| From southward-facing points at Waiareka
Junction (placed thus to eliminate an impossibly sharp and steep curve
had they faced Oamaru-wards) the line proceeds for barely two miles on a climb
of 1 in 111 to Weston. Weston, known for its Oamaru stone quarry, could
be called a 'dormitory area' with respect to Oamaru. The present terminus of the
line (since 1959) is at Cormacks the site of Taylors' Lime Works. The original Cormacks
loop was situated 300 yards on the Weston side of the present station. This
loop was removed in 1944. Taylors' works have recently been taken over by
Milburn Lime and Cement and so the future of the business seems secure. This
opinion is based on a recent statement by Milburn Lime and Cement (1961) that
they intend to eventually base most of their plant and operations at Cormacks
where there are unlimited reserves of high-grade limestone. From Cormacks the
line moved north-west along the slopes of a huge limestone plateau from which
point the early rail traveller, was afforded a fine view of the outstretched
Waiareka Valley. Lorne, which boasted a loop till 1949, was reached a
mile from Cormacks then for the next mile and a quarter into Enfield the line
dropped down an average gradient of 1 in 72 crossing the Waiareka stream. The
bridge over the Waiareka was one of the few engineering structures of any note
on this branch. Enfield, another similar in character to Weston though
not so large, boasted until fairly recently (mentioned in 1948 W.T.T.), a
ballast pit and siding. This quarry supplied most of the rock for the 0amaru
foreshore protection work undertaken during the war years. Apparently F class
engines used to be regularly assigned to this task, one being 'Lord Nelson', 'F
111' which now belongs to the Oamaru Harbour Board. The line used to flood on
occasions at Enfield. This station was known first as Teaneraki.
Continuing from Enfield the line proceeded along the Waiareka Valley passing
through Elderslie, a once important estate which provided much traffic
for the line in the earlier days. Another important estate in this vicinity was
Windsor Park owned by William Menlove who was prompted to give the land for
nothing to the railway where it passed through his property. He, needless to
say, Was an ardent supporter of the Branch. Windsor station was reached
five miles further on from Elderslie at an average gradient of 1 in 170.
Windsor, known as Windsor Junction till the closing of the line (1959),
was of particular interest from 1887 till 1930 when the twelve rugged miles of
the Tokarahi Branch were in existence. According to an Oamaru
engine-driver who worked over both branches, Windsor had a 'fly-shunt' layout.
The station was officered at no time during its existence. In fact Ngapara was
the only station to be officered on the whole branch. From Windsor the line
curved gently north passing Corriedale a mile distant, home of N.Z.'s own
breed of sheep. Queens Flat station, besides the Waireka Stream lay
slightly over two miles distant from Corriedale while a mile and a half further
on at the head of the valley, lay the terminus of Ngapara. The word
'Ngapara is a Maori reference to the 'Tables' in this area - huge limestone
plateau's. Ngapara had the usual paraphernalia of a country terminus; station
buildings, goods shed, loading bank, stock-yards, locomotive depot (closed 1927)
and fifty-foot turntable. The engine shed had to be 'run through' to reach the
turn-table and as the rails in later years had been lifted to the depot the turn
table was inoperative. The last ever train on the Branch, a work train of 10th
December, 1939, lifted this turntable out presumably with a steam crane. It is
believed that the stationmaster left Ngapara in 1953 while the post-office which
occupied part of the station, was closed in 1959. Ngapara never amounted to more
than a small rural community despite the introduction of the railway. A flour
mill and a coal mine helped boost tonnage over the years but the halcyon years
finished in the early twenties with the termination of wheat growing. Twenty
thousand acres were estimated to be under cereals at the beginning of this
century. One can only present a sketchy outline of timetables in force over the
eighty-two years that the line was in existence. However shortly after the turn
of the century there was agitation for a more frequent service on both the
Tokarahi and Ngapara branches. The following timetable was then instituted. |
