. ^ Churchman and Hurst, The Railways of New Zealand, 205.
  9. ^ Leitch and Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, 83.
  10. ^ Leitch and Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, 83-4.
  11. ^ North Otago Museum, "Duntroon Railway Station".
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