Rimutaka Incline
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The Rimutaka Incline was a 3-mile (5-km) stretch of steeply-graded 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) gauge narrow gauge railway line between Summit and Cross Creek on the original Wairarapa railway line between Wellington and Masterton in New Zealand. Because of financial constraints, the railway between Upper Hutt and Featherston followed steep gradients to climb over the Rimutaka Ranges, rather than passing through a long rail tunnel as it does today. The Fell centre-rail system was selected for the steeply-graded (1 in 15) incline between Cross Creek and Summit, and all trains were hauled by up to five of the six specially-built H class Fell steam locomotives or on descent retarded by these locomotives and a similar number of Fell brake vans. The Fell system was also fitted, for braking purposes only, to the Roa and Rewanui Inclines on the South Island's West Coast.
Construction on the new Rimutaka railway tunnel and deviation to replace the incline began in the late 1940s. On 30 October 1955 the 5-km incline and 34 km of associated track closed, and the new line opened on 3 November.
The old line was then dismantled and H 200-204 were scrapped. Sole survivor H 199 was donated to the neighbouring Borough of Featherston, and placed on static display in a public park. The Fell Engine Museum was formed in the 1980s to preserve, restore and properly display this historic exhibit and other incline artefacts. Parts of the old line were preserved for water board purposes and can be accessed today for recreation as the Rimutaka Rail Trail. The two other lines continued to use the Fell system: Roa closed in 1960 and the Fell rail was removed from Rewanui in 1968.
In 2003 the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust was formed with the objective of reinstating a heritage railway on the abandoned formation and its access routes. Many challenges face this project, including formation rehabilitation works, the laying of new track, diversion of the Rimutaka Rail Trail (which includes the whole of the Incline), and construction of new Fell locomotives. Planning and negotiations have progressed well, and the first piece of track was ceremonially laid at Maymorn, near Upper Hutt, on 29 October 2005, 50 years to the day after the last train went up the Rimutaka incline.
The Rail Trail is popular for mountain biking and walking, and these uses are proposed to be catered for by a diversion of the trail, located for the most part a short distance uphill of the railway.