Daily a mixed train left Tokarahi at 8.25 in the
morning arriving at Windsor Junction at 9.25. ( An hour to cover 12 miles!) In
the station would be standing a mixed train which should have arrived from
Ngapara three minutes before. A reshuffle took place where the Ngapara engine
took all the passengers to Oamaru arriving at 10.40 a.m. The Tokarahi engine
marshalled together all the goods wagons and then meandered into Oamaru usually
arriving half an hour after the passenger train. In the afternoon the reverse
took place; the goods left Oamaru at 3.15 p.m. and waited at Windsor for the
passenger train which was due in at 4.56. Another complicated shunt took place
and then each engine took its own mixed train home. These change overs must have
been executed pretty smartly as only five minutes were allowed for this
manoeuvre in the Timetable. By 1926 however, the above service had been reduced
to Mondays only; Mixed trains running on Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays. By
1925 road transport was testing away the cream of both passenger and goods
traffic from both branches and this trend was reflected in the £10,000 loss on
both branches for the year. From December 1926 the Department decided to replace
all mixed services with two bus services. These bus services were among the
first in New Zealand to be operated by the Railways Department. The depression
helped to hasten the closure of the Tokarahi branch which ceased operations in
1930. By 1935 on Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays, train 337 left Oamaru at
7.30 a.m. arriving at the terminus at 9.40 . Train 304 then left Ngapara at
10.30 a.m. arriving back in Oamaru at 1-30 p.m. By 1951 the service was still
running on the same timetable though only on Tuesdays and Thursdays with extras
as required to Taylors' Lime Works which was then producing prodigious amounts
of agricultural lime. Current W.T.T. stated that only one Engine in steam was
allowed on the branch at one time. For the last eighteen months of the branch's
life the train services were run as required. In 1938 the operating loss of the
branch was £702 climbing to £1,813 in 1940 and £2,506 in 1951. By 1956
tar-sealed roads extended into Oamaru from the terminus, road transport
operators were sending the bulk of the traffic and £25,000 was needed to be
spent on the line to bring it into order again. ( A speed limit of 10 m.p.h.
existed from 1958.) Little wonder then that in January 1959 the Minister of
Railways announced that he was considering the closure of the line beyond
Taylors' Works. Representations were made to the Minister on behalf of the
Oamaru Harbour board and other organisations in an attempt to stay the closing
of the line. The result however was a foregone conclusion and the last goods
train passed of Ngapara metals on July 31st, 1959. These brief notes would be
far from complete if some mention was not made of the various types of motive
power which worked the combined branch lines. The following lists have many
unavoidable gaps. Apart from a reference to 'Weka' '0-6-0-T' hauling the
official inspection train at the opening of the Ngapara branch, little is known
of locomotive operation in the early stages of the branches. For some years
prior to 1918 However Fa '0-6-OT' locomotives worked the combined Windsor-Oamaru
passenger service. (These engines were stationed at Ngapara). Other engines
which worked the branches from the 1900's were Wf '2-6-4T', P '2-8-0', Wd
'2-6-4T' and T '2-8-0' engines. The Baldwin built T class worked Tokarahi up to
the mid-twenties; their numbers being 103-106. The Baldwin Ub class also saw
service here: slide-valve, 'the rattlers' No.328 and piston valve No's 280-282.
A Sharp Stewart built '4-6-0' Uc No 368 is remembered as performing creditable
duty too. Ab and A class Pacifics reigned supreme on the Ngapara branch for the
last 'Twenty-five years. Taylors' Lime Company secured the tender for lifting
the line. The eleven miles of track and ballast were lifted by the Company in
about four months using an Allis-Chalmers HD5 bulldozer. Approximately 1000 tons
of railway line 30,000 sleepers and three bridges were recovered. Cattle yards,
goods sheds, sidings and incidental sheds were sold separately to private
buyers. The land made available by the removal of the line-some eleven miles by
half a chain was leased by the Railways Department. |
